Yes. We must implement our plans.
I am ready.
You know what to do with this.
I will bring it to her.The mysterious “her” was clearly someone Ferro had strong opinions about. Just the way he said it, filled with such longing and bitterness at the same time, told Eira as much.
Then you shall go and collect the Ash of Yargen and begin unraveling Lumeria’s deal with the heretics,the man commanded.Once we possess the four relics, we will reignite the flame that guides this world.
And when that happens, you will rule.
And you will ascend. You will…
Scratching at her door scattered Eira’s focus. Her magic collapsed in on itself. Water crashed down and pooled at her feet. She dismissed it hastily as she heard the scratching again.
Opening the door, Eira poked her nose into the main room. Upon seeing no one, her gaze dropped to the source of a soft squeaking at her feet. There was a sort of badger-like mole. Its chin had long tendrils dangling off of it—flaps of skin that swayed slightly as it turned its head this way and that. Its tiny claws were no doubt the source of the scratching.
“Don’t tell me this place has rats,” Eira said, deadpan. Out of all the things that could’ve interrupted her…this was it.
The tiny beast turned up its nose at her, fur covering where its eyes might have been, as if to say,How dare you call me a rat.
“Shoo. Shoo. I’m busy.” Eira waved it away and closed her door. The scratching started again almost immediately. “What do you want, rat?”
Indignant squeaking and then the little creature scampered through the common room. Eira sighed and shut the door again.
More scratching.
“Wha—” Eira stopped herself as the creature had already scampered halfway across the room upon her opening the door. It halted to give her a pointed look and a jerk of its tiny head. Eira blinked several times. “Do you want me to follow?”
More squeaking, as if it hadunderstoodher.
“Are you my guide?”
Silence and then the creature dipped its nose, almost like a nod.
Eira took a deep breath. She was really about to follow a strange mole creature, and if anyone saw her, she’d have to claim the stomach pains had turned into full-blown hallucinations to explain this away. Eira shoved the dagger under her belt. “All right, lead on.”
The mole dashed toward the fireplace and wormed into a tiny opening where the carved mantle met the paneling of the wall. Eira crouched down by it.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t squeeze into a hole that small.”
Scratching at her right was the only response. Eira stared at the wall, reminded of the secret room she’d found in the Tower—of the hidden cubby just on the other side of the mantle. Eira ran her fingers along the wood paneling. She dug her nails into the grooves in search of some kind of hidden lever. Her pinky brushed against the mantle as she followed one particularly deep crack.
There was a carved loop of a lion’s mane that didn’t seem completely attached to the rest of the sculpture, vaguely reminiscent of the other latch she’d found. Eira tried pushing it first. Nothing. Then pulling. Then she twisted and the wall at her right clicked softly, the groove she’d been inspecting splitting away.
Eira pulled at the door to the secret passage, heart racing in equal parts anxiety and excitement. It was even better hidden than Adela’s secret room in the Tower. Its hinges were flush with the corner of the wall. The other edges were uneven—that way the knots of the wood blended together.
The mole was waiting for her on the other side. It hovered a moment before racing into the darkness. Eira quickly followed, pulling the door closed and plunging herself into pitch blackness.
“I can’t see!” she called, trying to keep her voice down as it trembled with the edge of panic.
Distant squeaking was her reply. She wondered if the creature was saying,I don’t care, figure it out.
Pursing her lips, Eira exhaled her frustration and fear, then pressed her hands against the door she’d just closed. Timidly, she reached out, brushing against the other wall instantly. The passage was barely wide enough for her to not have to sidestep. Pressing against the walls for support, she bit back the taste of bile that singed her throat.
Darkness all around her, as dark and consuming as those frigid waters. Eira squeezed her eyes closed but it made no difference. The passage was horribly silent. No voices came to her. As quiet as a tomb.
All the while, the scurrying of the mole was growing more and more distant.
