Page 124 of Crown of Briars
I snorted.
“But I can’t let you wander into those woods alone. If you believe you have a way to stop the sound from attacking us, then I will trust you. But if it doesn’t work, I reserve the right to grab you and flee as quickly as possible.”
I nodded. “That’s fair.” I was painfully relieved at her insistence to stay with me. If she had decided to wait outside the forest, I would have respected that. But I didn’t realize until now how terrified I was of entering those woods alone.
“Why do you need to go back there? What is so important about that gem? Could you sense its magic?”
“No, but I think it’s connected to the Necro Shadows and how to stop them. If it is, it means I can put an end to this for good.”
Azure sank to her knees, allowing me to climb on her back. My legs tightened around her, and her sharp scales dug into my trousers.
Without warning, she leapt off the balcony ledge.
My scream died in my throat as my stomach bottomed out, making me feel weightless in the most terrifying way. Wind whipped at me, making my hair fly around me. My eyes burned and my cheeks stung.
Azure’s wings flared out, slowing our descent with a violent jerk that made me yelp. I lunged forward to wrap my arms around her neck as I slid precariously. Her scales shimmered as they shifted to match the same dark blue as the sky.
“Very funny,” I muttered. Even without touching the amber stone, I knew she could sense my ire. I felt her rumbling laugh underneath me.
As we arced over the training yard, I ducked down, keeping my body tucked close to Azure’s. She might be able to camouflage herself, but I didn’t have such an advantage.
I peered around her scales, trying to discern if there were soldiers below us—and if Warwick was there. Had Varius’s assassin taken care of him already? But with dusk’s approach, it was too dark for me to see.
Azure swooped low, keeping close to the tree line. She crossed to the other side of the Noxen Forest so we could avoid the training yard.
I couldn’t risk Warwick seeing me. Varius was right—he had already caught me near the training yard once.
Azure glided gracefully toward the earth, her claws landing in the soil with the barest of thuds. When she’d come to a halt, I slid off her back, then withdrew the opal stone for light. Before entering the woods, I turned to look at her and pressed a finger to my amber stone.
“You can still wait out here, if you prefer.”
Azure grumbled her displeasure.“I’m with you, Sybelle.”
I smiled, then turned and strode into the forest. I remembered the path fairly well, but I still paused occasionally to check with Azure. She would hum if I was going the right way or nudge me with her snout if I wasn’t.
“Do you hear the ringing?” I whispered, my hand on my necklace.
“Not yet.”
I frowned, wondering why the ringing didn’t assault us right away like it had when I was with Varius. The last time Azure and I were here, she had heard it almost immediately.
I shot a quizzical look toward my dragon, prepared to ask her about it, but her voice was already in my head.
“I believe the enchantment here is more sensitive to full-blooded fae,”she said.“When you were here before, I think it recognized Varius immediately, which was why it attacked you right away. But you and I are foreign, and we are taking care not to trigger it. From what I can gather, this enchantment is… fickle. It’s like it’s alive. Like it has a mind of its own.”
I shuddered, then swallowed hard, ensuring each step was as silent and careful as possible. The idea that a living, sentient spell was nearby made my skin prickle with unease.
It didn’t take us long to find the spot where the glowing rose was buried. The earth was still overturned from when I had last been here. Already, I could see the crimson glow of the gemstone beckoning me closer.
Knowing the ringing sound would attack me soon, I didn’t waste any time. I sank to my knees and dug my fingers into the earth.
As soon as my fingertips met the rich soil, the blaring noise assaulted my ears. I cried out, gritting my teeth against the shrill sound that drilled into my skull. But I kept digging, pressing further into the soil until I unearthed more of the glowing rose. Behind me, Azure whined, her breathing sharp and ragged.
I didn’t have much time now.
When I had uncovered enough of the rose, I took a deep breath and pressed my fingers to the jeweled petals.
The ringing abruptly stopped, though an echo of the sound still resonated in my mind. The crimson glow intensified, burning against my eyes. I hissed, trying to draw back, but my hands were cemented to the rose petals.
