Page 92 of Rose and Shadows
Velra and Sylas burst out laughing.
Lazriel stared at me open mouthed.
“What?” I asked.
Ketheron’s hand landed on my shoulder. “Bricks ready to be hit.”
Lazriel shook his head. “The bricks aren’t… I mean… nothing is gonna be—Sylas!”
Sylas sighed with faux exasperation. “Just… show us to the gateway.”
The gateway cameinto view as Ketheron called his golden power to his right palm, holding it toward the far end of the mountain just feet from us now.
Vorzyr and Nyx had taken Torvek inside for a feeding as he’d woken up again, something I’d heard the sounds of as we’d taken our leave of them. Now was the best time, because Kai would be home from Arcanum Order soon, and Ariana would returnfrom Haven Initiative, which would have led to us being further delayed from showing Velra, Lazriel, and Sylas our surprise.
“This gateway can open up anywhere once we settle on a location,” I informed the three of them, while Ketheron got to work opening it, sweeping his hand in tight circles, the arched doorway that had come into view beginning to fill up with his swirling gold power. “Should you like what lies within, of course.”
“Ready,” Ketheron announced.
With that, I stepped forward, leading the way through the vortex.
It swallowed us for a brief moment of discombobulation before we emerged in the magically isolated zone suspended between realms, existing beyond plane boundaries.
“A Rifted Cradle,” Sylas breathed. “Excellent.”
“Outside threats can’t breach it,” Velra uttered.
“And,” Ketheron said, rounded on us, so we all were forced to come to a halt and stare at his supremely excited face. “Ours is the only one that hasthis.”
In the next moment, he snapped his fingers and our true surprise came into view.
A castle brought to life in the most magnificent and opulent way imaginable.
The bulk of it was constructed from silver-gray limestone, the quartz element creating an organic shimmer when under moonlight, just like it was now. It mimicked a frost-dusted appearance. Basalt stone was used for the accents—the spires and archways that provided a majestic air. There was even a drawbridge in a rich charcoal which spanned a narrow ravine that was carved by the runoff of a glacier.
“Holy. Hell,” Velra choked, moving forward and gazing at it in absolute awe.
“You like?” Ketheron asked with barely-contained glee.
She swung her head toward him. “You actually did it. You brought my frost sculpture to life.” In the next moment, she ran at him and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you!” She reached out to me and grasped my arm. “Both of you. This is incredible! I can’t actually believe it.”
“Fucking shit,” Lazriel uttered. “Is this—”
“Our new home?” I finished for him. “If you all wish, yes. That was our intention in creating it.”
“This is extraordinary,” Sylas spoke. “Truly.”
“We call itGlacialis Arx,”I told them.
Lazriel frowned. “Frozen Fortress?”
“Yes!” Ketheron cried, before I watched him and Lazrielslap-shake,as Lazriel had termed it.
“Roughly translated,” Sylas said.
Velra nudged him playfully at him being so particular.
He was still struggling to ease from that mindset. I’d been in his company enough now to know that he wouldn’t be able to come out of it any further until he found the answers he sought and solved the magical puzzles at hand.
