“And what’s that?” Erich asked warily.
“I went to find her after I realized, but by the time I arrived at the temple, I was too late. She’d started to awaken, and she was kidnapped from the temple. My people know what she is, and they’ll kill her to stop the union.”
“Take me back there. Pull me through your rift or whatever you have to do,” Erich said.
Fritz shook his head slowly. “It’s too far. It only works in short distances, and besides, even if I could, I’m already weakened from doing it once, and if I tried again, there’s no guarantee we wouldn’t get caught in-between.”
His chest tightened as the dragon roared, clawing, biting, and fighting to break free. It took all his self-control to not give in to it, and let the madness take hold. If he transformed into a dragon, he could fly to her and rescue her, but he was just as likely to kill her in that form. Erich took a step back from Fritz, trying to regain his composure. But one thing was certain, he must return for her. He’d hold back the dragon until then; he had to.
30
The overwhelming stench of fish coated Liane’s mouth, making her empty stomach churn. Whatever they’d given her hadn’t worn off entirely, and her mind felt fuzzy. She blinked at salt-crusted walls and tried to sit up, but discovered her arms bound behind her back, tethered to her ankles. In the corner, boxes and crates reached the ceiling, and tattered fishing nets were pulled taut by a barrel ready to tip over. Beyond that, a door to goddess knew where.
Then it hadn’t been a dream; she’d been kidnapped from the temple.Stay calm, she told herself. Panicking wouldn’t save her, but her heart galloped in her chest anyway, and her muscles were as weak as a newborn kitten’s. When she struggled against them, she only ended up panting for breath and exhausted from her effort.
Thumping footsteps approached, and Liane tensed in anticipation, eyes trained on the door as it swung open. Niklas strolled in with a greasy smile. How ironic, after years of chasing him and his gang, he had her tied up.
“Morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?” he said as he crouched beside her.
“Your accommodations are terrible,” Liane tried to snipe back, but her voice was strangled and raspy. Not as intimidating as she hoped.
“I finally caught the pesky fly that’s been buzzing around me all this time.” He grabbed her chin and turned her head from side to side.
That was all she’d been to him? A pest? She’d given blood, sweat, and tears to destroy him, and dealers like him. And what would he do with her now that he had her? If he wanted to kill her, he could have done so back at the temple. Taking her meant he had something bigger in mind. A cold chill ran over her body. Did this have something to do with the glow and the secret power Mother had kept from her? But she couldn’t let Niklas see her sweat.
“That’s funny; I was just thinking how I’m going to squash you like the roach you are.”
“You talk a big game; you won’t be so cocky after they’re done with you.”
“What are you going to do with me?” She hated the way her voice trembled as she asked.
The slow smile that curled his lips made her stomach squirm.
“I’m not going to do anything. But who knows what those elves want? All I know is they were willing to pay handsomely to have you. I’d hate to be in your shoes, being handed over to those sadistic fucks.” He cackled as a cold chill rippled down her spine.
What did the elves want with her? Then it hit her; it wasn’t her but whatever her connection to the goddess’ blade was. She didn’t even fully understand it. What was the word the Avatheos had used? Wielder… whatever that meant, the elves wanted her, and she had to get out before they arrived.
“Why don’t you cool off a while? They only arrive at sunset, so we have all day to wait.” Niklas stood and walked out of the room, leaving her alone with her tumbling thoughts.
She struggled fruitlessly against the ropes once more. Not that she thought it would change anything, but she refused to lie still and wait for the elves to come to take her.
Then a tingling sensation swept over Liane’s body. Sweat dewed on her forehead, another fever was brewing. No. A soft glow cast shadows onto the boxes around the room. Had there ever been fevers, or was it unexplained magic wreaking havoc on her body? The fevers always accompanied strong emotions, and right now, her fear seemed to have awoken it again. This time instead of just burning up, she was illuminating. Now that she knew what it was, could she try and harness it?
Liane concentrated on the raw skin where the ropes chafed her skin, and in doing so, the heat intensified there until a burning smell filled her nostrils. A second later, she felt a snap and her arms broke free. Burned pieces of rope slid off her wrists which had been rubbed raw by the coarse fabric. Sitting up, she unraveled the last of it wrapped around her ankles. She stared numbly at the shimmering luminescence as it faded back into her skin.
Magic. She had magic. The scar on her back throbbed. That was connected too, wasn’t it? When she got out of here, Mother would have a lot to answer for. But first, she’d have to find a way out.
Feeling was returning to her limbs, and she tested her dexterity by flexing her fingers and stretching out her legs. She still felt weak, but she managed to pull herself up on a box enough to stand before taking a few wobbling steps. Confident she could walk, she studied her hands next. Apart from casting light and burning ropes, what else could she do? She wasn’t sure where to start with trying. Better to not rely on it and use what skills she’d always had.
First of all, she needed to know what waited for her on the other side of the door? Taking a deep breath, she pushed away her fears and inched toward it. She cracked it open and peered out into the large storehouse on the other side, filled with barrels of salted fish. That explained the horrible smell. Niklas and three other men sat in the center of the room, their backs to her, absorbed in a card game. They’d dragged a barrel over and set a piece of wood on top, making a makeshift card table.
Four gangsters against her. She’d won against worse odds… with Ludwig to back her up. She brushed against her thigh and discovered they hadn’t taken her dagger. That was the advantage of being underestimated, she supposed. So, it was one dagger and her against four gangsters. It wasn’t ideal, she must admit. Liane shook her head and closed the door.
If she had any hope of winning, she needed to separate them to take them out one by one. Then she noticed the precarious stack of boxes by the door and crafted a plan. Picking one from the top of the stack, she carefully pulled it down. The pile tottered before settling again. Inside were a few jars of pickled fish. Extracting one, she flung it down, shattering it.
Blood thundered in her ears like the beating of wings as she took a place behind the stack. She prayed Cyra would favor her, and they’d come to investigate. They might just as likely assume it was nothing and continue their game of cards. Or they’d all come at once, and her plan would fail.
Footsteps approached, and Liane rested her hand on the hilt of her dagger, holding back from drawing it as she pressed a shoulder against the stack.
