Somehow, the idea didn’t seem as ludicrous as it had when I’d first woken in her encampment.
I’d expected Emberstone to be a dimly lit keep, with dusty, narrow passageways cut into the stone, maybe even a grand hall.
Instead, a sophisticated, colorful city sprawled before me, vast beyond anything I’d imagined.
The entrance had led us to a high vantage point in the road, flanked by guards in gleaming silver-plated armor. The wide, paved path cut a zigzagging switchback down into the city. From here, a labyrinth of streets twisted between alleys, the tiled rooftops of two- and three-story buildings glistening in the glow of streetlamps. A cacophony of sounds and smells wafted toward us as we descended.
In the distance, a majestic castle loomed, towering over the city, its white marble walls gleaming, ivy climbing the sides, as if sunlight streamed in during the day.
The Unbound Viori weren’t as wild or savage as Liriens believed. The entire city brimmed with enchantment and ingenuity.
I tried not to gawk as the silver-clad guards escorted us down the switchback. At the bottom of the path, the cart creaked onto a cobblestone street. “This is the heart of your territory?” I asked.
A shy look crossed Seren’s face. “I know it’s nothing compared to what I’ve heard of Lirien but?—”
“This is beautiful, Seren. A city to be proud of.” Never in my wildest dreams had I expected this. Or thought I’d compliment the Viori on anything.
The cavernous ceiling arched high above the city, its finely hewn layers of stone smooth like a sky. Somehow the builders had found ways—through magic or sheer skill—to carve enormous shafts into the rock. The last rays of sunlight from the sunset filtered through.
I’d read about cities like this in old texts—tales of Murkhold, the dwarven realm of wealth and magic, carved into the mountains before Vornfall shattered the nine realms. But wasn’t that all just myth? A long-dead world, lost to time?
Magic clearly existed, but everything else? Ancient texts, reading like fairy stories, hardly seemed like a reliable source of truth. Only Ibarrans truly put stock in the old gods and their legends.
Even they believed most of their gods had died … which meant what exactly? If gods could die, who was to say the ones they still worshipped existed? Especially if their realms had been sealed off, forever out of reach.
The thought troubled me for other reasons now.
If I survived this and returned to Lirien as heir, my powers would be considered divinely granted. I would be the head of the faith.
The king’s heretical youngest son. Troublesome. Inconvenient.
The king himself being a heretic?
Disaster.
“What is?” Seren’s voice came through my head.
I stiffened, giving her a sidelong glance. Dammit. I needed to be more careful. “I don’t like not knowing what lies ahead.”
“I understand.” Her eyes reflected that concern.
But what could we do? We were trapped, moving endlessly toward a fate neither of us could escape.
The wagon stopped abruptly.
“We’re here,” Seren said. Her dread only amplified my own.
More guards in silver armor were stationed here, standing before two massive, gated doors to the keep. The leader of the Viori clearly ruled like a king, even if he didn’t call himself one—and this was his castle.
Green and black pennants hung beyond the gate, the crest emblazoned with the Everspire—the tree of life—its tangled roots curled into the shape of a dragon. I’d seen the symbol before—on Viori Vangar banners when they raided the border.
Seth and Darya, together with the silver-clad guards, helped us out of the wagon. The astonishment on Seth’s face as I stood told me he hadn’t expected to see me standing. Darya, however, narrowed her eyes in suspicion. I didn’t blame her. I didn’t trust her, either.
They led us inside, my chains dragging against the stone floor with a sinister scrape.
Deeper within, sentinels stood at attention, their armor gleaming in the torchlight. Rich tapestries lined the walls, depicting scenes from a history unfamiliar to me. From behind one, a boy darted out, clutching a ball, his wide eyes fixing on the irons around my wrists.
I pulled my gaze away, only to catch Seren watching him. A faint smile curled on those lips, sweetly.
