I walk to the pitcher, wash myself quickly, get dressed, and then we walk down the stairs. Ziven’s already there, with Marlak’s sister. Soon everyone joins us, even Ferer and Nelsin.
I conjure a flame on my hand, just to make sure Marlak’s magic is active within me, then quench it quickly. Closing my eyes, I try to search for Zorwal, see through his mind, and I feel he’s weakened, but I also sense his location.
“Zorwal’s still in the castle,” I say. “He’s healing, so he’s not as powerful as he usually is. Still, he feels confident that he won’t be found or hurt there, perhaps because there are a lot of guards, and he’s… in an unusual place, where people won’t look for him.”
Azur narrows his eyes. “Can you pinpoint where in the castle?”
I close my eyes and look through Zorwal’s mind. Odd. “It looks like a prison. There are cells. Two rows, with bars only.”
“The castle has several prison rooms,” Azur says. “What color are the walls?”
I try to look again through that murky image. “Black. Or else they’re dirty. Or some dark stone.”
Azur clicks his tongue. “There are at least three rooms like that. We’ll have to look through them. What about Otavio?”
“The human castle,” I say.
Azur blinks. “I can’t transcend to the human lands.”
“But I can.” Then I add, “If you give me a drop of blood.”
“Won’t it weaken Marlak’s magic?”
“It won’t. I… just know it. Trust me.”
Azur pricks his finger, lets a drop fall on a spoon, then gives it to me.
Lidiane approaches with three capes. “They should be good now. I know my magic failed last time?—”
“It didn’t fail,” Mirella says. “I didn’t notice you coming up the stairs; I just knew you were coming. The only reason I was able to intercept you is because I had seen Ziven and his plans.”
“Ziven?” I ask.
Mirella shrugs. “I can see him. Sometimes.” She turns to Lidiane. “Your magic never failed.”
Azur glares at Mirella. “And yet you had to stop them from going to the castle.”
“I thought it was a trap! That bloodpuppets would find Marlak. I did the best I could.”
He takes two steps toward her. “Zorwal almost killed Lidiane, thanks to you.”
She looks regretful. “I didn’t know he was following me. I’m sorry. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Lidiane waves a hand. “It’s fine. So if my magic works, that’s even better. You’ll be able to walk into the castle unnoticed. Not invisible, mind you, just unnoticed.”
I take one cape and attach it to my back, while Ziven and Azur do the same. I know that in theory, I should bring more people with me, and yet I can’t shake the feeling that the fewer the better.
Marlak gives me a long kiss goodbye, then I walk to the garden with Azur and Ziven. It’s all so sudden, so fast, that it’s hard to believe what I’m about to do. Or at leasttryto do. Not try, no. I have to succeed.
We emerge in a room with many cells, but something about it feels wrong. “Not this one,” I whisper.
We disappear, and then appear in a similar room, full of cells. This one’s similar enough to my vision, but I don’t see any guards or jailers. On a corner, a prisoner moans.
“Want to move on?” Azur asks.
I walk back, and take a look at the prisoner, who’s gagged and bleeding. I recognize his eyes, his hair, his burned scars. My breath stills.
25
