I called to the shadows while he built a wall of ice behind me. The darkness responded eagerly, hungry for the heat they could devour. I sent them creeping toward the dragon's mouth.
The moment a shadow touched the key, Pyr'Toval's eyes blazed to life. Flames roared from its sockets as it registered the theft.
“Now,” I shouted.
Lore's magic wrapped around us as the dragon detonated. Fire consumed the chamber, but we materialized outside the door with Farris in my arms and the shadow-wrapped key in my hand.
Through the wood, we heard stone cracking and flames roaring.
I unwrapped the shadows carefully.
“Cold,” I whispered, looking up at Lore. “But we're alive.”
His hands shook as he checked me for burns. “Never again. Promise me, never again.”
I wanted to promise him that. The words sat on my tongue,sweet and easy. But lies wouldn't save us now. I touched his face gently. “I can't. Not until you're safe.”
He grumbled, but he’d do the same.
“My assumption is Naveer either wants to kill us so she can guzzle down the spent energy or wear us out.” I peered down both sides of the hallway, but we were alone.
“She doesn’t understand us.”
Farris sat beside us, his tail swishing back and forth on the floor. His shadow glided out before snapping back to rest on the tiles beside him.
“I wonder if his shadow knew we wouldn't find anything inside the room.”
“Hmm.” Lore frowned at Farris. He crouched and cupped the nyxin’s face, staring into his eyes. “You know something we don't. Can you lead us to what we need, little friend?”
I expected Farris to huff or sigh or flop on the floor, begging for belly rubs.
Instead, he yipped and raced down the hall, his claws skittering on stone.
We bolted after him.
The torches along the corridor guttered out one by one, darkness chasing us from behind.
We ran faster.
Chapter 28
Lore
It was grave-like quiet on the fifth floor. No footsteps. No voices. No echo of doors slamming nearby. Reyla glanced at me once we’d reached the landing and shrugged. Either no one else had made this far or they’d already found the damn key and hadn’t told us.
Farris didn’t seem concerned. Tail low, he padded ahead of us, his ears twitching like he was listening to something we couldn’t hear. He guided us down one hallway after another until I wondered if I could find our way back. Finally, he came to a stop at a door, its blue paint long faded. In the center, someone had painted a red and yellow bird with outstretched wings so wide, they touched the frame on both sides.
“Big bird,” Reyla whispered.
I stared at it. “Is this supposed to be a joke?”
She frowned. “I'm not laughing yet, but I'd like to later.”
“I'll keep that in mind.”
“Why do you suspect a joke?” She cocked her head my way.
“Because someone took the time to paint a bird on the door.”
