Page 19

Now I have a direction. I ascend to the fourth level, hugging the lesser corridors to avoid detection.

My heart beats with a mix of excitement and anger.

If I find Selene, do I rescue her immediately?

The fortress is heavily guarded, wards are thick, and she has that cursed bracelet.

Perhaps I can’t whisk her out tonight. But at least I can confirm she’s breathing and plant seeds for future collaboration.

At a bend in the corridor, I pause. The tapestry on the wall depicts a grand historical scene of Orthani’s conquests: dark elves standing triumphant over spined beasts, a swirl of arcane lightning above them.

I feel my stomach turn at the arrogance.

The air tastes stale, charged with the city’s oppressive magic.

But I push on, counting doorways until I reach the west corridor.

Two guards lurk near a door etched with Vaelith’s crest—crossed swords over a serpent’s eye.

That must be it. My instincts scream caution.

They’re armed with halberds, standing alert.

If I rush them, I risk raising the entire fortress.

I need a diversion. I check my belt pouches.

One small clay orb rests there, containing a potent mixture of flash powder and chaos dust. The effect is short-lived but bright enough to disorient for a few precious breaths.

I step back, weighting the orb in my palm.

If I toss it near them, the resulting flare might alert half the corridor.

But if I do nothing, I can’t approach quietly.

Another option is to set a separate distraction away from the door, pulling them from their post. My mind races.

I glance around, spotting an ornate candelabrum near a tapestry a short distance away.

If I sabotage the candelabrum, it might fall, start a small flame, draw them over.

Quietly, I detach a small line of wire from my belt, hooking it across the corridor at shin level near the candelabrum.

Then I locate a second vantage point from behind a half-drawn curtain.

I slip back, pick up a stray chunk of metal from the floor, and lob it so it clangs against the candelabrum’s base.

The heavy stand wobbles, tipping into the tapestry. Flames lick at the cloth. Perfect.

“Fire!” The guards snap to attention, rushing over.

Their footsteps pound as they scramble to unhook the tapestry or douse the sparks.

One tries to yank the tapestry off its rod, but the tension from my wire tangles his legs.

He crashes, cursing. His partner leans down to help, forgetting the door for the moment.

Seizing the opening, I dart across the corridor, slipping into the chamber.

The door closes softly behind me. The interior is dim, lit only by a single lantern on a rough wooden table.

A narrow bed stands against one wall, sheets slightly rumpled.

I spot a figure near the small slit of a window, black hair catching the faint glow: Selene.

She jerks around, eyes widening. I catch my breath.

She’s every bit as dangerous as the Red Purna described—lean muscle underpinned by a fierce presence, tension in her posture.

Faint bruises line her wrists where shackles must have been.

She’s wearing a plain black tunic and leggings, typical Orthani garb for a prisoner forced into training.

Despite the bleak setting, she radiates a coiled readiness, as though any second she might strike.

In one fluid move, she snatches a small knife from the table and points it at me. Her voice is low, threatening. “Who are you?”

I raise my hands in a sign of peace, though I keep my stance guarded. “I won’t harm you,” I whisper. “I’m Eryx. An ally, if you’ll let me be.”

Her expression hardens. “An ally from Orthani? That’s unlikely.”

My heart beats faster, noticing how the lamplight highlights her high cheekbones, how her eyes gleam with defiance. “I’m no friend of this city,” I say, stepping slowly closer. “The Red Purna sent me. I was told you were crucial to our cause.”

She snorts softly. “Crucial. Then why did they let me rot here?”

I grimace. “I suspect they planned for you to be caught, to stoke Orthani’s wrath or measure their defenses. I didn’t realize that until recently.”

Her anger flares. “So I was bait,” she hisses, turning the knife in her grip. “You’re part of their scheme?”

I place a hand on my chest. “I’m not a mindless pawn. I have my own reasons to see Orthani suffer. But yes, I work with them… for now.”

She eyes me like I might sprout fangs. “If you’re here to break me free, you picked a bad time. The wards are thicker than a demon’s hide. Not to mention this.” She raises her left wrist, showing me a metal bracelet etched with runic lines. “It shocks me if I step beyond a set perimeter.”

I swallow frustration. The fortress’s labyrinth is no place for a hasty rescue. “I know. I came to see if you’re alive and if you have a plan. If you do, I can help.”

She narrows her gaze. Her posture is taut, ready to spring if I prove untrustworthy. In that moment, I realize how the Red Purna’s betrayal must burn inside her, making her suspicious of anyone claiming to be an ally. Still, I sense a thread of reluctant curiosity.

I chance a step closer, lowering my voice.

“Selene, I used to be a noble here. My family was slaughtered by Orthani’s ruling class.

I’ve wanted to burn this city from the inside out ever since.

The Red Purna offers me resources, but that doesn’t mean I trust them entirely.

They see you as a means to an end. I see you as an ally with common ground—both of us want Orthani’s downfall. ”

She clenches her jaw, wrestling with her own turmoil.

For a breath, her guard lowers, and I notice faint shadows under her eyes, a sign of exhaustion.

“If that’s true, you’ll help me protect Ai—the child they locked up.

She’s a purna, barely able to control her magic.

Orthani wants to weaponize her, and the Red Purna sees her as… a spark for war.”

I nod, something twisting in my chest. A child caught in the crossfire of grand machinations. I recall my younger siblings, cut down in the purge that destroyed my family, and a flash of cold fury grips me. “Then we save her. That can serve both our agendas, and it’s the right thing to do.”

She assesses me, eyes flicking over my lean frame, the daggers at my belt, the worn boots that speak of many miles walked in the shadows.

She must sense my sincerity, or perhaps she sees no immediate advantage in refusing my help.

Slowly, she lowers the knife. “Fine. But I’m not about to trust you blindly.

The Red Purna left me to rot. You could be just another manipulator. ”

I incline my head in agreement. “I don’t expect gratitude. I only want results.”

A sudden crash from the corridor outside jolts us both. The candelabrum fiasco must have escalated. I move toward the door, pressing an ear to the thick wood. Voices shout curses as footsteps pound. My diversion might not keep them busy for long.

I turn back to Selene. “I have to slip out before the guards calm down. If they find me here, everything’s lost. But I needed to see you, confirm you’re still formidable. By the looks of it, you are.”

She scoffs, though her eyes spark with a fierce glow. “I can handle myself.”

A faint smile touches my lips. “I believe you. Listen—there’s a supply storage area near the southwestern tower.

I can stash weapons or items you might need.

If you find a way to bypass your bracelet’s perimeter, go there.

You’ll find a hidden hatch leading into the old catacombs.

Orthani never repaired them after the last quake. It’s a possible route out.”

She chews her lip, evaluating. “Worth a shot. But I can’t just walk out, or the wards will trigger.”

I nod. “I’ll work on gleaning a passkey or runic override from a contact in the archives. That might let me neutralize your bracelet. Give me time. In the meantime, keep impressing them. Earn their trust. The more freedom they grant you, the easier it’ll be for us to spring Ai.”

Her mouth tightens. “You realize we might not get many chances. If they realize we’re conspiring, they’ll lock me down, or kill the child. Zareth, Vaelith—none of them will hesitate.”

I bristle at the mention of Vaelith. I recall his arrogant face from years back, leading the squads that butchered my family. Another wave of hatred churns in me. “We’ll be careful,” I promise. “I have ways of lurking unseen.”

Her eyes flick to the door. “Go, then. Before they trace your sabotage.”

I hesitate, a surge of impulse driving me to linger. Up close, I see the faint scar along her jaw, a testament to past battles. The air between us hums with tension, unspoken challenges and alliances. I swallow. “Stay alive, Selene. Orthani will try to break you. Don’t let them.”

She lifts her chin, voice softening for a heartbeat. “They can try.”

Our gazes lock. Heat stirs in my chest, a bristling attraction forged from shared danger, though neither of us would admit it.

A blink later, I slip away, pulling the door open a crack.

The corridor echoes with frantic voices dousing the flames.

Perfect. I keep low, hugging the shadows, and slip past the corner.

The smoldering tapestry is half-torn from the wall, a sooty mess.

Guards scurry about, cursing the incompetent who let the candelabrum tip.

I skirt behind them, ducking through the side passage. My heart thunders with adrenaline.