Page 46 of Secrets and Ruin

“I want to, too, but I made promises, and all of them require me not to die,” he said with a lopsided smile. “My father knows I’ll do what I have to to get home. I want to see my sister grow up, and she doesn’t deserve to lose another brother. And to your last point… we got here and found the situation wasn’t what we expected, so we needed to adjust our plans. I also don’t want to get to Dirk only to find I gave up on the chance to get whatever I needed to help him.”

We didn’t need to push the armory door open. It faded away and revealed a large room. I walked in first, making sure there was no security system we needed to worry about, no traps to set off, and Landon followed me quickly.

“Fuck…” Landon exhaled.

I would have repeated it, but my mouth had dropped open. It was exactly what Niko had called it—an armory. Walls were lined with hanging weapons, both iron and silver, and all of them exceptionally well taken care of—axes, swords, bows, and crossbows. I saw spears in the back, neatly organized on several racks. Armor from centuries before was on display, ready for a knight to don and race off to fight against the fae or maybe a dragon.

“Do you think all of this is as old as the keep?” I asked, looking around as I walked deeper into the armory.

“Without a doubt, but it’s all taken care of,” Landon replied as he made a beeline for the largest wall of swords. “We’ll take both… silver for Fenris and iron for the fae. Have you ever used a sword?”

“No, not really.” I had fuzzy memories of swinging one around a long time ago, but I hadn’t taken to any real combat skills Hasan tried to teach me before I walked out to make my own way.

“Me neither,” Landon admitted as he pulled down one of the smaller ones. “Pa never really used them, either, but I know he’s handy with one. I never took to it. I’m more physical, but we should take some for safety.”

“Yeah.” Nodding, I tried to find two short swords I could use without accidentally hurting anyone. They were lighter, but that was because of my own strength. I decided to look deeper into the armory after I picked out my swords, finding a small section in the back that made me pause.

“Are those…” I trailed off as I looked closer. I remembered what Zuri had told me about Niko and his claws. In a glass display were leather gloves with metal, articulated claws attached. There were two sets, each perfectly maintained. My fingers drifted over the display, noting it looked like a third set should have been there.

“Those look nasty,” Landon muttered as he came up beside me. “Do you want to try them out?”

“Zuri said they were made specifically for Niko. They would probably be too loose on my hands,” I said, shaking my head. “And I don’t know if I could use them effectively.”

“Then I think we have everything we need. I have a few flashlights in my bag and a headlamp if necessary. We’ll split that stuff up as we leave. I’ll need to find Niko’s trail if we want a chance of finding him.”

Nodding, I started walking out of the armory. Once Landon and I were both out, it was as if the room realized we were done, and the archway disappeared, leaving the key in the wall for us. I grabbed it, and when we found Ansel at the top of the stairs, I gave it to him.

“Give that to Davor when he gets here,” I ordered. “We’re going to get our gear ready and go find Niko and Dirk. Stay safe.”

“I want to remind you it’s very late, well past sunset. It will be dangerous out there. Beginning your search at dawn is much safer.”

“My brother and nephew are probably out there in the dark, potentially fighting for their lives. We’ve been here long enough. We’re going to go find them now. Thank you for the assistance since we’ve arrived,” I said, marching towards the closest external door I could find with Landon beside me. As I pushed open a door to the grounds, I felt the rush of the dangerous feeling I had previously. The fae in the trees were watching. They had been since we entered this area of Germany. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I pondered the tree line.

Landon got right to business, his head down as he sniffed, causing his nostrils to flare as he moved. I could smell Niko over every inch of the land, and my ability to discern what was recent and what wasn’t was shaken, knowing this was his territory, and he wasn’t around. Landon’s nose was better for this, so I let him at it while keeping a close eye on the trees.

We made our way halfway around the perimeter before Landon stopped.

“Here,” he said, pointing with a swing from the house to the trees. “He left through that door and went that way.” His hand stopped, pointing at a solid wall of trees.

No path was visible, only dark forest as my eyes adjusted. I looked at him, silently asking if he wanted to go in with me. We weren’t going to be following the safety instructions.

He nodded, so I set off, leaving the perimeter first and entering the trees twenty steps later.

As Landon entered with me, I could have sworn I heard something laugh.

19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“Did you hear that?” I asked, looking around.

“No, but in a place like this, I won’t question your sanity,” Landon replied, frowning over my head at the rest of the trees. “We shouldn’t split up.”

“Everything you see or hear, verify it with me, and I’ll do the same,” I said, taking a deep breath. The air, only a few steps into the trees, was already unnaturally different from the grounds around Niko’s estate.

As Landon and I walked deeper into the forest, we stayed close to each other, never leaving arm’s reach. I looked over my shoulder constantly, watching how the blackness of the night sank in behind us as we walked, removing my view of the estate.

“Is Niko’s scent strong enough to keep following?” I asked softly, but even at a whisper, it felt too loud for the world around us. “The magic and strangeness of this place doesn’t cover it too much for you?”

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