Page 208 of The Iron Flower

“What’s happened?” I ask shakily, my voice high with worry.

“It’s his heart, Elloren,” she says. “I’m sorry. There may not be much time. He’s back in Valgard, with my personal physician.”

The room recedes into a blur, and I’m only half-aware of Yvan’s hand on my shoulder, steadying me.

“You need to come with me at once,” she says stiffly.

I nod mutely at her.

“Why don’t you leave,Yvan,” my aunt says to him, grimacing as she says his name, as if it leaves an unpleasant taste on her tongue. “My niece needs to get dressed.”

Yvan looks intently at me, and I can see him trying to convey a million things silently. He takes my hand in his, and I hold tight to him, wishing we could speak to each other through our minds, like he can speak to Naga.

“I’ll see you when you get back, Elloren,” he says, his voice warm with affection. He shoots my aunt a look of distrust, wishes us a safe journey and leaves.

Chapter Six

Guardian

It’s during the carriage ride to Valgard, forced to endure such close quarters with Aunt Vyvian, that I start to realize I’m in serious trouble.

Her response to every question I venture is terse. She can barely bring herself to look at me, and her tense disapproval from before has given way to an almost barely concealed loathing.

My overwhelming sense of dark trepidation grows, sucking up all the air around me as we pass through large swaths of wilderness, farmland and small towns. Then the carriage takes an unexpected turn into the forest, trundling beneath the trees until we reach an isolated military outpost.

I’m thrust into vast confusion as I take in the Ironwood structure, two Level Five Mage guards stationed outside it.

Where are we?

“Get out,” Aunt Vyvian brusquely orders as the carriage comes to a stop and the guards stride toward it.

I blink at her for a moment, alarmed by her harsh tone.

She leans forward and fixes me with a chilling stare. “I said,get out.”

Ancient One, she knows. She must know about everything.

I step out of the carriage and am immediately flanked by the guards, feeling as if I’m locked in a nightmare. Their expressions are rigidly neutral as they prod me forward, but I can feel the contempt radiating off them.

I nervously glance back at the carriage. My aunt is standing there, watching me, slowly removing her black calfskin gloves. She makes no move to accompany me into the outpost.

One of the guards expressionlessly opens the door for me, motioning for me to enter.

Another stony-faced Level Five guard meets us inside and ushers me down a spare hallway with Ironwood tree trunks and branches worked into the dark walls. The other two guards fall in behind me.

The guard ahead of me unlocks a cell door with a small, iron-barred window cut near the top. He opens it and motions brusquely for me to get inside.

I hesitate. “Where’s my uncle?” I ask the guard to no answer, really scared now.

I’m shoved from behind, and I cry out, almost stumbling, as fear leaps inside me. Powerless to fight them or flee, I haltingly move forward.

An explosion of shock overtakes me as soon as I reach the cell’s door.

Uncle Edwin is inside, crumpled against the far wall. He’s clutching at his chest, his breathing labored, and there are bruises all over one side of his face.

I gasp and run to him, falling to my knees at his side. “Uncle Edwin! What happened? What did they do to you?”

He opens his mouth as if to speak, but then his eyes go wide as he stares at something just past me.

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