Page 31 of Forged By Heart and Claws
The winged guards who’d dragged me to this realm in the first place hadn’t seemed hindered at all. Ember and Ryker had gotten to my room as the portal was closing—they’d seen me disappear in front of their eyes.
Many-Greats shook his head, but Vyraetos answered louder and more firmly. “The magic was taken at the crowning. Fate acted through the Stag. And though our magic was taken, that interaction did not suggest judgment, but charge. A transformation. Fate doesn’t speak in words but through actions and symbols. This was one.”
He nodded at Vad and glanced at me. “Mostof our magic is gone. But the innate abilities like sight, speed, and senses remain. The portals may hold trace magic. Enough for travel, perhaps, but limited. Not with an army or even a team.”
“But one assassin?” I rasped, my throat tight.
Many-Greats stilled as well, his arms hanging at his sides. His jaw muscle ticked.
The worst kind of threat was the one that could sneak through. That no one would see coming until it was too late.
Vyraetos cleared his throat. “I cannot say. I would assume that no more than one or two people could make it through a portal and back. Perhaps three if it were one of the older portals. In past magical disruptions, those locations retained the most remnants.”
One was all it would take.
I swallowed hard as dread weighed me down.
Rhielle moved beside me and pulled me a few steps away. “You’d better come back, Briar.” Her voice was gruff but steady.
She adjusted the scarf around her neck, revealing a sliver of the deep, jagged red scar beneath. The mark of survival. Of betrayal. “I don’t like getting attached to people just to lose them. There’s been enough of that. And I’m not about to let those bastards win another inch.”
I reached out and squeezed her hands, burying my fear. “Watch over them. All of them.”
Rhielle nodded once, sharp and sure.
I didn’t let myself look back at Thalira. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to walk away. She had too many fractures, too many wounds that hadn’t healed.
“Are you ready, Briar?” Vad’s voice came from behind me.
As I started to nod, Thalen interrupted, clapping his hands together as he crossed over to us. “Ready? Great. I’m going with you.”
Vad shook his head. “We aren’t taking a full party. This must be swift. And I won’t be alone. Briar is going with me.”
I smiled inwardly. He hadn’t asked, he’d just known there wasn’t a chance in hell or Fate’s plan that I’d let him go without me.
“Like I said, you’re not going alone,” Thalen replied, unbothered. “You two basically count as one, and if one of you gets the bright idea to sacrifice yourself in some grand gesture, someone’s got to be there to make sure you don’tbothgo down.” He folded his arms and flashed his crooked smile, but the weight in his tone said he meant every word.
“Won’t it be hard for you to see?” I asked. Even with a little light filtering into the castle, it was dark.
“The servants will be relighting the torches and lamps in the main areas. Tradition and common sense.” He lifted his hands with a smirk. “Besides, if we have to split up, you need someone else who knows the palace like the back of his hand. That’s me. I’ll get flint and steel to take as well in case.”
Myantha placed a hand on his arm, and he brushed his fingers over hers.
Vad sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. “All right.”
Veralt grunted from the center of the room, a box tucked under one thick arm and dried fruit in one hand. “Rhielle and I will come as far as the exit. We should leave?—”
“We aren’t leaving until this is settled.” Rhielle returned to his side and swatted his forearm. Her brow lifted in a sharp arch. "I’m not leaving my girl.”
Veralt lifted his shoulders in a dramatic sigh and popped a piece of fruit into his mouth. “As the light of my life commands, we wouldn’tdreamof leaving. Where do you need us?” When he glanced down at her, she gave him a subtle smile.
“Here. Protecting the injured and preparing for departure.” Vad gestured around the room and toward the hall. “If the guards find this place, everyone will need to move fast and deeper into the tunnels.
“Elara and Thalira will both need to be carried. The rocks get coarser and sharper the further down you go. There won’t be any light unless you’re carrying it.” He motioned a right turn with a hook of his hand. “Take the larder path. Use light if you need to. It’s the same way we’re heading initially, but once you reach the sealed door, go left. Then keep one hand on the wall and go right every time the tunnel opens again.”
He waited until Rhielle and Veralt nodded before continuing, “Keep tight against the wall at all times. Eventually, you'll reach the vesting chamber. There is fresh water and only two entry points, and plenty of crevices and cracks for cover. That path will let you avoid the most dangerous sections by the river. We’ll meet you there.”
Veralt’s eyes sharpened beneath the lazy smirk. “What about supplies?”
