Page 83 of Forged By Heart and Claws
Vad
Briar folded her arms and turned toward me. “What are you thinking?”
“It sounds like Colm is planning something else.” I frowned, hating the thought of him breathing air in that room. “Calla Lily was wearing the shadow beast hairpin from Elara’s room. She had other family pieces too. None of them were enchanted, right?”
Elara stiffened. “My mother’s hairpin? That was never magical, just sentimental. Father bought it for her and said it was beautiful, like her.” Her voice cracked.
I nodded slowly, thinking back. I hadn’t seen Calla Lily with any jewelry that could potentially have residual magic. But if she and Colm had taken over the observatory and gathered the remnants of our family’s relics, there was a chance…just enough of one.
“Why would that matter?” Briar’s forehead wrinkled. “Magic isn’t working right now.”
“Some stones,” I said carefully, “especially ones tied to enchanted objects, hold fragments of residual power similar to portals. It’s usually dormant. But if someone found a way to extract it?—”
“Like breaking it down?” Briar bit her bottom lip.
“Exactly.” I met Vyraetos’s eyes. “Could that restore power to someone like Colm?”
The old fae tilted his head, running a hand over the stubble on his jaw. “Not without magic to manipulate and siphon the essence. But…if he’s desperate—and we all know he is—he might be trying anyway. And we have no idea what else he’s found and what measures he’s willing to take. If he finds a way, he will be unstoppable. It isn't likely, but...it isn't impossible either.”
Not the answer I wanted. But it told me one thing—we couldn’t wait.
Siray stepped forward. Her mouth was a hard, angry line, but her voice was cold steel. “This affects me now, so let me be clear. I’ll help end Colm. I don’t care about you or your people, but I care about my family.”
She looked straight at Quen. “You were right. I threw you out. I didn’t care if you lived or died. If you weren’t strong, you were nothing to me. I’m not going to pretend to care now. I don’t. I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to end this.”
Her hand lifted, swiping at the corner of her eye before the tears could fall. “I love my family. If we break out the prisoners, my aunt and uncle will testify about what has happened. They’ll stand against Colm. I swear it. They’ve been starving in the dark while he rewrites the world.”
She paused, then added, “They won’t care about Briar or Vad being wed. Hell, they probably won’t even flinch at the idea of an Aureline with a Shadow Fae. They’ll care about survival. And they’ll burn Colm for what he’s done.”
“We won’t let the prisoners die,” Briar said. Even with our bond weakened, I felt her resolve like a spark, small but fierce. She looked at me, and I nodded, sealing the silent vow between us.
I turned to Siray. “I know your aunt and uncle. They are noble rulers. And even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t allow this to continue. None of us will. We’ll get them out.”
I scanned the room, weighing options. “With the shadow beasts in the caverns and tunnels and the palace exits under guard, we need a place the children and the vulnerable can hide. Maybe forty could stay here. What about the stables? Are they still accessible?”
Siray’s lips pressed into a tight line, her expression grim. “No. Colm’s forces blocked them off. Liya and I barely made it out.”
Disappointment pulsed in my chest, but not surprise. “How many guards are at the prison itself?”
“Between three and six.” Siray closed her eyes like she was trying to pull up the memory. “But a dozen rotate through every few hours and take it in shifts. If an alert goes up, backup swarms within minutes. And now that they know we’re in the palace, they’ll double the patrols and keep an eye out for hidden passages.”
“They already suspected secret passages existed.” Kaylen scoffed. “Colm even questioned me about them.”
Siray shot her a look. “Clearly, they didn’t know about the one we escaped through.”
I downed another mouthful of the fortified wine. I needed a clear head, and the sharp edge of the herbs helped me think faster and feel less.
What are you planning?Briar’s voice nudged into my mind. I had to focus on it like a sound from another room.
We might have a way in. I’ll take?—
I’m going with you.Her response cut through like a blade. Her green eyes flashed, unyielding.
Despite the storm churning inside me, her fire made me smile. I pressed her hand to my lips. “All right. Here’s the plan.I’ll take a small team. If we can reach the observatory, we’ll take Colm prisoner or kill him.”
Elara tilted her head. “You think he’ll be there?”
“If he’s working on what we think he is, yes.” I didn’t need to question that. He was power hungry. I’d known it the moment I’d stepped into that awful prison. “And if we can strike before he regains magic, we stand a chance.”
