CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Desperately, I sprinted down the corridor, using Eterna’s mournful song as my guide.
The melody grew louder as I approached an arched doorway, its handle secured with an iron padlock. I pressed my ear to the wood, listening closely.Definitely the right one.Using the chunk of rubble originally intended for self-defense, I smashed at the padlock with all my strength. Again. And again. And again. It didn’t break.Maybe if I could weaken it somehow…freeze it?
Corvin appeared at my side, breathing heavily. “I found our belongings. They were in a chest at the end of the corridor,” he told me, tucking my silver clutch into his cloak. “Is she behind this door?”
“This one,” I confirmed. “You might want to stand back.” I held my palms out in front of my body, focusing my power. A silvery beam of glacial moonlight radiated out of my hands. I focused it on the weakest part of the padlock, watched as frost formed in response to its frigid touch, slowly creeping over the iron until it was completely covered in spiky ice crystals. I resumed my efforts with the chunk of rubble.Snap!The padlock broke in half, falling uselessly to the floor.We’re coming, Eterna!
Without further delay, I pushed the door open and stepped inside, Corvin close behind me.
A golden treelike perch glittered in the center of the room. Upon its gilded branches sat a small phoenix.
Relief flooded me—we found her!
Even to my untrained eye, she looked young. Admittedly, Fiere was my only other reference point for determining a phoenix’s age. But she was definitely much smaller than I remembered him being. And her tail was much shorter. Then again, Terani had mentioned that Eterna was on her first birth cycle, so her size wasn’t too surprising. Right away, my relief turned to concern at the dull sheen of her feathers. I didn’t think that was related to her age at all, but rather a concerning sign of declining health. Was she sick from being confined too long?
A cool draft of fresh air touched my face. Looking up, I spotted an open sunroof above us. A few stars twinkled in the darkening sky, visible overhead. Had Rogam renovated this room with Eterna in mind? Had she been given just enough access to the sunshine to survive, down here all alone?If we could just get her out of the manor.
“We’re here to rescue you,” I told the phoenix.
Eterna skeptically tilted her head to the side. I took no offense—we looked utterly disheveled. I couldn’t blame her for looking less than impressed by our rescue attempt. “Terani sent us. We’re going to get you out of here,” I added, hoping the conviction in my voice would provide some reassurance. Her golden eyes flashed at the mention of Terani. She might not know me, but she trusted Terani, her bonded warrior, with her life. Eterna reclined her head at us in a solemn gesture of understanding. Feebly, she lifted one of her wings like she wanted to show us something.
“Theyclippedher wings,” Corvin ground out, his voice a low growl. He strode over to the perch, bending over Eterna to inspect the damage, while I stayed where I was, standing in the doorway. Gently, he prodded her wing, murmuring soft words of comfort. “I think I can heal her wings using my magic. It will take a bit of—”
“INTRUDERS!” a man bellowed.
I turned around. Metal flashed. A sword arcing in my direction.
I didn’t think; my hands went up. A dome of silvery, ethereal light sprung to life between us, acting as my shield. Like the one Moira summoned in my dream. The blade struck its curved surface, deflecting harmlessly off solidified moonlight. There was something about knowing that I was following in her footsteps, of a past Midnight Sovereign, that made the light shine a little brighter still. I didn’t have a chance to panic; maintaining the magic required my undivided attention. Another strike. And another. The guard was persistent; I had to give him that. He struck again.
The shield held.
But it wouldn’t hold forever and if it failed, we had limited means to defend ourselves. No weapons. Corvin’s magic was powerful, but from what I’d seen thus far, it could also be slow to manifest. Another harsh blow split the air. Did the magic waver? How many more strikes could I reasonably repel? A single thought consumed me:It’s my responsibility to get everyone out of here safely.
I called out to Corvin, my voice decisive. “The sunroof! It’s open! Take Eternaand go!I’ll hold them off.”
“I’m not leaving here without you!” he shouted back.
“Then meet me outside.Pleasetake her out of here—now!”
Risking a glance over my shoulder, I caught Corvin’s gaze. Indecision clouded his face. He was standing, Eterna tucked protectively into the crook of his arm. “Trust me,” I simply said as our eyes connected. He nodded somberly, summoning his magnificent midnight-black wings. “Soon, Elvira. Or I’m coming back for you.” With a loud whoosh, he took flight, up and out of the sunroof and into the evening sky.
A bead of sweat poured down my brow. If my shield dropped, I needed torun.
Could I really manage to slip past the guard?
Footsteps approached. “Still your sword, Dain! We need heralive!” Apparently, Ingwar had grown wise to our escape. Looking confused, Dain lowered his weapon, turning toward his fellow guard. “She’s conjured some sort of wall! Barricaded herself inside the phoenix’s room—”
He was distracted. It was an opening.
Letting my protection fade, I zipped out the door like an arrow sprung from its bow. Ingwar reached clumsily for my arm as I went flying by, but I’d taken him by surprise and managed to wrench free of his grasp before he could restrain me, taking off down the corridor at a dead sprint like my life depended on it.
It very well might.
I ran faster than I ever had before in a mad dash toward freedom. The guards pursued me, their angry shouts and heavy boots close behind. Too close. They were going to catch me. Almost there…almost there…
I lunged forward, and just when I felt the faintest brush of fingertips at my back, when it appeared they would catch me after all, as my lungs burned in protest, did I reach the staircase leading back up to the study, inserting myself in between its narrow walls. I turned and summoned my moonlight shield.Ha! Try and grab me now!I crawled backward up the staircase, one step at a time—a single palm held out in front of my body, directing my magic.
