Page 57 of Bound Paths
“I’m aware,” Zrak replied, his teeth clenched and a note of exhaustion in his voice.
“Just because you don’t have your own reasons to send your Nebulus anymore doesn’t mean you can let the spirits linger.”
“Like I said, I’m aware.” Zrak took the deepest breath Rose had ever seen. He seemed at his limit, but Rose had no idea why.
“Well, then act like it,” Cassandra snapped. “You must fulfill this duty until another takes it over.”
The words were too vague to make sense to Rose. Clearly, they meant something to Zrak.
His head snapped up. “Don’t doubt me now, Lady. It’s been hundreds of years. It’s a little late to lose faith.” His smile held no warmth.
“I know better than anyone that it’s been hundreds of years,” she hissed. “Don’t patronize me.” She stood from her seat andplaced her palms on the desk. “You came to me. You agreed to my terms and will continue your work until they are fulfilled.”
“The fate of the continent—” Zrak started.
“I don’t care about your plans,” she said, her arms folding over her chest. “All you’ve done is cost me.”
Zrak sighed deeply again. “I understand your position,” he replied. “It hasn’t changed.”
“Fine. Go. Do your job.” She waved a hand in dismissal.
Zrak shook his head as he stood slowly and moved toward the door. Rose’s heartbeat accelerated again. They had been lucky on the entry. Rose couldn’t help but think they wouldn’t have the same opportunity for the exit. She tucked her fingers back in the scruff of Carter’s neck, readying them to dash through the opening. There was another door behind Cassandra’s desk, but it was also closed. And it looked like it was heading in the wrong direction. To make it back down the tower, they needed to make it out the door with the Lost God.
Zrak pulled open the door. He held it wide and turned back to Cassandra.
Rose and Carter didn’t waste this second boon. They slipped out the door in front of Zrak and waited on the staircase to follow him back down.
“You should know, I’m leaving as soon as he arrives. That was the extent of our bargain.”
They couldn’t hear Cassandra’s reply, but the way Zrak slammed the door behind him left no question on the terms of his exit.
They usedZrak’s movements as a shield to get back down the tower staircase and past two guard posts. Zrak and Cassandra’smeeting at least clarified Zrak’s work. His Nebulus guided spirits beyond the veil. It also appeared Cassandra was well aware he was letting them take other liberties while on the continent. The additional part of their deal was still a mystery, but by the way both their tempers flared, Rose knew it held weight.
She just didn’t know why.
Feeling like she’d received all she would from this unexpected detour, Rose pricked her and Carter again for a little additional cover while they followed the compass to Luc.
Zrak, for his part, walked away wordlessly. Rose tracked his path as he moved out of sight. She wasn’t sure what she expected. It’s not like he would look over his shoulder and wink at her. No matter how convenient some of his actions today had made their travels, he didn’t know they were present. There was no way for him to know. Not even Arie could see them when they were under the blade’s protection.
Rose glanced at the compass in her hand and looked across the hall to the opening descending into the castle’s depths. Tugging on Carter’s nape, Rose directed them to the downward spiral. If Luc was somewhere in a dungeon below, she would find him.
It got darker and damper as they descended the next spiral staircase. The stone floor was uneven. Stray pieces of rock peppered their path, requiring them to mind their feet. They may be invisible, but the sound of their footfalls, or any debris they might kick, wouldn’t be.
Torchlight lit the hallway, casting dancing shadows in the warm glow. Carter looked up at her, his yellow-green eyes piercing in the dim light. She couldn’t decipher what he was trying to communicate as they approached another guard post. This one would be a tight squeeze.
It was the only way forward, and the compass also wanted them to proceed.
“We’re coming,”she sent through the bond to him. Something in her magic told her they were close, his magic a siren song, and she couldn’t help but move closer. When they had been on the continent together, her magic always felt a pull toward the Suden Point’s. The moment she entered a room, her magic knew if he was present. He’d indicated it was the same for him. Even the way he crossed between realms, leveraging the pull of her magic as the opposite direction he should take.
“About time, love,”he said. She could feel the wry smile in his voice.
“You’ll pay for that comment,” she whispered aloud instead of through her mind.
Carter glared at her through yellow-green eyes, and her hand shot up to cover her mouth. Rose shrugged. They were still far enough from the guard post. He didn’t blink as he held her stare. So, she mimed tightly pinching her lips together in promise no more words would escape.
The veil cat did not look amused.
With no other option, they squeezed past the guard post. The two guards stood strictly at attention as if they’d recently been chastised for slacking off on duty and were now trying to make up for it. Rose and Carter slipped through single file.
