Page 66 of The Dark Rises
Arden and her men arrive, crowding into the room. Fallon and Theron take point with Cormal, Madoc, and Rivan.
Once everyone is assembled, Cormal brings them up to date. “In two days, we have to get in the dark Fae palace without Denir knowing, let Leandra confront him, then shield her while she transfers the power from Meri to Madoc.” He pauses. “This is her price.”
“Will it kill Meri?” Solandis asks with a frown.
“We don’t know. At this point, I think we have to assume it will and plan accordingly,” Cormal states gruffly, his worried gaze locking onto me.
Everyone begins to talk over one another, and he lets out a piercing whistle. “Our hope is that Rivan will be able to revive her.”
Rivan flicks me a determined look. “I’m ready.”
At his confirmation, I take a deep breath in and slowly exhale. “We can access the palace through a secret tunnel into the library.” Leandra used to send me on errands there all the time.
“That’s where you got the book on the history of witches, isn’t it?” Arden remembers with a smile.
“Yes, and I know almost every inch of that place,” I inform them.
Callyx comes strolling into the room. “Heard you were having a party without me.”
I walk over and give him a hug. “Given where we’re headed, you might have to sit this one out.” When he folds his arms and tilts his head, I shrug. “Going to see dear old Dad.”
He flicks me a glance. “Please. I’m Lucifer’s spy. Been in everyone’s palace at least once. But this one is tougher than most. Denir’s alarm senses anyone walking in the shadows.”
“Good thing to know,” Cormal says, marking it down in his notebook.
“Besides, Lucifer already knows,” Callyx drawls, glancing at Cormal. “Evren sent you a note.” He hands him a sheet of paper.
Cormal opens the note and stares down at it for a minute. With a satisfied smile, he folds and slips it into his pocket.
“Since Leandra is aware of it, too, it makes sense for us to split up,” Madoc warns. “Cormal and Callyx will take Meri and Leandra through the secret passageway with them. Rivan and I will enter a different way.”
Cormal flicks a glance at Theron. “Can Oryn get them inside?”
Theron picks up his phone and calls Oryn. “Is it possible for you to let my friends into the house?” He listens, then hangs up. “He wasn’t able to speak freely but mentioned being in the garden later. I assume he means the garden is the best way for him to get you inside. He’ll call me back in about twenty minutes.”
Madoc produces a map of the dark Fae palace. Yellowed with age and wrinkled, it’s obviously been handled a lot over the years. “Show me where the tunnel is into the library. It didn’t exist when this map was produced.”
I lean over and study the lines. “There. In the kitchen pantry. She built a tunnel from the back wall to the library. Once there, a bookcase opens with a spell.” Tracing the invisible path with my finger, I show him how to get from one place to the other.
“Why the kitchen?” Arden asks. “Wouldn’t that be one of the busiest areas in the palace?”
“Leandra used to say… nobody notices a servant,” I reply with a snide tone in my voice. “It’s true, they don’t.”
Arden winks at me. “Guess she won’t mind dressing down for the occasion.”
“The good news is that this will be a smaller ceremony. According to Leandra, only his court will be in attendance, which includes lords and ladies, servants, and guards. Similar to your ceremony, Meri,” Cormal explains.
“That’s a lot of people,” I remark with a frown. “How are we going to get in there without anyone else noticing?”
He flashes a wicked smile. “The best way to hide is out in the open. We’ll walk in with the rest of the crowd. That’s what I did for your coronation. I slipped in with the servants. We might need to mix things up for this one.” He looks at the crowd in the room.
The memory of him standing on the balcony bowing after my coronation will stay with me forever. At the time, I was incensed to see him there, but now I’m glad he witnessed it.
Theron holds up a hand. “Arden and I, along with Oryn, will be in attendance as part of the court. Usually, I delegate these things to my brother, but I think our presence can help sway the aristocratic masses into standing down as it plays out. The rest of the cadre will stay behind but close to the portal in case they’re needed.”
He inclines his head toward Madoc. “Maybe we can also remind people that Madoc is the son of King Madox.”
Madoc inhales sharply at this statement. “Thank you. The last thing I want is an insurrection because they aren’t aware of my lineage.”
