Page 22 of Where We Belong

“Only hundreds? You think that little of me?” I raise my eyebrows and rest my palm against my heart. She rolls her eyes and mutters something under her breath about male egos always coming back to sex. We pass the odd maid and apprentice, until the corridor narrows and leads us into the final stretch, taking us directly beneath the tunnels to the barracks. Across from the dungeons that were sealed off and filled in nearly twenty years ago. Aiden’s mother was the last prisoner held and tortured here by Leander, before King Aeron finally ended the abhorrent, archaic practices. I nod at a soldier as we turn the last corner.

“Better watch him, what’s his name?” I say out of the corner of my mouth.

“Reiss,” Lili whispers.

That’s it. Theron’s quadrant.

“There’s so much magic here.” Lili’s slow steps echo off the walls she inspects. Pressing and prodding, “I’m always shocked at how strong he is, if simple wards are emanating this kind of magic….”

She removes various bottles from her satchel, laying them on the floor and sprinkling powders and potions around, muttering things under her breath. I really should have listened more in school; I haven’t the faintest idea what she’s doing but I’m too distracted by a couple of slow heartbeats in the distance to learn. Reiss has company.

“Quicker.”

Her hands sweep over the top of the stone walls.

“Kian said it’s right here,” she grunts.

She grabs another handful of powder and throws it upwards. There’s a harsh, grating sound as sections of the rock ceiling melt away, revealing the top of a narrow ladder. In the distance, the heartbeats are multiplying.

“Fucking Reiss,” I mutter under my breath, scooping up the last of the bottles and shoving them into my pockets. In the distance, a male shrieks, followed by a low hiss.

“No, don’t hurt it, that’s Lieutenant Nyk’s!” A voice snaps.

‘It bit me!’ Reiss says tightly. A smile tugs at my lips. I’ll have to remember to give Soot a treat later.

We scramble onto the ladder just as the stone beneath begins to seal itself again. It disintegrates behind us with every rung we climb. Lili’s heartbeat thumps erratically above me, no doubt feeling torn at the idea of breaking into her mentor’s room. Citizens from the same territories have an unspoken code regarding things like this. But with all due respect, fuck code.

“Easy, Lil,” I murmur, before her hands press against the ceiling where the ladder stops. She gives it a push, and it gives way. We crawl through the opening. Emerging right into Vale’s bathing chamber.

I walk stealthily around it, noting its lack of use, whilst Lili throws a purple powder into the air to make sure there are no wards to alert him. Thin layers of dust coat the taps and the shower. Vale hasn’t looked anywhere near as unkept as this bathroom would suggest, which means he has been cleaning up elsewhere. My jaw ticks, and I whisper a prayer to Rai to help me remain graceful. It isn’t looking good for Vale. And forgiveness is one of the virtues I struggle with the most. After chastity. Apart from the standard issue furniture found in every palace abode, the bedroom is bare. No clothes, no personal effects. I check each desk drawer, but every compartment is just as empty as the rest of the room. The kitchen is no different. While it isn’t unusual for residents to avoid using their kitchenettes in favour of the mess hall, the goblets, the water outlet, and the plates are all dusty. Vale clearly hasn’t been spending time here so why go to such lengths to ward the entire place?

“Nyk!”

Lili’s muffled voice calls from the next room. I’m met by the backs of her legs and thighs, her head buried deep inside a wardrobe.

“There’s a fucking ram’s horn back here.”

Quick strides carry me across the room just as she pulls out half a spiral ivory horn wrapped in a black cloth. I side-step it, not wanting to suffer the consequences of touching something like that. The magic coming from it feels almost like pressure against my lungs.

“It’s full of shit like this. He would be locked away forever if anyone found it.”

The back of the wardrobe has been removed. Tucked behind it is a cache of strange trinkets and animal parts.

“Check everything,” I say. “If he’s the one who made the elixir, maybe there’s an antidote in here too. Or something that tells us where Kaed is.” She hands me stacks of papers and letters while she rummages through the rest.

“I think this is it.” She holds up a small vial, the glass catching the light as she pops the lid. An acrid scent hits the air, and a white vapor puffs from the opening. She jerks her head with a cough, fanning the fumes away from our faces and blinking away a tear. “It’s got to be the elixir he used for Kaed. That’s the strongest I’ve ever smelt it. There’s Serpent venom and Phoenix feather in here too. And a little dragons blood.” She slips it into her pouch with a quiet snap of the clasp.

“You know, if we just show this to Aeron, Vale will be imprisoned immediately. What do you think?”

I shake my head, “Not yet. We need him to lead us to Kaed somehow. We will regroup.” I lower the panel back into place, pocketing some of the papers.

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do to make an antidote from this.”

“I can’t believe this, Lili. Fucking Vale.”

“Fucking Vale.”

Tobian’s too-loud voice calls out from the hallway.