Page 140 of What Lies Within Blood & Heirs

Alora cursed herself for turning away, still feeling his attention as she looked to Eldacar and swelled her cheeks with a smile. He mirrored hers as she subtly glanced over her shoulder to Garrik, then returned and leaned through the portal before whispering, “Mar gut elict voirduti, maiez amnekti.”

Eldacar practically bounced on his toes as his eyes widened with joy and repeated, “It’s good to see you, too, my friend. Very good, indeed.” A quick wave. “I must go, but I’ll see you soon,” was the last he said before Eldacar spun on his heel and rushed off.

“We can speak freely.Magnelis’s castle may be shielded by unwanted intrusions, but I also do not trust the servants to keep to themselves. If we require a meeting, we do so in my rooms or the Dawnspace. No sound can escape these walls,” Garrik instructed, reclining in his chair. A glass of clear liquid rested between his bruised fingers on the armrest.

Until now, they hadn’t discussed Blood or where to begin searching for it. If Life could be believed with whatever Garrik and Thalon had seen outside Fourtress, then somewhere in Kadamar one of its sister stones waited. It was only a question of where.

And an even bigger question: how on Elysian would they find it?

Alora and Thalon settled plates of food on the end tables. On the one between her and Garrik, she grabbed a cherry pastry with a white glaze on top. Garrik had already polished off the garlic and Parmesan braids, which were soaked in melted butter and herbs, so she brought more to their table.

He flashed her an appreciative grin before handing her one, then ate another.

Near the fireplace, Aiden paced. Running his fingers along trinkets settled on the hearth and bookshelves closer to the windows, lifting a few and pocketing others with a quick wink at whoever caught him. Garrik must not have felt any sentimental value to any of it because he noticed every time and said nothing.

Then Aiden’s fingers toyed with a chess piece, rolling it between his fingers before placing it back on the shelf and picking up another.

Jade shifted, looking at the carved wooden king between his fingers, and her brows pulled together in a moment of confusion as she studied the piece. An expression Alora didn’t often see gracing her fierce friend.

Carelessly moving to the next object to steal his attention, Aiden abandoned the king, and Jade’s attention snapped away as she rapidly shook her head.

Alora noted her reaction and was the first to speak after long moments of silent eating. She looked to Aiden, who now paced to the fireplace, and inquired, “I don’t remember Soulstryker’s book mentioning anything about locating the sister stones if missing. Could Life glow as it did at Fourtress if it were near one of those missing?”

Aiden propped his elbow on the hearth and rubbed the scruff on his chin in thought. “Nothing in the books, but perhaps.”

Thalon looked up from the mug steaming in his hand and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Why did it brighten, then?”

Silence cloaked the room, heavy and thick.

“A taunt,” Garrik answered plainly. “It is possible Ladomyr knows of Soulstryker. Life may have simply reacted to something in the fake gemstone because of a magic that caused it. As the light given showed Kadamar’s crest, it could be to lure whoever is looking for Blood here.”

If that was true, then that meant they had walked into a trap.

“Do you think they know?” Jade twirled a dagger between her thumb and pointer finger as if she were ready to throw it at guards storming the doors at any moment. But Garrik’s voice settled her unease.

“I believe Ladomyr to be more foolish than concocting such elaborate schemes. Alora’s footsteps disturbed the dust in the room. It could have been stolen years—decades—passed.”

Maybe the king had given up when no one sought out the stone. Perhaps he had others searching for Soulstryker or didn’t know about its existence and simply desired to barter for the ruby’s worth. Even with his status as king and wealth lavished by Magnelis, riches were never enough no matter how well-endowed someone was.

Still, Alora thought of how Life had glowed. No other explanation made sense. “I’m still thinking Life will gleam when near Blood.” A sister calling to a sister.

Garrik smiled and rubbed his broken hand. “I am not all-knowing. Perhaps it does. When we find it, we will see.”

“Find it. Justhowwill we find it? Kadamar is huge.” Jade stabbed a piece of chocolate pastry with her dagger and ate around the blade, making the starfire in her dragon claw ring sparkle.

Aiden shifted from the hearth and leapt over a couch to sink into the cushions. He dipped into his black jacket and pulled out a small glowing crimson compass Alora recognized from his treasure trove bedchamber.The Compass of Beginningshe had called it.

Unlatching a lever on the bottom, Aiden slowly guided open the empty chamber. “I thought maybe this would be useful?” He shrugged and looked around the room to find amazement on each face. Furrowing his brows. “What? Never said I wasn’t smart, just bloody pretty.”

Alora chuckled as Jade and Thalon rolled their eyes.

Garrik shook his head and said, “As good of an idea as this is, Soulstryker was not made in this realm according to the books, and we also are not seeking where it was created. The compass will not point to Blood’s location.”

Noticing Aiden’s frown, Thalon clapped his shoulder. “It was a good idea, Aiden.”

Alora leaned forward when Aiden pocketed the compass. “Maybe it’ll still work? It doesn’t hurt to try.” And placed her hand on Garrik’s knee before she realized what she’d done.

No one noticed the way his eyes glistened. Or the way they seemed to dull the moment she brushed her palm away.

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