Page 101 of Storm of Shadows
I grit my teeth, trying to convince myself that I will. Because vengeance is the only thing I have left in this world.
“Evanest,” I mutter, and the staff dissipates into glittering dust.
With that, I sink to the floor and lean against the pillar. Though I’m tempted to rest like Taria, I need all the power I can muster for when we reach Gerazad. Tonight I used much of my strength to defeat Mulgath and his undead, and my magic was already low from my encounter with the wisps. I must use this time wisely and ensure I recover to full strength.
I sit cross-legged, my hands resting on my knees and my palms facing the vaulted ceiling. I close my eyes and steady my breathing, focusing on what little aether drifts through the air. As I fall into meditation, the floor and pillar fade from my senses. My consciousness transcends, and even my worries and thoughts of vengeance slip away.
Only aether remains.
thirty-two
Dawnarrivestoosoon.I’ve barely recovered a fraction of my power by the time sunlight filters through the hall’s open doors. That’s mostly to do with the fact I fell asleep while meditating. At least I feel refreshed, even if I’m lacking in aether running through my veins.
Caya and Juron are both already awake when my eyes open, as is Natharius. The Void Prince hasn’t moved an inch from his pillar, unlike me who fell to the floor during the night. The cool surface presses against my cheek like ice. I roll over and push myself to a sitting position. At least I’m not the only one who’s overslept. Both Taria and Zephyr are fast asleep. I expected the priestess to be meditating already. Healing Juron has certainly taken its toll on her. And she also used much strength to defeat Mulgath’s hordes of undead.
I stretch my arms high above my head. Every inch of my body aches. Though I suspect that has to do with physical exhaustion, I doubt sleeping on the stone floor has helped. “It’s dawn already?” I say with a yawn.
“It’s long past dawn,” Caya replies. “We must be well into the morning now.”
I glance behind at the open doors leading out of the fortress. The morning rays are so bright I have to shield my eyes. It seems day has long been upon us. “You didn’t wake me?”
“You and Taria were fast asleep,” Juron answers. “We thought it best to leave you sleeping a while longer. You both used up a great deal of strength last night.”
As much as I wish they woke me sooner, I suppose exhaustion would only slow our pace. Hopefully the extra time we’ve spent resting will allow us to make greater haste for the rest of our journey. “We should leave as soon as we can. We’ve already delayed enough.”
“Indeed,” Natharius says, leaning back, “we have wasted much time here in the Ghost Woods. I’ll be surprised if the necromancers haven’t already reached Gerazad and taken Lagartha’s ring.”
Blood drains from my face, casting me a shade of ashen white. Though I suspected arriving at Gerazad before Arluin is now a hopeless endeavor, hearing Natharius say it so bluntly is like a blow to the chest. “You really think they might already be in Gerazad?”
“It’s hard to know,” Natharius says with a shrug. “If we had another object belonging to the necromancers, I could locate them and say for certain. However, I believe we should prepare ourselves for the possibility the necromancers will be long gone by the time we arrive at Gerazad. It is the likeliest outcome.”
“So, you think there’s little point in continuing to Gerazad?” I ask. “Where will the necromancers head after they have Lagartha’s ring? Will they seek the third and final ring? The one that used to belong to you?”
“Correct,” Natharius replies. “After they retrieve the ring of Lagartha the Old, they will head to Lumaria in search of the elven ring. I suspect it should be in the possession of the current High Enchanter of Lumaria, whoever they might be.”
“Should we head there instead?”
“Though it’s unlikely that we will succeed in Gerazad, there’s a chance we might. Seeing how close we are to it, turning back now makes little sense. It’s best to continue and hope we can retrieve Lagartha’s ring first. Or else everything will depend on the final ring.”
“Then every second we delay could mean the difference between stopping Arluin from retrieving Lagartha’s ring or failing.”
“Leaving now would be for the best,” Natharius replies, pushing himself onto his feet. His crimson eyes sweep across to the sleeping priestess, silently accusing her of being the reason we continue to delay. Why we might fail and enable the Lich Lord to be unleashed.
Caya, who has been quietly observing our conversation, offers me a swift nod. “I’ll wake her now.”
“Do you think she’ll be strong enough to walk?” I ask. Though we need to leave now, if an extra hour of rest means Taria can match our pace without needing to stop, it’ll be worth it.
Natharius scoffs before Caya can answer. “If she will prove a burden, then leave her behind. We can’t afford to carry dead weight.”
Caya glares at him. “She is the First Disciple, the future Grand Priestess of Selynis!”
“She might even be the king of a thousand nations but if she is too weak, she must be left behind.”
“How very dare you—”
Before Caya can draw her sword or Natharius can conjure a spell, I step between them and hold out my arms to hold them at bay. Neither edges any closer. “Nobody is going to be left behind.” I cast Natharius a pointed look.
The demon snorts.