Sebastian stood, then used both hands to help Kieran straighten.Kieran winced at the hot pain, though it wasn’t so deep he couldn’t stand.Especially as Sebastian pulled Kieran’s arm around his shoulders,letting him lean on him, and Seaweed brushed against Kieran’s leg as if offering to help support him.
“Come on,” Kieran said, meeting Delilah’s and Briar’s eyes.“We have to keep going.”
With a quick nod, the girls agreed, and they set off down the next tunnel.
Chapter Twenty-Three
As the five continued their winding journey deeper and deeper into the Iceweave Palace’s caves, they began to hear voices.They’d caught up to some of the other parties.Each corner they skirted revealed a new group of witches.Most seemed to be nonchalant, participating purely for fun.A few even carried flasks with them, clearly not wanting the celebratory vibes to end.A few of them saw Kieran and his companions, but they simply waved and moved on.
Soon, though, they caught up to the more serious competitors.As the five made their way down one passage, they overheard a shouted greeting, quickly followed by a pained yelp, one tunnel over.Kieran immediately tensed, holding tight to Sebastian.The sounds of muffled expletives and explosions came through the walls.Luckily for Kieran, Delilah had been able to wrap his calf well enough for him to walk on his own, which made it easier for them to sneak past.All the while, he kept an eye out for chestnut hair.
Seeming to read his mind, Sebastian whispered, “I don’t think Hélène would try anything here.The passages are narrow, and they’re outnumbered.They’ll wait until they have a better opening.”
“Have you seen any sign of them?”Kieran asked.
Sebastian paused, worrying at his lip with his teeth.“No, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t here.Stealth has always been their weapon of choice.”
“Comforting,” Briar muttered under her breath.
“Hey,” Delilah said, coming to a halt.She pointed up ahead.“Hold on.What’s that?”
Kieran tore his eyes away from Sebastian and followed Delilah’s finger upward.There among the icicles was a small handle-shaped piece of metal.Ribbons of greenish light danced around it, seeming to disappear around its edges.Kieran tilted his head as he took a step closer, examining it.Indeed, as he traced the aurora, they all seemed to be disappearing around it.
“Good eye, Delilah,” Kieran said.“Maybe we should check it out.”
“What if it’s another trap?”she asked, cocking a brow.
Kieran bit the inside of his cheek and rubbed his chin as he considered.This was the first place he’d seen the aurora act like this, like water flowing into a basin.If his theory was correct that the magic was being drawn somewhere, he had to imagine it would look something like this.
“I don’t think it is,” he finally decided.“I know that’s probably not the most comforting assessment, but I really think we should try.”
“If there is a trap,” Briar started, stepping into a balanced, ledrith-ready pose, “I’ll do my best to stop it.”
“Appreciate that.”Kieran glanced between Delilah and Sebastian and asked, “Can one of you boost me up?We should see if it opens to anything.If it does, I have a good feeling it’ll get us to the Crown.”
Sebastian nodded, dropping to a knee and interlocking his fingers to make Kieran a platform to step on.Delilah joined at his side to help while Briar kept her eyes peeled on the tunnel.After a moment’s hesitation, Kieran stepped up.Sebastian grunted as he hoisted him upward.
Even as he swayed a bit, Kieran managed to thread his fingers through the handle.He tightened his grasp as Sebastian’s hand vanished beneath him.As his entire body weight pulled down on the handle, he felt something give way.
Which was how he wound up dropping to the floor, hand still tight around the handle, as a set of icy stairs unfolded above him like the entrance to an attic.
Kieran landed on his feet, his calf throbbing.He managed to stay upright as Sebastian’s hands went to his hips to steady him.The stairs, meanwhile, hung there, ready to be ascended.
“Ow,” Kieran said, wincing.When Sebastian started to say something, Kieran added, “I’m fine, really.Maybe a bit bitter that they didn’t think to put in a nice stepping stool here, but fine.”
Seaweed chirped, eyes wide as she straightened up on Kieran’s shoulders.A second later, he heard the echo of voices.Sebastian’s hand went to his knife while magic began to spark at Delilah’s and Briar’s fingertips.Kieran froze, unsure what to do.
“They’re coming around the corner,” Sebastian whispered.“Get up the stairs, now!”
Kieran didn’t need further prompting.Wincing at the pain in his leg, he dragged himself up the stairs, Seaweed on his heels, as the voices grew closer.He’d just reached the top when one of the new voices rang out.
“Hey!”a stranger called.“Look what we have here!”
“Go!”Sebastian cried.“I’ll hold them off!”
Kieran scrambled the rest of the way up the stairs, barely able to move out of the way as Seaweed, Briar, and Delilah followed.Below, Kieran heard a shout.He spun around to find a flash of green light colliding with Sebastian’s arm.On impact, it sizzled, and Sebastian spat a curse.Kieran caught a glimpse of an angry red burn on Sebastian’s gold-toned skin.
Kieran held out a hand.“Sebastian!Come on!”
