I pulled him into a brief, fierce hug. “Thank you. For everything.”
“Save your gratitude for after you’ve saved your witch,” he replied, but I could hear the emotion in his voice. “The crystal will get you to the mortal realm gate. After that, you’ll need to find your own way to him.”
I nodded, clutching the crystal tightly. Through our bond—or what was left of it—I felt something. Not Ash exactly, but the echo of where he’d been. It was faint, barely there, but it was enough.
“I’ll find him,” I promised, already moving toward the wardrobe. “And we’ll be happy.”
“I know you will, young master.” Caldwell smiled, a sadness lingering in his eyes. He reached into a pocket and produced the silver signet ring my parents had given me before my departure, the one I’d left behind at Widdershins. “Take this as well and I pray you don’t have to use it.”
I nodded, slipping the ring on and feeling the hum of the crystal golem trapped inside. “I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you for this, Caldwell.”
“Live a good and happy life,” he replied quickly. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
I reached out, pulling him into a tight hug. For a moment he stiffened, like I’d caught him off guard. But then he sighed and pulled me close.
“Take care of yourself, Silver,” he said, pushing me back. “Now get out of here as fast as you can. Don’t stop until you’re on mortal soil.” He paused, his eyes flashing. “And don’t ever come back.”
I wanted to protest, to tell him I’d find a way to save him once things were settled. But the look in his eyes told me he already knew that wasn’t possible. If I left now, if I defied my father this completely, there would be no coming back. The Twilight Realm would be closed to me forever. And if he realized Caldwell had helped… well… there would be nobody to rescue.
“I understand,” I said quietly, and I did. This was the choice I’d been avoiding since the moment I met Ash. My kingdom or my heart. My duty or my happiness.
It wasn’t really a choice at all.
I stepped into the wardrobe, feeling Caldwell’s hand steady me as I navigated the narrow passage beyond. The servants’ corridors were cramped and dark, lit only by the faint glow of the crystal in my hand. I could hear my own breathing echoing off the stone walls as I moved as quickly and quietly as possible.
The crystal pulsed warmly against my palm, guiding me through the maze of passages. I passed behind the throne room, heard my father’s voice giving orders to someone I couldn’t see. My chest tightened, but I kept moving. There would be time for guilt and second-guessing later. Right now, I needed to get to Ash before it was too late.
The passage eventually opened into a storage room near the castle’s lower levels. I paused at the exit, pressing my ear against the door and listening for guards. Nothing. I pushed through carefully, finding myself in a dimly lit corridor I recognized from my childhood explorations.
The teleportation circle to the mortal realm was in the center of the foyer, and heavily guarded under normal circumstances. But if Caldwell had timed this right, the shift change would give me a narrow window to slip through. I just had to make it across the courtyard without being seen.
I peered out a window, gauging the distance. The courtyard was bathed in the perpetual twilight that gave our realm itsname, purple and silver light casting long shadows across the stones. Two guards stood at the foyer entrance, but they were facing outward, watching for external threats rather than internal ones.
Taking a deep breath, I let my twilight magic gather around me, bending the light to make myself harder to see. It wasn’t true invisibility, but it would make me blend into the shadows if I moved carefully enough.
I slipped out of the corridor and pressed myself against the wall, moving slowly toward the tower. My heart hammered so loudly I was certain the guards would hear it. Every step felt like it took an eternity, the crystal growing warmer in my hand as I approached the gate.
I was halfway across the courtyard when I heard voices behind me. I froze, not daring to breathe.
“—certain the prince is secure?” It was Captain Vex.
“Checked the enchantments myself an hour ago,” another voice replied. Lieutenant Mora. “He’s not going anywhere.”
They passed within feet of where I stood, and I had to bite down on my tongue to keep from making a sound.
“But I do feel strangely about this situation,” Lieutenant Mora continued. “Kidnapping the prince was… unexpected.”
“It’s not our place to ask questions,” Captain Vex replied. “We do as the king asks. Nothing more, nothing less.”
I waited until their footsteps faded before I dared to move again. My hands were shaking, making the crystal’s light waver. I forced myself to take slow, steady breaths as I continued toward the foyer.
The entrance loomed before me, its massive doors carved with scenes from our realm’s history. I could see the teleportation circle just beyond, its runes glowing faintly in the twilight. So close. I was so close.
I slipped through the doors, keeping to the shadows along the walls. The guards were still facing outward, their attention on the courtyard rather than the interior. I moved as silently as I could, each step calculated and careful.
The crystal grew hot in my palm as I approached the circle, responding to the magic already present there. I stepped onto the outer ring, feeling the ancient enchantments hum beneath my feet. Just a few more steps and I’d be?—
“Prince Silver.”
