A magical barrier would create a dome over the castle, only allowing someone with a royal rune to enter or exit.
My father had shown me this room once when I was young, explaining the importance and how to activate it, but to only do so when there was no other option.
Olivia helped me to the controls, then transformed back into her normal form, moving to huddle near Anna.
“Once I do this,” I said, “we kill whatever's in here, one by one. Whatever it takes to secure our home.”
“What about the villagers?” Anna asked, always concerned with our people’s safety.
“We don't know what's happened outside.”
“They were searching for the queen,” Olivia said. “If we tell them she's not here, maybe they'll go away.”
“I don't know. But we have no other choice.”
Staring at all the gears and lights on the dashboard, I looked out the window that showcased the golems and the outlines of their shoulders. When I pressed my hand onto the panel, the dashboard lit up. The rune on my hand pulsed, matching the erratic rhythm of my heart.
The entire castle trembled as the ancient mechanism activated. Far below, stone cracked, and the groan of titanic limbs echoed up through the walls like the grinding of mountains.
From deep beneath the earth, the golems stirred, two colossal constructs of moss-covered obsidian and rune-etched stone. With powerful movements, they rose from their slumber, unfurling like ancient gods reclaiming their dominion.
The castle heaved upward, lifted atop their broad shoulders. Dust cascaded from the rafters, and the stone floor rippled with vibrations as the golems straightened to full height. Their glowing eyes pulsed with magic, synchronized with the rhythm of the castle's heart.
A low hum filled the control room, building into a resonant thrum that vibrated through the air. Outside, a veil of lightshimmered into existence, first a ripple, then a dome. The protective barrier surged outward from the castle’s peak, stretching over towers and battlements until a translucent globe of magic cocooned the entire keep.
Nothing would get in now. And, unless permitted, nothing would get out.
I stepped back from the control panel, turning to my pixies, who looked at me, their wide eyes full of fear.
Anna started crying, and even Olivia’s eyes watered. The two sisters held each other, sitting on the top of the control panel.
“We can fight these monsters. We’re going to be fine. I’m immortal, remember?”
Anna shook her head and rested it against Olivia’s shoulder, crying.
“The last time the defense system was activated was the day your mother left us,” Olivia said, a single tear sliding down her cheek. “That horrible night when everything changed.”
A strange fear constricted my chest, but I wouldn’t succumb to it. “It doesn't matter what happened on that day because I survived. This is not how our story ends. I refuse to let that happen.”
I gently scooped them into my hands and carefully brought them to my chest. “I promise you everyone involved in this attack will pay.”
Including my wife.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Deirdre
Gideon paused as soonas we entered the Dryad Realm. “I never expected it would look like this. It's more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.”
We needed to keep moving. Soon someone would come looking for us here.
Glancing back at the lilac tree, guilt shoved a dagger in my stomach. I couldn't imagine what Kane was thinking and he had every right to. This had been my plan.
I had never wanted to stay.
“Come on. The faster we get out of here, the safer we'll be.” Gideon held up the tuning fork, holding it in front of us.
“Wait,” I said, “put it away.”
