Page 59 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

“Caiden Stormweaver, someone on the other side has struck a bargain for your life. You will not die today.” He pressed a ball of light into Caiden’s chest, and energy shot through him like lightning in his veins. He gasped for air, filling his lungs. Was the venom poisoning his brain? Was he hallucinating? He didn’t know whether to be confused or grateful. Darkness closed in around him.

When he opened his eyes, Roderick stared back at him.

“Thought I lost you.”

He shook his head.

“I’m not easy to kill.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” He pulled Caiden to his feet.

Caiden examined the welts covering his body. “I guess it could be worse.” He looked around. They were in the Great Hall with the stars overhead. “How did you get out of the Restricted Section? Did you use your honey tongue, Roderick?”

A coy smile split Roderick’s face in two. “You could say I used another form of persuasion.”

“He cracked their heads together,” Ora said, nose deep in one of the books.

“Well, that’s one way of getting something done.” Caiden shook his head at his friend.

Ora ignored the men, laying out the books open on the table to the corresponding pages. “Help me match these,” she said, taking the nearest book and aligning it with the constellation of the Hive. A beam of light connected the book and the star at the tip of the beehive. “Only four more.”

The men hurried around and connected the rest: the Lion, the Specter, the Scorpion, and the one of the Goddess Illya herself. Beams of light danced across the room. The three met in the middle and gazed at the sight.

“What now?” Caiden asked, his heart in his throat. Either this was going to reveal something amazing, or it was a nice trick to show children.

“Just wait a minute. This is old magic,” Ora said.

The three held their breaths for a moment longer. The bells of the clock tower in the center of Vantris chimed their midnight tune.

“Nothing? Really?” Roderick said, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

“Look!” Ora said, pointing to a space in the night sky. The last bell of midnight chimed, and from behind a set of clouds, a moon appeared, casting a blinding light onto a long center table.

“What is it?” Caiden said, rushing to the table, looking for something, anything of significance.

Roderick climbed onto the nearest table. “It’s something. I can’t tell what, though.”

Snapping her fingers, Ora ran to the second-floor balcony. “Oh, Trinity! It’s a map! A map to what I can only think is a Trinity Well. The Well of the sylph of the Goddess Illya. Quick, help me sketch it!”

The two men sprinted to the top of the staircase. Adrenaline coursed through Caiden’s veins, but his excitement soured when he laid eyes on the location.

“Of course, it’s in the Court of Screams.”

15AELIA

A breath slippedbetween my lips as I stared at the Alder Townhome. Like its palace, the house resembled a living tree with vines wrapped around branches and birds cawing at one another. It was located in the oldest part of the city, where the ancient families of Moriana built their sanctuaries, where they could meet privately. In times long past, they would throw balls to celebrate the Fates in hopes of winning their favor, but now, with tensions among kingdoms at an all-time high, they were used to plot against one another.

A satyr with curly brown hair and bright blue horns answered the door with a bow. “Greetings, Lady Aelia. I am Finneas, head satyr. We have prepared the master suite for you.”

I mustered my best smile, but my heart ached to think about sleeping alone.

“Great. Please have my things taken up.”

He signaled for the other servants to take our things upstairs.

“Would you like anything to eat, my Lady? The chef has prepared a lovely roast goose for dinner.”

“Famished,” I said.

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