Page 77 of Crown of Light and Ashes
The largest hound approaches, its head level with my chest. It sniffs the ring, red eyes flaring with recognition before turning toward the eastern corridors, hackles raised.
We reach a section of wall that appears solid to untrained eyes. I press my palm against the stone, channeling shadow magic into hidden mechanisms. The wall slides aside, revealing stairs descending into darkness.
"The tunnel hasn't been used in decades," I warn, shadows flowing ahead showing me the passage.
The descent is steep, walls glistening with moisture, air heavy with old magic. The hounds move confidently through the tight confines.
"My lord," Emir speaks from behind, voice hushed. "There's something else we found in Damir's quarters."
I pause. "Speak."
"A vial of what appears to be fairy dust."
The implications hit me instantly. Banu, she’s really a part of Nesilhan’s disappearance.
"So, Damir knew about the fairy," I murmur, mind racing through possibilities. "But was he working with her, or against her?"
"Either way, it explains how he might have found this tunnel," Emir observes. "Fairy magic can reveal what shadow magic conceals."
"Or perhaps the fairy tried to protect Nesilhan," I consider, fragments of conversations with my wife returning to me. "And failed."
After winding passages, the air freshens, carrying the scent of night-blooming flowers. The shadow hounds grow agitated, their massive forms quivering with anticipation.
"Stay alert," I command, signaling the guards to halt while I extend my senses through the shadows ahead, seeking an ambush or a trap.
The tunnel opens into a clearing enclosed by twisted trees. Moonlight dapples the moss-covered ground. The hounds circle before converging on a path leading deeper into the enchanted forest, confirming what I already suspect—Nesilhan was brought through here.
I scan the area, searching for any clue about her abduction. My shadows spread outward, probing every inch of the clearing, finding nothing until…
A faint shimmer catches my eye. I approach, crouching to examine the moss. Tiny particles of silver-blue dust glitter in the moonlight—fairy magic, though I cannot determine if it belongs to Banu specifically.
"Is that..." Emir begins.
"Fairy dust," I confirm, rage building anew as the pieces fall into place. "Fairy magic was used here. Recently."
I let the dust sift through my fingers, feeling its residual magic. Not ordinary fairy dust—this carries a signature of deliberate use, as if cast with specific intent.
But something about this trail feels deliberate. Too obvious.
"The fairy didn't try to hide her presence," I observe, rising to my feet. "She wanted us to follow."
"A trap?" Emir suggests.
"Or a breadcrumb trail," I reply, my mind racing ahead. "If Nesilhan was taken against her will, her fairy friend might be trying to help us find her."
Either way, the path is clear. The hounds have her scent, and the fairy dust confirms the direction.
I release my shadows fully, allowing them to explode outward in a wave of pure darkness that extinguishes every light in the clearing save the red glow of the hounds' eyes.
"Find her," I command, my voice unrecognizable even to myself.
As the beasts lunge forward, following the trail into the enchanted forest, I feel the cold certainty of vengeance solidify in my chest. Whoever has taken my bride doesn't understand what they've awakened.
Nesilhan is mine. By blood, by magic, by choice.
And I will burn the world to ash to get her back.
The hunt begins now.
