“Father told us about your key,” Raider said, his curiosity pulling him closer. “How many pieces are left?”
“We’re not sure,” I said.
I held my hands together to hold the pieces while Nyte pulled them out one by one. Drystan indeed had five pieces. It didn’t take long to distinguish the real one. It glimmered faintly and hummed against my palm.
“How the hell did you travel across Althenia and achieve all the trials in the time we were gone?” Nyte said.
It hadn’t been that long, had it? My hand hovered over my growingly fatal wound. Dawn was right:Iwas running out of time.
Drystan shrugged. “They weren’t that hard, but your key is a menace. I gottested with resilience, loyalty, truth, among other things. I am a saint at the end of this.”
“Of course you are, brother,” Nyte said.
“How was the underwater trial?” Drystan inquired.
Nyte and I shared a shameful look. “The trident was gone from Volanis. We think Auster got to that one first.”
Drystan swore. “Damn bastard. We just have to hope it was a fake piece and if not… how are we to know where he hid it now that he’s dead?”
I was awash with dread over the possibility that Auster could have acquired a key piece that would now be lost since I killed him. Nyte’s hand touched my back in consolation.
“We don’t need to stress about that unless it comes to it,” he said calmly.
Drystan asked, “Why do you have Zephyr’s spawn with you?”
My brow furrowed. “How do you know they’re Zephyr’s children?”
“He came by the castle a few days ago,” Antila said cheerfully.
Nyte and I whipped our gazes to Drystan, who looked at us, confused and defensive.
“You said Zephyr could help me, and he did. I wouldn’t have made it through Notus’s land to the temple without his help for a disguise and escort.”
“Was Katerina there?” I asked.
“I don’t think I would have made it out if she was. I thought I’d have to tell Zephyr, but he already knew—”
“We should get going,” I cut in.
Antila looked confused by Drystan’s words, but Raider’s eyes turned hard and accusatory.
“What is it you’re not telling us?” he demanded.
My mind was spinning.Zephyr knows about Katerina.Then how could he leave his children in that castle with the Goddess of Dawn?
“He wouldn’t if he had a choice,” I muttered aloud. Horror doused me.
“What’s wrong?” Nyte asked.
“We need to get to the sanctuary. Now.”
40Astraea
The dragons swooped down to land as I did, but the horror that crashed into me kept me from any immediate step forward. I stared at the cave opening that led into the underground sanctuary… and it was completely sealed off by rocks.
“No…” I breathed in complete denial.
My movements were jolted into action. I didn’t know how long ago it could have happened, but my adrenaline pushed me forward, believing it wasn’t too late to save people. My fingers ripped across rocks and debris, pulling some out of the tighly compacted pile, which tumbled others. I couldn’t feel the pain, but I saw the blood smearing the stones more with every desperate attempt to shovel my way through the thick mass of broken rock.
