Page 109 of The Crown of the Last Fae Queen
Kolfinna took it wordlessly and strapped it to her hip. “Thank you.”
“May fortune follow you, daughter,” he murmured, turning to face the tunnel. “Now go.”
She hesitated, glancing down at Aslaug and then back at him. “You promise you won’t hurt her or kill her while I’m gone? What if you kill her while I’m freeing your queen?”
“I will not break a promise with you.”
“How can I trust you?”
She could feel Fenris’s mana drawing closer. Vidar did too, because he stared at the end of the tunnel. “You will be in a compromising situation if you remain.”
“But how can I trust that you will keep your word?”
“You will have to trust me.” He stared at her and through the slits of his helmet, she could make out the softening of his blood-red eyes, the way his white lashes lowered.
She had no choice in the matter, and she was running out of time.
Gripping the pendant tightly, she could only nod. “Fine. I’ll trust you.”
She spun on her heels and made a dash for it. She ran down the winding path, the corpses of Royal Guards acting as crumbs to the path they had taken, and she eventually came to a point where the tunnels splintered into different pathways. She didn’t remember crossing this when they first entered, but they had been in the thick of battle and she must not have noticed. Fenris’s mana was even closer than before, so she took another route that put her further away from him.
The necklace bounced against her chest with every forceful step she took. Her hair plastered against her clammy neck as the temperature rose higher and higher. It was beginning to getharder to breathe. She couldn’t imagine the outcome of Vidar and Fenris’s battle, and she truthfully wasn’t sure who would win. Although she had faced Fenris in battle before, she doubted he had used his full power against her, so she wasn’t sure what the extent of his abilities were. Likewise, she hadn’t seen Vidar’s true, full power either.
But for some reason she couldn’t name, she didn’t want either of them to die.
It was strange how she had come tocarefor her father in her own way.
Kolfinna had no clue how the amulet was going to help her reach Aesileif, but she could feel a tugging in her conscience with every step. As if it was telling her,this way. But she didn’t know if she was simply losing her mind, imagining it, or if it was just her instinct. Either way, she followed it.
TheDød Sværdwas surprisingly quiet.
Left turn, right, left again. She felt like she was going in circles, but she must have been going in the correct direction because she could tell that she was getting further away from Fenris, from the palace, and from the Royal Guards. None of them were in these parts of the tunnels. In fact, she hadn’t felt anyone’s presence for the past ten minutes. Fenris’s reach was weaker down here—she didn’t feel hot anymore. There was also no light, and she had to use her own light magic to be able to see.
The floors became craggy and ancient, and she reached several dead ends where she had to press her hands against the cool walls, sense where the passage began again, and open up the sealed path. The more she walked, the more restless she became.
Had Aesileif actually been down here this whole time? Was there really an ancient fae crypt here somewhere?
Kolfinna’s steps slowed when she reached the end of the passage. Dusty, crumbling doors stood erected at the end, themetal hinges rusted and beyond repair, and various whorls and designs edged as a border around the set of doors. Above it, in an arch, were runes that read:
Here lies the ancient fae. Here lies the blood of fae. Here lies the crown of fae.
Her fingers brushed over the heavy stone doors and shivers ran down her spine. Whatever doubts she’d had about the fae crypt disappeared at the sight. The amulet buzzed at her chest, nearly scaling her chest where it lay, and even theDød Sværdhummed with power. The air was electric.
The fae queen was here.
Without wasting another breath, Kolfinna pulled the doors open.
33
THIRTY-THREE – BLÁR
Wind rippedthrough Blar's hair at breakneck speed. It took everything in him not to freeze the scaly beast he was sitting upon and launch himself onto the nearest building. His jaw was set tight and his muscles cramped from the force of him holding on so tightly to the ridges along the dreki's spine. The elf in front of him, one of Kolfinna's many guards, had placed shadow harnesses keeping him atop the beast, but he couldn’t help but hold on for dear life.
He wanted to rip the strange magic off his body; he wasn't used to being held in place like this, by the magic and the dreki, but a quick scan of the capital below stopped him from trying anything rash—like jumping off.
Screams filtered through the air, terrified people staring up at what could only be described as a nightmare. Just a few months ago, the capital had been overrun with drekis and three-eyed blood-lusting birds, but this was different, and people could probably tell. Never before had the fae and elves ridden the scaly beasts into the city. And never before had anyone seen such a powerful army of fae.
Royal Guards with their fluttering crimson capes rushed the streets, explosions erupted in the distance, and fae flew throughthe blasts of fire, ice, wind, and water. Blár’s teeth ground together hard enough he was surprised they didn’t crack.
