Page 41 of Oath-Maker

Lucius trailed off, but I wasn’t sure if that was because he couldn’t hold the connection—as he’d said—or if the anti-magic cuffs around my wrists were the direct interference.

“It’s bound at the moment,” I said, reaching for him, although he’d never solidly been here. “The Guardian discovered my new paladins. He stole my blood. Bound my magic. Whatever he’s planning, the time table has moved up.”

Lucius’s form appeared again, in front of me this time, and his evident concern transcended all the distance between us. I felt it wash over me as though he were close enough for me to feel the force of his power surround me. “We’re moving now. We’ll be there by sunrise. Where are you being kept?”

I shook my head. “Beneath the Order’s tower. But don’t worry about me. Unless you can get me out of the cuffs, too, I’m useless.”

Lucius’s nostrils flared. His jaw locked. He reached for my face, but his formless hand sifted through me like a shadow. “You were to be a guest.”

I shot him a look. “You knew as well as I that I was never meant to be a ‘guest,’ Lucius. I’m his prisoner. I just…thoughtI could get through to him or something. Or at least, I thought I could make more happen from inside Lightport than out.”

And I had. I’d taken oaths from new paladins. I’d gotten them ready to fight as best they could if they were free unlike me. But that was it, and the failure stung.

“I’ll get you out as soon as I can,” Lucius said as his form flickered again. It stayed gone for longer this time. “I promise, Ayla.”

“I know.” I knew very well Lucius would try. But I didn’t think he should free me first. His more important priority had to be the Guardian. But Lucius knew that, so there was no reason in saying it. “Hang on, Ayla. We’re coming.”

“Better hurry up,” I almost whispered. “It feels like something is burrowing beneath the ground.” The room shook again as if for emphasis. “The tear is widening in the Veil above Lightport. And beneath it. Like the Guardian plans to have it all swallowed whole.”

By the time I’d finished speaking, Lucius’s form had blinked out entirely. Was he still here? Could he hear me?

“He’ll kill us all just to usher in their empire.”

But I was talking to four empty walls, not my king. Not my mate.

CHAPTER18

Iwasn’t sure exactly how much time had passed since Lucius had visited me, but it’d been long enough that the tremors that’d haunted me all night, shaking the floor and occasionally dislodging debris from the ceiling, had increased significantly. Enough that I was beginning to worry for the integrity of the Order’s tower. Enough that I wondered if I hadn’t had the Guardian’s ultimate plan wrong all along.

Sure, the ultimate destruction of everything that was Serenia for Soltar. But so quickly decimating what the Order was and stood for, destroying the tower filled with soldiers still sworn to him and the Fallen Light, seemed wrong.

I made my way over to the one door in the room. It had no handle on this side or window, only a rectangular outline in the wall. I pressed my ear against the brick and listened. Shouting. Chaos. The sound was dulled by the layers of brick all around me, but I heard it all the same. When the next round of tremors came, I pounded against the door. Pushed against it. It did not give. I was stuck, in here, while the Guardian’s plans went off without a hitch above me.

A subtle, glowing light caught my attention at the edges of my vision. I turned to face it with my back pressed against the door. The radiance of the light had me squeezing my eyes shut in both shock and blindness. Slowly, I reopened them and—gods.

On the far side of the cell—which really wasn’t all that far away—was a crack in the floor, a split in the stone where it appeared a river of molten gold had appeared. The shimmering, metallic surface rippled like water… and with magic. I didn’t feel it at first, like a force too powerful for my body to make sense of right away. But my mind was catching up fast and—

I slid down the door to my knees and heaved. Magic. Pure celestial magic more powerful than anything I’d ever felt before. Stronger than the Light’s sphere atop the tower. Stronger than Lucius’s power and minecombined.

Molten, radiant gold.

Soltar.

The home world of the celestials and demons, summoned here by the Guardian, was encroaching upon us even now. Maybe it had been for some time thanks to the corruption in the Order. But my blood, those tremors, the Guardian’s plans… No, last night, everything had changed. And I’dknownit.

The crack spewed more molten celestial magic and peeled away the stone, opening the crack wider and wider. I shoved down my shock and grasped hold of the adrenaline flooding my system. If the split kept growing, I’d be swept up in it and, given how the stone crackled and fizzed before literally melting away, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t fare any better.

I forced myself back to my feet and pounded my fists against the door. “Let me out! There’s a tear in here to Soltar! Please!”

But no help came.

I pounded harder. It wasn’t a normal door, but there was no way no one on the other sidecouldn’thear me, right? They knew I was here. They knew what was happening outside.

My hands screamed as I slammed them against the stone. “Help!”

Gods, what I wouldn’t do to have my magic right now. If I could just grasp on to atinyshred of potentiality, I could open a new door in the stone just wide enough to slip through and then—

More of the stone floor disintegrated before my eyes. The molten magic bubbled up, brightening the room. I cursed as it sifted closer along the ground maybe two feet away. I was running out of room and fast. If I hopped over the little stream opening up, I’d be okay for longer, but…

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