Palace of Silver (The Nissera Chronicles #3) - Hannah West Page 0,129

on to us, just like it did to the fay.”

“I knew the hollow place left by the Water might attract something,” Mercer said. “But how could Valory have been overpowered so easily?”

I saw deep love engraved into the lines of worry on his face. Months ago, I might have averted my eyes, ignored the unwelcome ache in my heart. Now I forced myself to gaze upon it, like staring at the sun, and found it no longer burned.

“The moment we found her, I saw a vision of Ambrosine using Valory’s portal to visit the Water,” he explained. “We think she lured Valory there and used dark magic to entrap her.”

I felt weighed down, like I had swallowed an anchor. Valory may have been mysteriously absent, but the knowledge of her invincibility had nested at the back of my mind, a comfort in the darkest hours. She would get us out of this mess as soon as she could. Nothing could overpower her. She would come to Perispos and end it all with one flick of her wrist.

That sense of safety had been stripped away.

This must have been what Ambrosine meant. My plan has already been set in motion, but I want you to help me. Help me and be even stronger than Valory.

Kadri was right. One of the Fallen had invaded the Forest of the West Fringe. It was all part of Ambrosine’s plan.

“I could tell Ambrosine was using dark magic,” Devorian said as he perused the food options, picking up jars and plunking them back down with a grimace. “In fact, I’m embarrassed to admit that she frightened me.”

“She’s not using dark magic,” I said. “The dark magic lives within her. And his name is Vainglory.”

After I explained everything to them, I curled on my pallet next to Devorian’s and stared at the red dot on Kadri’s tracking map by the light of a candle stub. She and Severo had not yet left the palace.

I didn’t remember drifting off, but I awoke to Kadri yelling from deep inside the tunnel. I jerked awake, fumbled for my sword in the dark, and ran to the mouth of the passage.

Had someone pursued them from the palace? The convenience of the tunnels came with drawbacks. If even one person on the other side found out about the underground network, this whole operation would be compromised. The commander had considered my elicrin stone valuable enough to risk such danger, but that was before he and Navara had returned to three elicromancers ready to fight for the cause. Their arrival would be nearly enough to temper Navara’s disappointment when she found I had not succeeded in summoning a Holy.

I heard the shuffle of distant footsteps—it sounded like two people, thankfully—but I couldn’t see what state they were in.

“Kadri?” I called. “Sev?”

A groan echoed down the tunnel. “Help us!” Kadri called.

Behind me, I heard three spells light three elicrin stones. Tilmorn pushed past me and ran to meet them. I sprinted after him.

“Oh, Tilmorn!” Kadri gasped. “Help him! He’s lost so much blood.”

Tilmorn blocked my view, but as I ran, I caught glimpses of Sev’s bare torso and a bloodied dish rag clamped against the wound. His face was greenish-gray, the color of death.

If Tilmorn hadn’t come…

I couldn’t even ponder it.

“Ambrosine came in while we were searching her bedchamber,” Kadri explained, doubling over to catch her breath. “She started talking to her mirror and didn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon. We tried to sneak out, but she saw the door open and called for her guards. Sev and I lost hold of each other as we ran. There was a fight, and Sev got stabbed before I was able to cloak him under the spell again. We barely made it out.”

“Did anyone see you open the passage?” Commander Larsio asked.

“A guard who stabbed him followed us, but I killed him and dragged him into the tunnel with us,” Kadri said.

“Blood trail?” the commander asked.

She shook her head. “Just a bit before we stifled the bleeding. It wouldn’t lead them to the passage.”

Tilmorn alleviated Sev’s pain and restored him to health. Sev searched the faces standing over him, blinking at the ones he didn’t recognize.

But when his probing gaze landed on Devorian, he bared his teeth and lunged.

“Sev!” I shouted. “What are you doing?”

Tilmorn held him back, claiming the slightest edge in pure strength, but Sev was more agile. He ducked under Tilmorn’s arm and locked a grip around Devorian’s throat. Devorian, for his part,