Page 88 of Jeweler to the Blessed
The threat was clear, but she only had one piece of cloth.
Hart noticed too. “I’m going with her.”
“Absolutely not,” Tamara said.
“I’m sorry you thought that was a question,” he said. “It wasn’t.”
Tamara straightened her spine. “Prince Elias?—”
“Has tasked me with keeping her safe. I cannot do so when she’s blindfolded and behind a locked door.”
The foreman appeared to consider her options: further delay while she dealt with this or let him through. He had a point about the prince’s expectations. Tamara must have agreed because she gritted her teeth and pulled another cloth from her pocket.
My feet were already moving of their own accord. Similar to the pull of the Oldwood, something beyond that door called to me. I was sure it was the adamas—or whatever made the adamas. My ability to identify it when cut must mean the pull to the raw, unmined material was strong. I nearly bounced in excitement. No matter the rest of the day’s learnings and decisions yet to be made, one of the mysteries that most fascinated me might be unveiled shortly.
I handed the blindfold to Hart to secure. “What do I do?”
He didn’t secure it yet, while Tamara provided instructions.
“Behind the door is a cavern. You’ll be identifying the new workspace. Move around the outside wall until you feel the presence of adamas. Point it out to Gregory, and he’ll note it for the next crew.”
Gregory looked white as a sheet. Was he trembling? He did not look happy with his assignment.
“What’s wrong with you?” Hart asked Gregory.
“Don’t mind him,” Tamara said. “It’s just nerves. He will know if you disregard an order, and the consequences from the royal family will be more than severe.”
Her threat was once again noted, but I wasn’t sure that explained Gregory’s … condition. Sweat dripped from his brow, even though we were deep underground where the air was cool against my skin. Gregory opened his mouth, but a bright blue glow stole over Tamara’s ring before he could speak. “You’ll be alright, Gregory. I have full faith in you.”
His shoulders fell, relaxing instantly under the influence of the adamas.
Tamara patted Gregory on the shoulder before returning up the path. “I’ll see you all in a few hours.”
Hart and I shared a look. The need for calming magic was beyond suspicious, but I wasn’t sure anything could prevent me from going through that door. When I shrugged, he secured my blindfold and his own.
Gregory unlocked the door. It sounded difficult to move. Gregory’s panic returned in the form of heavy breaths as he pulled the door open just enough for us to enter.
“Turn left,” he said. “The cavern is a circle. Stay on the outside.”
My immediate question was, what’s in the middle? But I knew better than to ask.
Hart followed closely. I don’t know how he tracked me, but I could feel his presence in my space even without sight and touch.
I’d just been thinking about how cold the depths of the mines were, but as the door clanged shut, the temperature skyrocketed. This room was an inferno comparatively. I guessed I shouldn’t be surprised—the adamas stone was always warm to me.
Without delay, I removed my gloves and set my hands against the wall. It was warmer than the tunnels leading down here, but it didn’t hold the heat of adamas. I took slow steps, spreading my hands to feel as much of the wall as possible.
I reached higher, not meeting a ceiling of any kind.
“Hart, can you reach up? How tall is the room?”
He must have done what I asked. “It must be taller than me.”
The low rumble of his voice echoed through the room, making me wonder how big the space was. We had hoursbefore we had to return, but I was fascinated by what this room held. It felt like the key to what made me different. What was in here that only I could handle?
I kept searching up and down the wall, as I walked in the circle Gregory had set me. His whimpers were getting farther away with every step. He must not be following. I probably should be more worried. The foreman had to calm him to send him with us. She must be a powerful Blessed to wield the magic. Whatever he could see, and I couldn’t, was not for the faint of heart.
But I was not afraid.
