IfeltTorilean in and whisper in my ear, “Remember, you aren’t his anymore.”Shewas so quietIwas sure no one else had heard her.Thecreature inside me responded, rubbing up against my ribs and stretching out, no longer content to lay dormant.
“I’mgoing to need some paper.”
Acrossthe desk,Torihad rolled out a long scroll of paper, andAvlynhanded me a quill.Ibegan drawing a map ofAdimos.Aftera few moments of silence,IheardToriwhistle.
“Wow,Ican’t believe you drew all this from memory.”Sheran her fingers over the coastlineIhad just completed.
“I’vealways been able to remember things.Mymother called it an eidetic memory.Everythingsits in my mind like drawings in great detail.It’swhat she said would make me a great enchantress.”
“So, you remember everything…”Herface tightened, her lips pursing into a thin line.
“Yes, everything.”Amoment passed between us, and her hand twitched before she laid it on top of mine.Shegave my fingers the smallest squeeze in understanding.Mychest grew tight, andIcontinued drawing to distract myselffrom it.
“Indeed, this is impressive,”Abraxasadmitted, walking around the table. “Butwhat does it have to do with my father’s heart?”
Outof the corner of my eye,IsawTorishoot him a warning look, and the way he yielded to it with a small smile almost made me laugh.Almost.Icontinued to draw.
“Theenchantment around the heart is likely the most complex ever woven.Mymother’s magnum opus.Itnot only links the heart irrevocably toHadeonbut protects it.”Itapped the map before me, tracing straight lines across the continent.
“Theancient fae knew the power of the earth, if incompletely.Theybuilt their cities on these concentrated lines of power.Leylines.Yourcastle is built on one,Abraxas.Yourmagical protections are tied directly into it.”Igrabbed a well of blue ink and drew a line straight south fromXyrtowardsKoron.
“Thereare many of these lines.”Idrew another betweenMetlinand the bay betweenVathandOeth.AnothercrossedAshenforgePeak,Koron,Manan, andNiata. “Somecross each other, and those are places of concentrated power.Butthere is nowhere where more of these lines meet than—”
“Koron.”Junuttered the word like a curse.Inodded.”Thatis why the ancientAlderifae moved the capital fromMetlinto its current location inKoron.Thepalace was built with its keystone tied to the heart of all these ley lines.Itmakes the entire city nearly indestructible; that is how it has survived through countless ages.”
“Andthe enchantment is tied directly to this power,”Abraxassurmised.
Inodded. “Yes, you wouldn’t be able to break it even with the strongest of counter enchantments.Youwould need to destroy the very castle itself to have any chance of undoing the enchantment, which is impossible.Idon’t know what you intended to do when you came a few weeks ago.”
“Wehad theDiademofSorayaor at least the most important part of it,”Toristated flatly.
Ibalked. “Thatwas… what was in the necklace?That’show you freedJun.”
Shenodded. “Wouldit have worked?”
“Iam… not sure.Butif the gem was as powerful as was rumored…Theouter shell of the enchantment is the protection, tied to the castle.Ifa hole could have been created in that, then a skilled enchanter with strong magic could have undone the heart.”
Herface turned grim. “Andnow it’s lost somewhere insideKoron, likely inHadeon’scontrol.”Sheetched grooves into the table with her nails, and the sound had my nerves on edge.Jun’shand came to rest on his throat, as it often did when he thoughtIwasn’t looking.
Islid my pinky into his. “Itstill proved its value.”Isaid.Jungave a hard swallow andTorigave me a small nod.
“So, what can be done?”Toriasked, her face tight.
Itraced my fingers over the lines again. “Ihave a theory…”Everyonestared at me in silence, andIheardHadeon’svoice in my head, asIhad so many times.Noone wants to hear your foolish notions,Pallas.
Ilooked up into those four matching slate-grey eyes and saw nothing but encouragement.
“Alongthese ley lines are nodes.Concentratedpoints of power.Koronis built on one, but there are many.Ifthese are destroyed, the flow of mana along the line is disrupted.”
“Ifyou could destroy the nodes aroundKoron, it will weaken the flow of mana to the palace, and then the enchantment may be able to be undone.”
“Andyou will be the one creating this counter-spell?”Abraxasinquired; his voice filledwith doubt.
“Doyou have anyone else who can craft such a thing?”Hislips tightened.
Toriinterrupted, “Sowhich nodes shall we destroy?Howmany will be needed?”
“Ibelieve three will be enough, and you have already destroyed one.”
