Page 33 of A World of Ruins

‘A sorceress without power . . .’ Link voices pensively before those blue eyes brighten with an idea. ‘Maybe we don’t need to use the Isle of Elements.’

I sit up even straighter, focusing on Link only.

‘Nara is a vessel for Solaris, as Darius is for Crello, right? So, they both must have some kind of power that acts like the Isle of Elements.’

Right . . . Solaris.

I try to hide the sudden depletion in my mood again, but from the corner of my eye, I see Idris staring at me, noticing as always. He has to. Looking out for anything that happens to me is second nature to him.

‘All I can do is sometimes connect with animals,’ I mumble, glancing at my reflection on the table instead. ‘I believe I can do no more.’

‘Then how do you propose we do this?’ Leira asks me, her curls tied back in an updo just like Freya’s, jostling from the whirl of her head towards everyone. ‘Even with Darius’s life tied to Aurum’s, nothing would affect him unless it is the Northern Blade.’

‘We could use gold to trap Aurum, then cut him up into pieces, send each body part to different kingdoms, and lock it deep, deep, deep down in an impenetrable chest.’

I blink, and thenallof us look over at Rydan, who is sitting at the far end of the table, staring down at his nails as if he hasn’t explained the most twisted plan to ever come from his lips.

Our silence has him lifting his head. ‘What? I’m merely voicing what Nara would likely do.’

I screw up my face. ‘I wouldn’t do that!’ It isn’t torturous enough for a man like Aurum.

Rydan arches an eyebrow with a level of skepticism that has me shaking my head.

‘Look,’ I sigh. ‘Sooner or later, Aurum will come searching for the Elemental Stones. Aelle has managed to keep them safe—’

‘I do not have them,’ Aelle interrupts. I frown at her. ‘Freya has them.’

Snapping my head at Freya, she fires me a sheepish smile.

‘I figured out a way to protect them,’ she says. ‘Well, actually, I spent the entirety of the night altering the stones.’ Her gaze flits to Leira. ‘We thought that perhaps there was a way to keep them more hidden from Aurum.’ From beneath the layers of her bodice she reveals an oval locket with a phoenix engraved on it. She unclasps it and tries to pass it over to me, but I shake my head, trusting what she has done with it will be in safer hands with her. ‘You mentioned the stones work when they are brought together, so I figured that perhaps drawing the essence of their power into one solid place could help.’

And that would be the locket . . .

I give Freya the first smile of the day, proud of how far she has come as a witch. She did not have to go to such lengths, and I feel horrible that I was away tossing and turning in bed while she fought to find a way to keep the Elemental Stones hidden together.

‘How does it work?’ Link asks as Freya fastens the locket around her neck once more.

‘It is simple.’ She grins at him and for a split second I notice Iker’s dreamlike smile, while Idris looks away from her. ‘You simply open the locket, and the portal should open too.’

‘Seems like if that falls into the wrong hands – cough, cough, Aurum – we are all doomed. You should give it to me, Frey Frey. I’m good at looking after things.’

Leira scoffs. ‘Oh please, Rydan – Nara left you in charge of Tibith this morning, and I haven’t heard from him since you went to talk to the phoenix Trackers outside.’

My neck almost breaks as I snap my head to face Rydan, my eyes wide and blazing with anger.

Rydan’s face pales. ‘I can see you are mad at me, Ambrose, but he is safe.’ He slowly raises his palms out in front of him, as if that will save him from what I might do. ‘In fact, I left him in your room. He said your cot was cosy—’

‘I’m going to count to three—’ Luckily, I don’t even get to start as Rydan shoots up from his chair and stumbles into a run out of the room.

I hear a few chuckles around the table, then Aelle asks me, ‘Is there anything else you would like to say, Nara?’

I wrack my brain to come up with something but fall short. ‘No,’ I say and shake my head. ‘No. I think we have exhausted all our thoughts on this matter. I think we just need to continue looking for a way to remove Darius’s link to Aurum. I wrote to the princesses of Terranos, hoping they might be able to help.’ Although I’m not holding on to too much hope when they are trying to repair the damages after Dusan’s death. But if . . . if we could get hold of a Galgr, then maybe we can salvagesomething.

Leira and Aelle nod, looking at Freya expectantly before I dismiss everyone. I’m the last to rise from my chair as I gaze towards the narrow windows. I waltz over, feeling the heat from the winter sun warm my face. I see a few dragons with blackscales and fiery red wings flying among the phoenixes. Amidst them is Fernah, with her whelps on her back.

I smile.

At least here, they are content as long as they get to fly in the skies.

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