Page 29 of Lured By the Dus
“Don’t worry about me, Carter, I have a plan. It’s you and Kinder who need to get away safely.”
He sighed. “And what will you do?”
“What I’ve always done. I’ll survive.”
Without waiting for an answer, I continued to the temple.
My shoulders tensed as I slipped through the side door and the scent of burning flesh from a sacrifice filled my nostrils. The intense smell had almost a hypnotic effect. If I breathed too deeply, it felt as though I’d become a malleable version of myself, easily caught and controlled if I wasn’t careful. Holding my sleeve over my nose, I held my breath as I crept toward the curtain.
The priests who prayed at the altar kept their backs toward me, unaware of my existence thanks to Oren’s magic. But how long would that last? I’d been lucky once, twice even, but eventually my luck would run out, and I didn’t want to imagine what they’d do if they caught me.
Slipping behind the curtain, I studied the rooms, my eyes drawn to the doorway that led down to the vault. My skin prickled with discomfort, aware of what went on far beneath me and how powerless I was to stop it. Despite my musings, no good ideas had come to me about what to do and how to prevent the destruction of Dowler.
The door to the library was locked, as expected, but I put the key in the lock and it opened without hesitation. The door gave a soft sigh as it swung open, and the perfume of paper and ink filled my nose. I breathed in, suddenly reminded of the halls I’d studied in when I was younger—the classroom, the scratch of a pen on paper, the rustle of turning pages.
Memories would only leave me trapped in inaction, so I closed the door, hoping I was alone. Anyone could have been hiding behind the rows of old books and towering shelves. I peeked around each one, my blood rising, then falling, when the empty rows revealed I was truly alone. The musty scent of parchment made my eyes water and gentle sighs floated to my ears, as though the books were alive and breathing. Magic dwelled here, just like in Oren’s castle.
The bookcase in the back of the room had a hidden door on the second shelf, just as my aunt had promised. Inside was a stack of papers, and I unfolded them to reveal drawings, including the runes on the doors to the vault. There was also some prose, written in an old language I did not understand, and following it was a brief explanation of the rock within the vault that kept the Others from using their power. I held everything Oren needed to put a stop to this. My chest went tight in recognition of the power I held. Blackmail. All I had to do was think of how to use the knowledge to my advantage.
Stuffing the folded papers into my pocket, I started to make my way out of the library when the door opened and muffled voices swept through the room. I strained my ears, catching the end of their conversation. “He should make a deal with the Piper before it gets worse.”
“Bah, they will never agree and you know why.”
“Is revenge that important? I know I shouldn’t speak of the past, but what if we simply gave the Piper what he wanted?”
“Are you a fool?” the second voice spat, louder than a whisper this time. “The magical system would collapse.”
“True, but the system was created decades ago when the city was young and suffering from plague and famine. What if the city could sustain itself without magic?”
I slowly let out the breath I’d been holding as I considered that idea. This was the first reasonable solution to the problem. True, Dowler was wealthy. Originally, I assumed it came from trade, not magic, but I’d never asked. Suddenly interested, I strained to hear more.
“Surely a payoff would keep him happy. He’s immortal, you know.”
“Not quite.”
“No, what do you mean? There’s a way he can die?”
“Eventually he’ll reach an old age and pass from this world, hundreds of years after our lifetime. But to best him now, we have to destroy something mortal he treasures, or trap his magic and render his flute useless.”
“And you have ideas on how we might achieve such a disruption?”
“Correct.”
“Does it involve his new wife?”
“No.” The man snorted. “She’s too new to be of value. I suspect he keeps her tied up in the castle for his own amusement, unaware that the Lord and Lady of Dowler do not care what becomes of her.”
I bristled at the vivid image of my life as a prisoner, although it was true my uncle had done nothing to free me from the Piper.
“Then you design to trap his magic?”
“Aye, he’s very careful, so we must create an enticing proposal.”
The voices moved further into the room, and while I wanted to listen, I needed to leave before they found me. Creeping from shelf to shelf, I made my way to the entrance. The priests were nowhere in sight, and I opened the door and fled.
21Tanith
The palace was oddly silent, with no sign of Oren’s magic. A growing dread knotted in my belly as I hurried to my old bedroom. What had he summoned with his music this time?
