Page 57 of A Fable of Riddles and Redemption

As he led her up to the castle’s roof, Zorina tried to collect her thoughts. How could she put the last three days into words? Until Herrick had said that’s how long she’d been gone, she hadn’t even known how many days she had been trapped in Caliban’s lair.

Would he even believe her?

His reaction to her disappearance convinced her that he cared about her, but would it be enough?

Would he be able to see past her past, when she wasn’t even sure if she could?

But he had to know. If he truly cared about her, he deserved to.

Before she even realized it, Herrick had brought her to the top of the tallest tower, the one that stood apart from the main body of the castle proper. It was as far away from the rest of the fortress as she could possibly hope to be, and gratitude welled up in her for his thoughtfulness. The conversation they were about to have was not one she would want overheard by anyone.

Zorina had never been on this particular turret before. Only now that she was on it did she realize there were two smaller enclosures hugging the crenellations. Nerves twisted in her stomach as she walked across the stone floor, wrapping her arms around herself. She stopped only when she reached one of the shorter sections of a parapet and gazed out over the darkened city below. Lanterns and torches shone like beacons in the night, resembling the stars above them.

If only her thoughts were as peaceful as the night appeared.

Warm hands landed on her shoulders with a light squeeze. “Zorina? What happened?” Herrick’s words caressed her like the softest velvet.

All of the muscles in her abdomen clenched at the question as she turned around to face him. “I—I don’t know, exactly. One minute, I heard the most beautiful music playing. It was Caliban, on his flute. After that…I have no recollection of what happened next. I woke up in the strangest place, and I had no idea how I got there…” She then described Caliban’s hideout and the disturbing way he’d encouraged her to use dark magic.

Despite the darkness, she could see Herrick’s brows furrow as he leaned over her. “Dark magic? Why in the Realms would he even believe you capable of that? I thought you didn’t have magic at all.”

Zorina bit her lip and peered up at him sheepishly. “I…do.”

Herrick frowned. “I thought you said you couldn’t cast the barrier spell Adael needed.”

“I can’t,” she whispered. “But not because I don’t have magic—rather that I never learned that particular skill. Illusions, not barriers, are where my magic shines. I can do other spells, too, but I am horribly out of practice.”

For a long moment, he stared down at her as if trying to ascertain if she was telling the truth. At last, he said, “Show me.”

Zorina gulped, then nodded. Sucking in a deep breath, she let a ball of dark pink power form in her palm. Due to her exhaustion, it only flashed for a brief moment before flickering out, and she all but collapsed against him.

“Are you all right?” he asked, concern audible in his tone. His hands gripped her upper arms to hold her steady.

She nodded again. “Just worn out. I had to keep a magical light going through the mirror maze, and I’m fairly certain he drained some of my power before that.”

Herrick’s grip tightened, but he pulled back to meet her gaze. “What?” he all but growled. “Mirror maze? Drained power?”

Zorina then told him about how fuzzy she’d felt and how she’d unmasked Caliban. “He was so angry, and it was all so terrifying. His face…it’s horribly scarred and puckered and—” She cut herself off with a shudder.

“And he siphoned your power? I know enough about dark magic to know what can happen when it’s drained,” he said darkly.

She swallowed a sudden lump in her throat at the reminder. “I don’t think he would have gone that far. At least…not before I took his mask.”

“And now?” Herrick asked tightly, his jaw practically sealed shut through the words.

“I…I don’t know.”

Deep worry emanated from him. “Zorina—”

“He’s only a man,” she interrupted, hoping to reassure him. Not that the reminder did the same for her.

“You may be surprised how terrible some men can be…”

She scoffed. “I’m not. I’ve seen far more evil than you’d ever believe. And not just from Caliban.”

Herrick looked like he wanted to ask more, but instead asked, “How did you escape?”

Zorina then explained how she’d found the door to the mirror maze, delineating her arduous journey through that horrible place. A shiver washed over her as she finished her tale. “It was awful, Herrick. I feared I would never get out. But he can still find me and take me back there—”