Page 10 of Liar Witch
I push to my feet and brush the dust off my skin. “Once I get up there, I’ll figure something out.”
“We propose an alliance.”
I stop dead in my tracks. “Excuse me?”
“We will come to your aid. If all the mines are destroyed, we will assist you. Our claws will help fight your battles. As a sign of good faith, we will escort you safely to the surface, and you will, in turn, vow to your Goddess not to raise that blade against a wraith unless it is in self defence.”
I go still, trying to figure out what he’s saying. “You’re going to help me?”
“Our goals align. An army of wraith cannot be easily defeated, yet we cannot escape the mines while they trap us inside with salt and cannot pass the walls into your cities. The sea rejects us. If you destroy all of the mines we will go into the cities and help you for a short time. If the dagger is no threat to us, we have no need to see it destroyed. The Queen, however, must be stopped. Our people must be safe.”
“And once the mines are destroyed, you give your word you will not harm innocents? You will do as I ask, then return to the ground and leave us in peace?”
“We will only slaughter those you point us to, then return home.” Acelin nods solemnly. “We give our word and we are bound by it.”
My gut says he’s—they’re—genuine, and I take a deep breath before replying. “As long as you remain true to our bargain, I vow to the Moon not to raise this blade against you, unless it is in defence of myself or someone I love.”
Acelin sighs, almost as relieved as I am. “We are happy with the agreement. If you are feeling well enough, we can escort you back to your city now.”
“To the mine?”
“Yes.”
“You took my cuffs off. Could you do the same for the other prisoners?”
He tips his head to one side. “We cannot. They are surrounded by salt and would flee to it at the first sight of us. We can only leave you at the edge of the protections.”
He holds a hand out and I watch, fascinated, as a flat, palm-sized crystal appears there like liquid condensing and solidifying from his misty form.
“If you take this,” he says. “We will be able to travel through it to your side. The sea air of your cities will weaken us, so we can only stay for a few minutes at best, but so long as this crystal is untouched by mages and salt, it will be sufficient to call us to you. Simply tap it twice and speak my name and we shall come.”
I take it carefully, surprised at the warm weight of it.
If what Acelin has told me is true, this is literally a piece of his soul.
“I’ll keep it safe,” I promise.
Acelin nods. “We believe you will not abuse our gift and return it when your quest is done.”
“I will only use it when I absolutely must.”
There’s a long moment of silence where I wonder if Acelin is regretting his gift. But he eventually turns back to the large crystal sticking out of the ground beside us.
“Place your hand here,” he instructs.
It takes some juggling, trying to keep hold of both Glenna’s athame and the crystal, but I manage.
The instant my hand makes contact with the monolith, everything goes black.
It takes me a second to realise it’s not just my eyes.
I’ve been teleported back into the tunnels of the Claw.
Chapter Four
Nilsa
Ihave no idea how long I wander in the tunnels. At least, with the absence of the cuffs, I can finally do magic again. Down here I have no way to tell what time it is, but the Moon eagerly responds to my call, her magic filling the sigil for light on my arm with her own, silvery glow.
