Page 20 of A Blightress of Wrath
Ileaned on its heavy surface, listening for any sounds and using my iumenta magic to feel for any sign of life on the other side, finding nothing.
Isighed, knowingIcouldn’t do this.Atleast not alone, and at least not without askingLiafirst.I’dmade enough choices in my life without thinking them through, and asIpressed my hand to my belly,IknewIcouldn’t afford another one.
Iturned around instead, trying to decide how best to tellLiaabout the spilled flour.Ijumped in a gasp, grabbing at my chest to see her there, standing in front of me, her orb of dull gray light pulsing above her palm.
“Lia!I’msorry about all of this.I’llget it cleaned up and get your pantry back to what it was.”
Mycheeks reddened, andIstepped to move around her when she asked in a low murmur, “Wouldyou like to see,BaronKarus?”
Iglanced at the hidden door behind me. “Seewhat exactly?”
“Astory of the past long forgotten.”
“Lia…”Istarted. “Whathave you hidden down here?”
Sheshrugged. “Itwas not mine to hide.Ionly blocked the door to avoid questions from the kitchen maids.Butyou areBaronof thisFortress, and you will understand the meaning of whatIcan show you.”
Shemaneuvered around the barrels, stopping at the door.Pullingat the ring of keys at her skirts, she found the one she needed and turned it into lock.Thedoor swung inward, opening into another long corridor.
Iswallowed my nerves, stepping in behindLia, following her steps with my light down the hall.Weentered a small, circular room, bereft of any warmth at all.Mybreath flowed from my mouth in puffs of what looked like green billows against the orbIheld.Asingular desk and chair looked about to crumble to dust against the curved wall, but it was the stone pillar in the center which held the secret of the space.Thewhite sandstoneI’dseen once before, rose from the floor in a solid block, meeting the height of my chest.
AsIreached out to touch the dusty surface,Liafinally spoke. “Itheld her heart.”
Ifrowned in a silent chill.
Shecontinued, “Visalia’sheart was brought here centuries ago byBaronAdaynth.Hesuspended it here, above this pillar.”Shepaused andIswept my hand over the gritty white surface. “Thatis until she took it back.”
“Tellme what happened.”Iglanced around the cramped space, guessing we were somewhere underneath the foyer of theFortress. “Tellme the story of your sister.”
Chapter10
Rev
AfterI’descortedIlyennaback to her room to rest, and checked in with the channelers nursing headaches,Iheaded back towardViridis.Ineeded a place whereIcould sit and think through our plan in peace.
Justas we had planned months ago inHyrithiawith the leaders of the isle, we would gather our extra channelers and train them quickly.Weneeded to destroy theBlightress’sheart before she showed her next move and became too powerful to stop.
Ipalmed the massive rhyzolm at the ancient doors ofViridisand murmured my name into the dark corridor.Aviridescent portal bloomed, andIstepped through.Thewaves of lavender and jasmine on the breeze welcomed me back to the sanctuaryIhad missed all those seven yearsKarushad been gone from herself.Shewas right to push for its return.Shewas right to trust thatI’dmake sure she made it out of theSimulairSolumspell she had used to destroy theBlight, which had desecrated this place months ago.
Ieyed the spaces that needed the most work, agreeing withIlyennathat those bannisters on the third level looked more than weakened.Theylooked as if they’d crumble to dust at the slightest touch.
Ishoved my hands into my black pockets, squeezing the rhyzolm for the tenth time in the hour sinceI’dleftKarus, urging her to try to get something in her stomach.Ifelt her somewhere near the foyer of theFortress, or at least,Ifelt our child there.Shewas the only living thingIcould sense anymore with the rhyzolm.
Istepped down the marble stairs intoViridis’scourtyard.Peelingwhite birch trees and mounds of flowers greeted me while bees buzzed and birds flew above.Allwas as it should be in the garden library ofFelgren.Wanderingmy way through the paths,Isat against a tree, pulling on a wide blade of grass and holding it taut between my hands.Iblew into it, and a loud whistle floated on the breeze.Pompeiihad taught me the trick whenI’dfirst arrived inFelgrenas a young man determined to prove himself worthy of the title ofBaron.Ihoped to someday teach the skill to my daughter.
Ileaned my head back against the tree, arms draped over my knees, promising myselfIwouldn’t let my exhaustion catch up to me as my eyes drifted closed.Mythoughts wandered to whatKarushad told me she discovered this morning.TheBlightresswas in the minds of anyone diseased by theBlight.Howmany survivors of theBlackFeverwere there?Thousandsof lives had been lost from the diseaseHeimlenhad created in order to getKarustoFelgren, but we needed numbers on the amount of survivors who now bore the mark of the fever in black hands and wrists.
TheBlightresshad toldKarusthe power ofBaroncame from her.Liaconfirmed it, so was she there somewhere in my own mind?
“Youwon’t find her here.”
Thevoice startled me, andIopened my eyes to findIwas no longer lying against a tree inViridis.
Iblinked rapidly and rubbed my face before squinting in the dying light of a sunset that filtered through the trees of my childhood home.Themuddy town ofMirelay in the distance, with its marsh forest and wood cabins trailing smoke from chimneys.
Insteadof a birch tree inViridis,Ifound myself leaning against one of the great marsh trees from which rhyzolm was mined.Aman sat across from me, around the same age as myself, his eyes closed to the orange sunset.Hisdark brown hair was cut short with a longer length on the top that curled across his widow’s peak.Hewore aBaron’sclothes, and when he opened his eyes, a dark hazel gaze stared back at me.
“WhyamIhere?”Iasked, reaching into my pocket for the rhyzolm to find that it wasn’t there.
