Page 29 of The Queen’s Shadow

He couldn’t know that, neither of us could. But I wanted to believe it, so I allowed myself to pretend.

‘That’s my girl.’ He said with approval, ‘Do not lose faith.’

Frira’s dragonflies suddenly burst into a frenzy, and I tensed for a moment, thinking it was another Luchorpán. My anxiety quickly turned to excitement when I realized we had finally reached the end of the tunnel. I could see a sort of filtered light spilling through what looked like a large cavernous space up ahead.

‘I believe we have arrived,’ Amon commented, and I nodded.

“It would appear so.” I agreed, darting forward to examine the mouth of the cave. I hovered and allowed my aura to investigate it. I didn’t want to be blindsided or trapped again by another monster or creature of some kind.

The cave was emanating a deep, throbbing pulse of magick. It felt ancient, powerful, and also…familiar. I had felt this same strum of power before, I just couldn’t put my finger on where. It was on the tip of my tongue, and I knew it would bug me until I figured out what it was.

“What do you think, do I go in?” I asked once I had finished my inspection. It took a moment for Amon to respond.

“Amon?” I asked, when he finally replied, his voice sounded different, strained.

‘Yes, just proceed with caution. Keep your guard up. I’m right here with you.’ He said, but I frowned.

“What’s happening? Why do you sound like you’re in pain?” I asked, unable to keep the panic from my voice. “What is she doing to you?”

He chuckled softly and ran his metaphysical fingers through the strands of my mind, in an effort to calm me.

‘Nothing is wrong, my love. Focus on the task at hand. You must keep your wits about you.’

I scanned his voice for any hint of distress, or discomfort. Finding none, I reluctantly conceded.

“Alright. Let’s go.” I agreed, as Frira’s dragonflies gathered in a fiery cloud around me. Slowly, I floated into the softly lit cave.

It took me a moment to understand what I was looking at as I entered, but once my mind processed my surroundings, I knew why the cave’s energy had felt familiar.

Above me, was a massive hole in the ceiling that spread hundreds of feet in diameter. The hole was tented in a film like substance that was translucent enough to let the light in. In the center of the opening in the ceiling of the cave, was a giant iris and pupil.

I was inside The Eye.

“Holy shit.” I said out loud, before allowing myself to slowly spin in the air, taking in the rest of the cave. There were piles and piles of objects all around me, some towered as high as mountains. All of the sacrifices daemons had made to The Eye over a millenia were hoarded here. A massive treasure trove of things daemons had thought were valuable enough to trade for truths.

“Holy fucking SHIT!” I repeated, and I felt Amon’s own excitement course through me at the discovery.

‘Raven…’ He breathed, and I knew what he was going to say.

Bond Breaker.

My blood thrilled, and my entire body erupted in gooseflesh. If I could find Bond Breaker, I would have the means to sever slavery bonds.

I could save them.

I could barely contain my excitement. I floated through the endless piles of treasures. There were so many different objects, and not all of them were magickal. Many of them were simply things that must have held a great deal of sentimental value to the daemons who had sacrificed them.

There were books, jewelry, articles of clothing, goblets and gemstones. I thought I even saw a pair of dice as I navigated through the sea of treasures, and found myself wondering if they were the dice Dossidian had sacrificed in exchange for the location of his sabers that the Prince of Wrath had hidden in the Veridian Desert.

‘There.’ Amon’s voice was filled with longing as I came up to a pile of treasures stationed nearly in the direct center of the cave. It was shrouded in the shadow of the massive pupil of The Eye that cloaked the cave overhead.

There it was. Bond Breaker… Its hilt protruding from the top of the mountain of sacrificed objects. I shot towards it like a dart, and before I knew it, my hand was closing around it. The second my fingers touched it, I felt its magick rush through my arm to greet the circlet that rested on my brow. They were made of the same material, and called to each other.

Amon inhaled sharply as the magick coursed through me, and I knew he was revelling in the familiar feeling of his sword. He had missed it dearly.

‘You are magnificent,’ he purred, and I could almost feel him rub his hands over me as he said it, the whisper of his voice through my body making my skin pebble and my toes curl. I blushed.

“It wasn’t that hard.” I said, trying to brush off the praise. “You would have done the same if the situations were reversed.” I felt him scowl.