Page 92 of A Queen Of Broken Realms
We follow Aloros up several flights of the spiral staircase, and he leads us to one of the floors and down a long corridor that connects to a wide foyer through a door. When it shuts behind us, the doorway disappears into the wall, I realize that the stairs we just took must have been part of a hidden passageway system.
The foyer is bright and airy, filled with gold and white marble sculptures, and our footsteps echo across the unusual angles that follow the pitch of the slanted roof. Aloros leads us to a row of doors and holds one open for us to enter a beautiful library whose walls seem to radiate a gentle white light. The far wall is all windows, looking out toward the grasslands and the gradual lightening of dawn in the distance. The horizon is pristine, unaffected by the war that surely still rages not far beyond these walls in the city of Anur.
Aloros takes us to a section of the library where the light is dimmer and ancient leather texts and scrolls line the golden shelves. He searches the spines and pulls out anything he feels might be useful, handing a few books and several scrolls over to me and Ashen.
“Wait here,” he says when he passes a final book to the Reaper, then strides away to a series of rooms along a nearby wall, returning with a leather bag in his hand. We place the books inside and Ashen slings the strap over his shoulder. “There’s a seldom-used portal to the Living Realm about an hour’s walk from here. It will take you to Khirbat al-Mudayna in Jordan. There isn’t much close by for human civilization. Do you have any corridors near there?”
“In Amman, yes. But we can find transport,” Ashen says.
“Good. This will be the safest way for you to get out. I will show you where to go to take the path.”
“You’re not coming with us?” I ask, and Aloros gives me a smile as though the worry in my expression is unexpected but endearing.
“No, I will stay and fight for my home,” he replies.
“Me too,” Cole says as he joins by Aloros’s side. We don’t exchange words about it. We don’t have to. I don’t think I could get them past the anxiety that grips my throat in a tight fist anyway. I know this was once his home too. So, I give Cole a hug that says what I can’t, and he embraces me back with the same emotions that tighten his muscles and steal his breath.
“Stay safe, brother,” Cole says to Ashen, who can only manage a slight nod and a lingering hand on his friend’s shoulder. Ashen squeezes and then lets go, and we follow Aloros through the library until we leave Cole behind with a fleeting glance.
Aloros leads us down stairways and passages until we reach a long corridor that leaves the ziggurat. When he opens the door at the end, fresh air flows into the hallway, the scent of grasses and wildflowers a welcome change from the blood and soot that cover our clothes. “The path follows the edge of the wall between the city and the fields. It will diverge from the edges of the city and skirt the cliffs overlooking the Silver Sea,” he says, pointing in the direction of a narrow gravel trail. “Stay on the path as it drops down toward the beach. There is a small, unused gazebo close to the shore. The corridor is next to it, a simple pedestal. Just be wary, you will be exposed for much of this journey, and there are very few places to hide.”
Ashen and I nod, and I don’t even try to stop myself from giving Aloros a hug, avoiding his injured arm in the process. “Thank you, Aloros,” I whisper, and he laughs, the sound almost as enchanting as Ashen’s.
“No, thankyou. Thank you both. Please, stay safe.” Aloros smiles as he backs into the hallway and he watches as we turn away, not closing the door until we’ve crested the first of the rolling meadow hills.
Ashen and I walk in silence, our hands clasped, both of us vigilant for the sounds of enemies or ambush. Nothing comes, though we hear the sounds of continued fighting in the distance within the city walls. Eventually, the path strays from Anur and the horizon of the sea comes into view. When we reach the edge of the cliffs we stop for a moment, looking out across the water.
“I wonder if they have a Hooktopus,” I say as we look at the glittering water, our hands still joined. “I think it’s totally unfair, by the way, that an angel just told you where to find your stone and I had to be dragged across the sea by some Shadow Realm monstrosity.”
Ashen laughs and I grin up at him as I take in every crinkle at the very edges of his beautiful eyes when he smiles. “To be fair, I bet the Hooktopus creature was humbler, at least. Do you really want to—”
Ashen’s grip tightens on my hand and then lets go.
He looks down at the blade that pierces through his abdomen. His eyes meet mine for only an instant, and then he’s falling from the cliff to the sound of my scream, his sword tumbling after him, another weapon still lodged through his body as he falls into the sea.
And just as I’m about to jump after him, the world goes black.
CHAPTER35
Iwake with a groan, rubbing my temple. Something cool and wet tickles my skin. When I roll on my back, I smell grass and moist clay earth and chalk dust. I open my eyes to a sky the shade of blue that seems discordant with the pain coursing through my head. I groan again and push myself up until I’m sitting, my stomach churning as though I’ve had far more fangria than should ever be consumed in a single sitting.
“Aglaope?”
When I finally digest my surroundings, I see my sister crouched before me, her smile reassuring.
Except I do not feel reassured at all.
“What thefuck, Aglaope?” I ask as I reach out to her, my hand stopped by the magical barrier I can already see between us.
“I am sorry, my love. It is for both our protection.” Aglaope stands and gestures to the ground beside me. I look to where my hand keeps me steady against the Earth. A bag of blood rests next to my fingers. “Drink, sister. You will feel better.”
I look from the bag to my sister and back again, weighing the pros and cons. Though trapped behind magical glass, I still need all the strength I can get to work my way out of this predicament, and I doubt she would have poisoned or drugged it. Aglaope’s smile widens when I take the bag and struggle to my feet. I open it and check for the scent of anything added, then suck the blood down with a glare like petulant child drinking a Capri Sun.
“Ashen’s blood, hmm? Did you siphon it from his wound when you stabbed my husband in the fucking guts, sister?” I ask, spitting the words like venom.
Aglaope laughs. “My darling,please. Despite the unfortunate necessity of having to keep your husband away for a little while, I am no villain. He will be fine, I assure you. He is just too protective for his own good, and I could not take the risk.”
“What thefuck, Aglaope,” I snarl, throwing the empty blood bag toward her. It slaps the barrier between us. I cross my arms and stare her down, but it only looks as though she’s trying not to laugh.
