out to watch. Slowly, the dark forms of giant moths began to glide out of the darkness above us. Four, five, six of them. They circled, and I could see the unmistakable shapes of riders clinging to their backs.
“Call your dagger,” I whispered. “There are riders. Do you think you can take one out?”
“Skalei.” Ali paused, then cursed and shook her head. “Skalei won’t come.”
Not even Ali’s shadow magic worked down here. I was going to have to do this the hard way.
“Stay here,” I whispered, then I stepped up to the mouth of the cave, calling out, “Hello!”
The riders turned, facing me, but something wasn’t right. They moved stiffly, bodies jerking awkwardly to each beat of the moths’ wings. They balanced like they’d never been on a moth before. These were not the king’s moth-riders.
One descended, crossing into the violet glow of the cave. I caught a glimpse of black hair and green eyes. These riders were Vanir. I searched around for a weapon, snatching up the crystal shard just as a moth dropped level with us.
“Prince Galin?” asked the Vanir, leveling a crossbow at my chest. At that moment, I realized I recognized him as the Regent.
“Is the Night Elf with you?” the Regent asked, then peered over my shoulder. “I see her there in the shadows.”
I heard Ali take a step closer, sidling up behind me.
“How did you know we were down here?” I asked.
“Everyone in the Citadel knows what King Gorm did to you.”
“And why are you here?” I barked.
Perched on the moth, he shrugged. “We came to collect your bodies. But since you’re alive, you will come with us.”
I took a step closer. “Why?”
He shook his head. “That is not for me to say at this moment. I can only give you my oath that Ali will be safe with us.”
I frowned. This was completely perplexing. He had given his oath that Ali would be safe, but on multiple occasions Vanir had tried to kill her. “Give us a moth, and we’ll follow you.”
The Regent shook his head again. “No. I will take Ali with me.”
“And we’re just supposed to trust you?”
The Regent nodded, the faintest hint of a smile on his face. “I don’t think you have any other option.”
My mouth went dry. He wasn’t wrong about that. I shot a nervous look at Ali. This could be a trap of some sort. But if it was, perhaps it would be easier to get out of than this pit of death.
A minute later, I was sitting astride a moth’s back, gripping its fur tight. The Vanir warrior in front of me awkwardly jerked the reins, and we nearly slammed into the wall of the well. The poor guy could probably break a stallion in his sleep, but equine skills simply didn’t translate into moth riding.
At least I’d managed to grab the crystal shard before we left. Hopefully I would survive this ride.
“You need to relax,” I said sharply. “Let the moth do the flying.”
The warrior grunted, ignoring me.
“Look, why don’t I take the—”
Before I could finish, the Vanir had leaned too far left. Now thoroughly unbalanced, the moth flipped upside down. I gripped tight with my thighs. The Vanir screamed, clutching at the insect's antenna.
Gods help me.
“Grab it round the head!” I shouted, but too late. The moth thrashed, and the Vanir was thrown clear. In an instant, he’d disappeared into the darkness.
Above me, I could hear the other Vanir shouting, but I didn’t have time to listen. If I didn’t immediately get control of the insect, it’d break its wings and crash into the wall.
After a few harrowing seconds, I managed to grab hold of one of the moth’s antennae in a solid grip.
I swung the moth right side up, adrenaline pumping, breathing hard. They would think I killed the Vanir, so I held up my hands, signaling I wasn’t a threat.
“He lost control!” I shouted.
But there was no one there to respond. My voice echoed in the darkness of the well. I was alone. No moths circled above me. No chitinous wings beat the air.
“Ali?” I shouted, spurring the moth higher.
Only echoes answered me.
“Ali?” I shouted again, panic flickering in my chest.
I was about to scribe kaun for light when I smelled ozone, sensed the static in the air. A portal had been cast.
I could guess where they’d taken her. I raised my hand to scribe a portal to the Vanir’s quarters in the Citadel. If anything happened to her, the Vanir