“Quinn?” My brow rose. He looked paler than usual, like he hadn’t slept in days. “Hey.”
He shifted nervously and glanced over his shoulder. “Can I speak with you? Privately.”
That was never a good sign.
I grabbed two more biscuits on instinct, biting into one as I turned. “Let’s go.”
We slipped out the side entrance, the hum of conversation fading behind us as the air cooled and quieted. Quinn moved fast for someone with the posture of a scholar, his long legs carrying us toward the northern end of the compound.
Toward the tower.
The one where the warders lived and trained.
“What’s going on?” I asked, matching his pace.
“Another warder collapsed this morning,” he said quietly, eyes on the ground. “Same symptoms. Weak pulse. Cold skin. They’re not waking up as fast anymore.”
My stomach turned. “Poisoned?”
“In a way,” Quinn said, voice tightening. “It could be the pool. We’ve tried to stabilize it, but it’s not recovering like it should. Our defenses are weakening at an alarming rate.”
He hesitated, slowing near the stone steps leading into the tower’s base. “You need to warn the dragons. The elders won’t listen to me.”
I grabbed his arm, stopping him before he pushed open the heavy door. “Wait. Just tell me. Whatisthe pool?”
He froze.
For a moment, all I could hear was the wind whistling past the towers.
Quinn looked me dead in the eyes.
“It’s what keeps the wards active.”
“Quinn,” I said carefully, keeping my voice low. “You said the pool keeps the wards in place. What does that mean? Explain.”
He glanced around before opening the door to the tower and pulling me inside. We moved into the dim corridor lit only by flickering crystal sconces along the stone walls. He didn’t stop until we were well past the entryway.
“The pool is... ancient,” he began. “It lies beneath the Warder Tower—far below the roots of the city. It’s not just a source of magic. Itfeedsthe wardstones, the barriers, even the bindings we cast over the mountains. The symbiosis between warders and the pool is what keeps the protections alive. But it’s dying, Ashe. And no one will listen.”
I stared at him. “You’re saying the entire realm is protected by this thing, and it’s failing.”
He nodded grimly. “And if it collapses... everything collapses with it. The wards, the bindings, the protections around the Dragon Isle, the castle itself. We don’t just lose a wall. We loseeverything.”
I didn’t hesitate. “I need Zander to see this too.”
Quinn hesitated, but only for a heartbeat. “Then meet me in my tower at midnight. Alone. The fewer who know, the safer it is… for now.”
“I’ll be there.” I turned to leave, grabbing one of the biscuits from my pocket as I walked. “Thanks, Quinn.”
By the time I reached the dining hall, most of the squad had already finished eating. I slid into a seat beside Naia, chewing slowly as I messaged Zander.
Zander. There’s a pool under the Warder Tower. A source of magic and it’s weakening. Quinn says if it fails, Warriath falls. We need to see it.
There was a pause before his response came, clipped and sharp.I’ve never heard of it. Why would my father keep this from me?There was a pause when I didn’t answer.We’ll go tonight.
The rest of the day was a blur of training. Sword drills, strength circuits, magic calibration. I tried to stay focused, but my mind kept drifting to the quiet warning in Quinn’s voice, the way his hands trembled when he spoke.
By dusk, I was exhausted. We ate. We cleaned up. And when the squad finally settled into bed, I faked sleep until the soft breathing around me said it was safe to move.
