Page 20 of To Sway a Prince
Though I opened my mouth to protest, he whisked around the corner. By the time I rounded it, he was gone. Clenching my jaw, I considered my options.
"The creatures that come from the Chasm are exceptionally dangerous, Astraia," Caein said.
I cut my eyes up at the stone ceiling. "I'm certain they are. But I'm not some helpless innocent who cannot adapt. If there is a fight to be had and I can help, then I want to help."
"Quite noble. It seems that when it is your own well-being on the line, you are willing to set concerns aside. But when it is someone you care about, then their well-being is paramount. Even when it is something they love."
I narrowed my eyes in his general direction. "This isn't about Zephyrus. It sounds like this is a tough fight. I fought in the Resistance of Theodas alongside the new king and his forces. I've been in countless skirmishes beyond that. I came here because I thought Ramiel stole Zephyrus. Now you all are saying this is Zephyrus's calling. Fine. At least let me help defend him." I give you my word as a knotweaver that I will not in any way jeopardize their mission," I said, hands braced on my waist.
Caein hummed in contemplation, then sighed. "I will not assist you in finding your way to the bridge. But if you can find your way out, I will not stop you."
Typical Nolche response. Or fae for that matter. Hissing out an annoyed breath, I started to run, then halted.
This was a rune fae tower. Like all fae, Ramiel had his secrets, and this tower belonged to the Sentinels. Everything was about protection. He'd mentioned the protective wards. And Caein had made it clear that these were adaptive. Ramiel had said that they would keep me from getting through.
All right. Frowning, I reached out my aura, seeking out all the wards and sigils I could sense. Some I hadn't noticed fluttered into my awareness. Other points pulsed with a light awareness that might have been a current one.
The world grew silent around me as I drew back into the darkness of my own mind. When I focused, this was a place of peace. My strength was better than I'd expected after all my running around and attempting to pulseport. The soothing and restorative wards must have been doing their work for me despite my being a trespasser. A soft buzzing pressure filled my ears as I spread my aura out through the halls.
There.
A thrum of energy pressed along my mind, sending a chill down my spine.
Clever sorcerer. When had he formed these?
Three of the sigils on the wall near a shuttered window were attached to pulseport triggers if I came in contact with them. Not just any person. Me.
How quickly had he set these up?
The door had the same.
I could undo them with focus. The knots pulsed deep at their center, bright and clear. Getting closer would make it all the easier. That would all take time though.
Another rumbling roar shook the inner walls of the tower.
Oh. I knew precisely where to go.
Turning, I ran back to one of the staircases nestled in the wall. My boots struck the wooden stairs hard, sending dust motes flying. As I reached the stable, I flung the door open. All the cells were open. The purple-scaled dragon stood beneath the hatch, her head tilted back and up as she peered up the stone shaft.
The remnants of a hearty breakfast indicated they'd already been fed. And the special hatch in the ceiling was fully open. Small sigils attached to each of the mechanisms were now apparent, easily hidden and seemingly of such a nature that the dragons could maneuver it themselves.
The purple dragon's gaze flicked toward me as if asking whether I was going to be trouble. Her emerald eyes gleamed beneath heavy-scaled lids.
I held my hands up, palms exposed, and shook my head. "I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm here to help."
She huffed at me. The smoke curled about her broad muzzle, but she returned her attention to the opening.
More gears shifted. It wasn't the mechanism holding the doors open. No. It was lower. I scanned the stable again. There! I spotted more sigils that had been invisible before. A launch platform. Very clever indeed.
Another low groan and a shudder from the flagstones.
The opening stretched high, layers upon layers of stone leading up to the bright blue sky outside. A straight shot, albeit an exceptionally steep and high one. It was dangerous, but I could manage it. Yes. I looked from the chute leading up out of the tower back to the purple dragon and the outline on the floor.
The gears wound down farther and farther, the clacking growing slower as it neared the end.
Hands still held up to show I meant no harm, I moved alongside the purple dragon's left flank just out of kicking range. That long tail with the fur tip at the end might be an issue.Zephyrus could use his like a whip. "Easy, easy," I said, my heart racing. "I'm just going up to help you all. I'm just going to use my magic to make a rope, but I won't touch you."
She jerked her head toward the shaft once more, then chirred. It sounded like a challenge.
