Page 86 of The Sacred and the Tormented

But nothing explained the humming she could still hear pulsing through the walls. Arianna crept closer to Talon, straining her ears. “Do you hear that?” Both him and Rionstilled, waiting for the sound. Neither reacted for a long moment despite its continued presence.

She stepped closer to the wall, but the sound didn’t change. She was certain it was coming from within—

“Arianna,” Talon hissed in warning, his eyes locked on the ground surrounding her feet. A light layer of frost coated her boots and the surrounding loose stones. Then she realized the hum wasn’t coming from around her. It wasinher.

Her magic was reacting, pulsing like an angry swarm of wasps ready to defend their nest. Because right in front of them, inlaid into the stone itself, was iron. Huge chunks of iron.

Conall had mentioned the metal covering parts of the city, but this place had been built long ago by the Fae themselves. Surely they wouldn’t have constructed a stronghold that would only serve to weaken it’s occupants.

Unless—unless this place wasn’t the Ashling they thought it was. Their maps showed the port city further north and no one had set foot there in centuries. Maybe—maybe their mapswerecorrect. Maybe a ruined city rested where the original Ashling had once stood. Did that mean this place had been built by humans or Vairik himself?

“What is it?” Rion asked, standing beside her with a knife in each hand.

“There’s iron.” Rion followed her gaze and furrowed his brow at the sight. “My magic is … reacting to it.”

“I’d venture a guess it’s reacting to a lot more,” Conall said, emerging from the water. Three others followed him, each grimacing at the stench floating in the air. Conall looked them over. “Everyone okay?”

“You never mentioned the castle had iron inlaid into the foundation,” Rion said, a slight growl to his voice.

“I told you this was a city of iron. Vairik has taken every precaution. It’ll weaken your magic, but you’ll still be able to use it if this comes down to a fight.”

“Unless we face Vairik himself,” one of Conall’s companions stated before lifting themselves out of the channel.

Conall’s gaze darkened. “If it comes to that, I’m afraid we’re all likely doomed anyway.”

“Way to be encouraging,” Talon commented, his gaze focused on the ever-moving surface.

Conall pulled the water from his clothes and let it fall to his feet. “I’m a realist. I do nothing without a plan and don’t live for unrealistic expectations.” Talon clenched his fists, but no one commented. Conall gestured toward the arched entrance. “Shall we?”

Arianna pulled up her sleeve to stare at the bracelet and the first stone that held a steady pulse. It was time to start phase two: clearing the underground prison.

Nearly one hour was already down. Less than eleven and she’d have Ellie back in her arms.

Talon gestured Conall to walk ahead. She followed Talon, watching her footing as she climbed the steep slope. Arianna wondered if the worn rocks had once been shaped into a set of stairs but had been eroded by the water through the centuries. She supposed they might never know.

Rion took her hand again when they passed beneath the arch. Her magic gave another pulse, as if it were trying to warn her to be careful. Uncertainty crawled through her as she watched the shadows dancing along the wall. She couldn’t forget that Fiadh and Pádraigín were allies. Mostly. How easy would it be for a Shadow Weaver to walk the halls without their knowledge? She’d seen the devastation they could cause in Levea. Would Raevina be able to spot them? Were Conall’s Shadow Weavers already searching?

“When was the last time you were here again?” Arianna asked. She kept her voice low, but it still echoed along the walls.

“Just over three months.”

“And you said they don’t notice the prisoners that go missing?”

“We’ve only taken those from the lower levels. Most are left to die either from starvation or illness. When the guards bother to check on them, their bodies are deposited into the channel. The ocean takes care of the rest.”

“There was a body back there,” she said.

Conall nodded. “Which means they were probably down here yesterday.”

“Will they come back?” Talon asked, suddenly watching the tunnels with renewed intent.

“It’s possible. Which is why we have to move as quickly as possible.”

Those who’d arrived ahead of them had already unlocked at least a dozen cells. Fae lined the halls, their clothes in tatters that barely covered their hauntingly thin frames. She grimaced at their hollow cheeks and pale skin. Even with her magic, she wouldn’t be able to ease the pain of hunger in their bodies nor the ache in their limbs. Those were things that would come with time.

The prisoners all rested peacefully, rendered unconscious by those who possessed Pádraigín’s magic. Arianna had helped to oversee Rion’s mother, she knew it was best for both the prisoners and those setting them free. She still hated it.

They followed Conall further down the passage and he briefly paused beside a female who no longer drew breath. “It’s a sadness.” Conall bent to touch her pale hand as if trying to offer her comfort in the afterlife. “Such talent wasted.”

---