Page 79 of The Warlock's Trial

This room was larger than the last, with a table in the center. Verla and Warren stood over it, looking at a map. Verla’s cat, Odin, sat on the table and peered down at the map beside them.

A guy our age stood beside them, and his gaze snapped upward as we entered, like he sensed us there before we stepped into the room. He wore an expression of worry, and I didn’t think it had anything to do with us. A girl who looked a lot like Siona stood next to him—his mate, I presumed. She had long hair and dark skin like Siona, with lighter patches of skin across her face and arms. The guy wore a military uniform, though the couple looked young enough to still be attending Arcanea University.

Verla looked shocked to see us. “What in the Goddess’s name are you doing here? We were going to send for you when it was safe!”

“We didn’t have a choice,” I explained. “The priestesses captured Mandy and Tate, and we were almost caught escaping their rescue. I portaled us here, because right now Malovia is safer for us than Octavia Falls.”

Professor Warren stood from his seat, alarmed. “Thank Alora you’re all right.”

Verla relaxed, but she still asked, “Nobody’s hurt, are they?”

“We’re all right,” Nadine promised.

“Then our first objective is complete,” the man said, nodding politely. “If it is a portal to the Underworld you seek, then we must get you there as soon as possible, before our troops move again.”

Nadine stepped forward, eyeing the couple curiously. “You both look very familiar.”

“You do, too,” the girl said. “I believe we met you once, outside Octavia Falls about a year ago. Our friend needed help.”

I recalled the group of fae that had passed through Octavia Falls the night Professor Daniels was hanged. There’d been eight of them, though most of my attention had been on their friend Ethan, who’d been in the final stages of a demon possession and couldn’t stand on his own two feet. They’d asked us to help them through the protection spell to get to Hattie. Ethan would’ve died without her help.

“I’m Kiara, a sorceress of the griffin Faction,” the girl said, before gesturing to the man beside her. “This is my griffin mate, Alexei. My sister Siona asked us to help you find a way to the Underworld. She said the fate of your coven relies on it.”

We had to be careful, because the fae didn’t typically do anything out of the kindness of their hearts. Even if they really did want to help us, we could be tricked into owing them back later, whether any of us intended that or not.

I recalled what Nadine had said the night we first crossed paths with Alexei and Kiara. Pay us back later, she’d said after we helped them pass into Octavia Falls. She had no idea an agreement like that could magically bind one to a fae. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

“We appreciate your help,” I stated honestly. “But you must understand that we are wary to accept help from the fae simply out of generosity. Fae require an exchange, and in order to avoid entering into any magical contracts, I suggest we trade something for your help.”

Alexei nodded. “Fair enough. What did you have in mind?”

I turned to Grant. “We should give them the Crock. It belongs to the fae. They’re friends with the monarchs, so they can return it to them.”

“I agree,” Grant said. “The Crock of Death was never ours to begin with.”

“You have the Crock?” Verla asked in astonishment.

I quickly recounted the events of the night, and how we’d stolen the Crock from the office where the priestesses had kept it. Verla’s astonishment turned to horror, as if she wished she could’ve been there to protect us.

“Thank the Goddess you all made it out alive,” Professor Warren said.

Verla wore an expression of warning. I didn’t think she trusted the fae any more than I did. “Are you sure you want to do this, Lucas?”

“We’ve already retrieved the treasure inside,” I said. “This was their goddess’s cauldron, and we need to return it. I’d expect them to do the same for us. I’d rather fulfill a deal now than owe them later.”

Verla must’ve agreed with me, because she stepped aside. “Very well. If it will get us closer to the Oaken Wands, then we’ll do what we must.”

Grant conjured the Crock and set it on the table.

Kiara’s eyes went wide as she looked over the Crock. “I thought Milonna’s Cauldron was merely a legend! Our people will be pleased to have it back. This gesture is quite a sufficient exchange. We’ll keep it in the royal treasury, where it belongs.”

“So how do we get to the Abyss?” Chloe wondered.

“Portals to the Underworld are difficult to locate,” Alexei said. “They can open and close at random as monsters slip through. However, there is a dark pit our friends found a while ago. We haven’t been down there to investigate it, but we know there’s dark magic there. The pit is guarded by a terrible beast. If you have any hope of finding what you’re looking for, this is the place to start. We’ve been discussing how to best get you there without being spotted.”

“Why not ask the king and queen?” Chloe asked. “They seem sympathetic, and they surely have resources.”

“Ethan and Emma are sympathetic, but their rule is already insecure with the rival monarch opposing them,” Siona explained. “If the people knew they were making alliances with witches, they’d certainly be overthrown.”

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