We hadn’t made it far past the entryway when I felt the illusion slipping from my control. A rush of cold panic shot through me as I tried to summon what little magic I had left tostabilize it, but it was no use. The energy drained out of me like water through a sieve, and the false armor disappeared, leaving us exposed.
“Shadow,” Vincenzo growled. He stepped closer to me, his large frame a physical shield as he glanced sharply at Luca. “The illusion is gone. Luca, cover us.”
Luca’s shadows began to stretch and coil around us, creeping across the floor like sentient smoke. He worked quickly, weaving the dark tendrils into a makeshift shield.
But shadows couldn’t go unnoticed in a place like this.
I caught movement from the corner of my eye just as a shout rang out. Two guards turned the corner and raised their long spears.
“Too late,” Dorian muttered, his hand twitching toward the blade at his side.
The guards charged. Luca reacted instantly, sending his shadows lashing toward them. The tendrils coiled and struck, knocking one guard back while the other deflected the attack with a sweep of his spear.
“Don’t waste your energy,” I barked.
Luca hesitated, his shadows recoiling slightly as he turned to me.
“Let them take us. They’ll bring us to Izo. That’s where Vivian will be.”
Vincenzo gave me a sharp look. “You’d better be right about this.”
I met his gaze, my expression hard. “I am.”
Reluctantly, Luca let his shadows dissipate, the dark tendrils melting away into the air. The guards hesitated, as if waiting for a trick, before advancing again with renewed determination.
One guard raised his hand, magic shimmering between his fingers. The air around us shifted, and suddenly, a translucentsphere materialized around me. It expanded quickly, encasing me in a bubble that floated a few inches off the ground.
I pressed my hands against the inside of the sphere. The strange, unyielding surface rippled at my touch. It was magic, but an unfamiliar blend of something ancient and aquatic.
The guards moved swiftly, trapping each of us in our floating cell. Vincenzo’s bubble barely seemed large enough to contain him. His broad shoulders brushed against the edges.
“Nice accommodations,” Dorian muttered. “A bit snug, but I’ve had worse.”
“Shut up,” Camilla hissed.
The guards waved their hands, and the spheres levitated smoothly down the corridors. The hallways we passed were intricately designed, the walls alive with glowing coral and shimmering streams of water.
Despite the strange beauty of the palace, my focus remained razor-sharp. I reached for the bond, searching for any sign of Vivian. She was here, somewhere, and she was afraid.
“Shadow,” Vincenzo said, his voice low and steady. “If this doesn’t work?—”
“It will,” I interrupted, my tone brooking no argument.
Vincenzo didn’t press further, but I could sense his doubt. He wasn’t wrong to question me. I was practically powerless. Every instinct I had screamed to fight, to break free, and to tear through anyone standing between me and Vivian. But my magic was nearly gone, and logic dictated that brute force would only get us killed.
The guards led us deeper into the palace, the hallways narrowing and twisting. It was a clever way to disorient intruders. The faint melody in the air grew louder, a haunting tune that seemed to dig into my mind, amplifying every worry and fear.
“You know,” Dorian said after a while, “if we’re about to get executed, I’d like it noted that I thought this plan was a bad idea from the start.”
Camilla let out a sound that was somewhere between a scoff and a laugh. “Noted.”
44
RAFFAELE
Iwas trapped in the translucent bubble of magic, floating behind the guards like some kind of prisoner display. Every attempt I made to summon strength and break free was futile. My magic was too depleted, my body too weak from the strain.
But my fury was alive, roaring in my veins. The bond was thin, but steady. Vivian was alive. She was close. I clung to that certainty as the guards led us deeper into the labyrinthine halls.
