ripped free from the manacles. I tore into the throat of another guard, reveling in the power that flowed into me from his blood.
Within moments, the stairwell was drenched in carnage, and I could hear Revna’s screams fading as she ran away.
Now, imbued with the strength of two more souls, power flooded me. I surged up the stairs at the speed of lightning.
After racing up the stairs, covered in blood, I launched myself onto the roof of the Citadel. Snowflakes drifted down from a steel-gray sky in the amphitheater that encircled the Well of Wyrd.
Today, the seats were empty. On the dais overlooking the well, King Gorm stood, dressed in his usual golden robes. In his right hand, Levateinn shimmered. And that was where my power met its limits—because even with these souls in my body, I was no match for the wand.
Ali stood next to him swaying slightly. Her arms were bound tightly behind her. She looked completely drained of energy. Fear stole my breath. I’d do anything to get her out of this, even if it meant giving up my life.
“Where are your subjects?” I shouted to the king with all the confidence I could muster. I was still moving quickly, rushing down the steps toward them, desperate to be near Ali. “I thought your subjects were into spectacles,” I went on, hoping to stall him. “That’s what you have planned, isn’t it? More tossing of bodies into your sacrificial pit. But you’ll need an audience.”
“I see you are soaked in the blood of my guards,” Gorm said. “How charming. Unfortunately, it’s just a small group of us today. Come down and speak with me.”
I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. More slowly, I began to make my way toward the king. As I walked down the steps, my mind worked frantically. What’s his game plan? Is this an execution? A negotiation? Or something else entirely?
Maybe a direct approach would work best. I had reached the stone platform that overlooked the well, and I stalked closer until I was only a few feet from Ali and the king. “What do you want?”
“Stop where you are!” Gorm commanded.
Ali stood perilously close to the edge, only inches from the king. I fought the urge to run to her, knowing that any sudden moments would result in him shoving her into the well.
King Gorm held up my ring. “It’s time you were made whole again.”
That was unexpected. What was his game plan?
He raised Levateinn to point at my chest. The wand shimmered with magic.
Like Revna, King Gorm didn’t appear to realize that my soul was no longer contained within the gold circlet. This attempt to join the ring to me would be pointless, and I had no idea why he wanted to do it in the first place.
But it was buying us time, and time was what we needed.
The king began to chant. Magic unspooled from the end of the wand in silver sheets. They enveloped me, and a metallic taste filled my mouth. King Gorm chanted louder, holding up my ring.
“Fara ond!” he shouted as he finished the incantation. The metallic magic tightened.
Nothing happened.
Visibly frustrated, King Gorm waved the wand a few more times. “It’s not bloody working!” he shouted, his face red. “Where is it?”
“What?”
“Tell me where it is!” The king stepped closer and pressed Levateinn against my chest as though he might run me through. “Where have you hidden your soul?”
“I don’t know,” I lied. “It’s been a thousand years. I believe it’s lost. But I can help you find it, if you let us both live.”
“No!” shouted King Gorm. “You lie! You know where it is now. You will tell me.”
I looked to the edges of the amphitheater, where guards now raised their wands. Killing hexes hummed at their tips, ready to end Ali’s life. I’d have to bluff.
“You and I both know hexes are useless against me. As a lich, I am indestructible. Throw us back in the prison cells, let us live, and I will help you find my soul.”
The king spun and pointed Levateinn at Ali’s chest. “But this little tunnel-elf can die. If you take one more step, I will transform her into a bug and squash her.”
Time seemed to stop.
“I thought so,” Gorm said as I turned to face him once again. “Yes, the tunnel-elf is important to you.” He pressed the wand against her temple as if it were a gun. “Now tell me where your soul is. I want it returned to you,