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I stay hunched over for a while, slowly regaining my strength. While I’ve depleted myself of magic, there are two more spells I must cast. First, I must activate the wards surrounding the Upper City so that no looters can disturb the Arcanium or our cathedral. Then I must teleport home or be forced to walk down each and every one of the Aether Tower’s steps—a thought which helps to squeeze a little more power from my blood. Hopefully Father’s staff will amplify it enough.
I crouch and flick through the book until I find the pages filled with protective barriers. The sketches show Nolderan’s island surrounded in a bubble, and the paragraphs explain that the required spell-word is in factmuriz, a defensive spell I’ve used to shield myself countless times. The only difference is that this spell is far more powerful, fueled by the Aether Tower itself, so I only need a little of my own magic to cast it.
“Muriz!”I cry, thrusting the staff into the air.
Aether blasts up into the orb. Violet light washes over the city and solidifies into a crystalline wall. The protective bubble encases the entire island, even the cliffs. It blocks out most of the sun’s rays, and the light which penetrates the barrier is stained with aether. The white walls comprising many of Nolderan’s buildings appear lilac.
According to the book, the shield will last for as long as the Aether Tower remains active. Since I have the Grandmage’s staff, no one can turn it off. And the tower won’t run out of aether, since it draws on the magic running deep within the earth through ley lines.
“Time to go home,” I say, beckoning Zephyr.
When he’s perching on my shoulder once more, I raise Father’s staff and calllaxusto teleport us back.
four
NowtheAetherToweris reactivated, every enchantment in the city has returned, including those around my manor. Even I can’t teleport through the gates’ enchantment, so I target my spell outside them.
Zephyr and I materialize outside my manor, and the gilded gates stand as strong as they did before Nolderan’s destruction. The same can’t be said for the broken gardens.
I stare at the lion crest fixed to the gates and lift my chin. “Reyna Ashbourne.”
The gates swing open at my command, and I continue through to my manor.
I don’t bother checking whether the Void Prince is in the dining room and head upstairs. Thanks to the dark magic tethering us together, I can sense he’s close and hasn’t wandered off.
In my room, I find an enchanted leather satchel from the bottom of a drawer and search for everything I need for my journey: potions, clothes, the three books from Father’s office, cloaks, boots, and gold. After laying them all out on my bed, I go downstairs to look for dried food and other non-perishables. I also grab a handful of aether crystals while I’m down there and take them upstairs with me.
I set the crystals onto my bed, and Zephyr eyes them greedily, so I scoop up a handful and hold them out for him to gobble up. I don’t let him eat all of them, though, and keep some for myself.
Teleporting back and forth and activating the Aether Tower drained the last of my strength. The quickest way to replenish my magic is by swallowing aether crystals, but it’s strongly discouraged by the Arcanium. If we misjudge how much we consume, it might be too much for our bodies to contain and cause us to implode, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take. Unless I eat these crystals, I’ll have no magic to pack my things. The satchel is enchanted, but the magic imbued within only prevents spells from unraveling. I must condense my belongings into orbs of aether so everything fits. I plan to take very few crystals, and I can’t sense even a drop of aether in my blood right now. The risk is slight.
I lift a few crystals to my lips, and they instantly melt on my tongue, fizzling and crackling in my mouth. They taste sweeter than moon-blossom wine, which is imbued with aether, so it’s no wonder Zephyr is addicted to them. Luckily faerie dragons are evolved to withstand high quantities of aether and aren’t at risk of accidentally combusting.
It’s hard to resist scooping up another handful, but I have enough magic flowing through my veins and I don’t want to take another chance with the crystals.
I hold up a spare pair of boots and cover them in aether. “Coligos.”An orb of brilliant light devours them, and I squeeze until it’s small enough for me to slip inside my satchel. Then I repeat the process for every item I’ve laid out on my bed, some bundled together for ease, and by the time I’m done, my satchel is crammed with dozens of humming orbs. It’s a struggle to buckle it shut. I hope I’ll have enough supplies for my journey, since I don’t know how long it will take for me to reach Arluin. And destroy him.
The one item I’m unable to store inside my enchanted satchel is Father’s staff. It’s too powerful to compress into an orb. Since I’ve already placed the three books from Father’s office inside my satchel, I store it inside my internal aether with the spellevanest.With it contained in my blood, a heaviness washes over me. At least it’s less cumbersome than carrying it in my hands.
I slip the satchel’s leather strap over my shoulder and turn to the door.
Growing up, I imagined leaving home and exploring the world many times, but I never imagined it would be because of the destruction of my city.
I force myself to leave my room and motion for Zephyr to follow. I don’t look back once as I shut the door behind me.
My steps are heavy as I descend the staircase. Every thud of my boots rings through my ears. I cling to the banister, my fingers digging into the wood.
It’s too soon that I reach the bottom.
I don’t let myself linger in the ruins of my hallway and continue to the dining room where the Void Prince waits.
He hasn’t moved since I left him. He leans back in his chair, his arms folded across his chest and his foot tapping restlessly against the floor. “I was starting to think you had gotten yourself lost. Or killed.”
“I didn’t expect you to be so eager to leave, demon.”
“The sooner we leave this wretched place,” he sneers, peeling himself from his chair, “the sooner you’ll die along the way.”
“Natharius Thalanor,” I say, narrowing my eyes, “you are bound to do everything in your power to keep me alive. And to kill Arluin, the necromancer responsible for Nolderan’s fall.”
