The door to the dungeons swung wide, creaking on its hinges. A splash of light filled the dank cell but vanished quickly. Her stomach growled in response, and as much as she wanted to act nonchalant, she scrambled to her feet.
She swayed. Trying to steady herself, she reached out for support, and her fingers slipped across the cell’s bars. The iron burned through her. Hissing, she snatched her hand back to her chest and hugged it close. That hadn’t been the first time she’d accidentally touched the bars, and she knew it wouldn’t be the last. The longer she was down here, the weaker she grew. Soon, she would struggle to stand.
It had been far too long since Mariel had tasted the sap of the Witchlight Woods. The magic in it gave her strength. It solidified her bones and smoothed her skin. Mariel was old. And without the magic to keep her young, she’d soon wither and die.
“Gods, Mariel.”
Blearily, she turned her gaze toward the guard. She must have been less lucid than she thought she was because the guard looked so much like her Mavis now. Blonde hair. Bright, sparkling eyes lined in copper. A cutting jawline just like hers. His features were Dalais through and through, and she yearned to reach out and brush her knuckles against his cheek.
Her poor brother. He would be so wrought with regret and concern. Mavis had never wanted her to do any of this, and she should have listened to him. If she had, she’d be tucked inside The Bloody Dagger now, sloshing tankards overflowing with mead.
“Did you bring me dinner?” She frowned as she glanced at his empty hands. Her heart sank. “Not even some water?”
“Mar, it’s me.” The guard pressed up to the iron bars, as close as he could get without touching them. His eyes searched hers, so achingly familiar. “It’s Mavis.”
“Wait.” She shook out the cobwebs. “It’s really you? Mavis?”
“Yes, Mar. It’s me,” he said insistently. “And by gods, you look like death.”
A smile lifted her tired lips. “I feel like death, too. Although, not so much now that you’re here.”
The sight of him filled her with hope. The High King had kept his promise. He’d vowed to protect Mavis from harm, and he’d followed through on that. She might hate Thane Selkirk for what he’d done to this city, but deep down, she knew he was not an evil male.
Just…misguided.
Mavis suddenly froze and gazed down the corridor. “We don’t have time for a teary reunion, Mar. I have to get you out of here, now, before the guards come back.”
Her hands fell to her sides. “What are you talking about?”
“I distracted the guards with an attack on one of the towers. Some of the patrons of The Bloody Dagger helped me out.” He pulled a set of rattling keys out of his pocket. “They drew the guards away from here, so we could hatch an escape.”
He shoved the keys into the lock and twisted sideway. The door swung wide with an ominous creak. Mariel’s eyes widened. Trembling, she stepped back.
Confusion furrowed Mavis’s brows. “Come on, Mar. We don’t have any time to waste. There’s a hidden passageway nearby that leads to the woods, but we need to go now.”
“I deserve to die in here, Mavis,” she whispered, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. “I shouldn’t have tried to steal the throne from the rightful ruler. My quest for power led to so many innocent deaths. Iama traitor, brother.”
His lips flatlined. “You were trying to do the right thing. That’s all that matters.”
“But was I?” she asked. “Or was I just telling myself that?”
“Mariel.” He let out a tense sigh. “Listen to me. You don’t deserve to die in here. You’ve helped so many people over the course of your life, and I’m certain you’ll help even more. Just trust me on this, even if you never listen to anything else I say for the rest of our lives. You need to come with me and save yourself. You can’t give up and die in here!”
Anguish shook her brother’s voice. Heart lifting, she took a step toward him. “But where do I go, Mavis? What do I do? I can’t stay in Tairngire. Once the guards realize I’m gone, they will search the whole city for me. And if they find me in Drunkard’s Pit, they could burn the whole place down.”
“You’ll go to the Witchlight Woods,” he said, holding a hand out toward her. “Our ancestors’ homeland. You’ll be safe up in the trees.”
Mariel nodded. He was right. She could spend years hidden in the woods and no one would ever find out. The trees would protect her. They always had. Taking a deep breath, she took her brother’s hand and stepped out into the light.
14
Eislyn
If the Fomorian guards heard her attempted escape, none of them acknowledged it. They continued on their journey at dawn, flying down the western coast toward the southern region of the continent. The sun grew warmer as the day pressed on, until Eislyn wished she’d brought some lighter clothes along with her.
That night, they set down for their final camp before reaching the portal that would take them into Inishfall. The fields here had grown dry, wheat and barley replacing the verdant grass. It reminded Eislyn of the Air Court. At the thought of Thane, her gut twisted.
Was he even alive?
