Ian looked up at the balcony, but the Majis were already working to dispel the darkness. They sent out a shimmer of harmony magic across the room. The cloud cleared, revealing Frederich still lying on his back on the dais, his chest rising and falling.
Gareth, not surprisingly, had once again disappeared.
Chapter 61
Robin ran down the stairs, holding her bow above her head. She had kept it trained on Ian until the black cloud had consumed him. She would not risk firing a shot into the dark.
Ian turned to look for her as she ran across the room. His eyes went up to the balcony, where she no longer stood, before dropping to find her nearly right in front of him.
“Did you see where he went?” Ian asked.
Robin shook her head. “Through one of the back doorways,” she said. “The darkness blocked my view, but he did not emerge in this direction.”
Ian looked over her shoulder. “They have this under control,” he said. “I’m going after him.” He did not ask her to join him, but the invitation was clear in his eyes.
“Left door or right?” Robin asked.
Ian looked to the back wall. “Right. He would not have gone into the antechamber. It has no other exit.”
Robin ran past Ian, leading the way to the door on the right, which opened to a long hallway that ran down the center of the castle.
“He survived the arrow,” Ian said behind her as they ran. “His eyes have changed. And his teeth were strange.”
Robin skidded to a halt, looking around her. They were near the center of the keep now, with other hallways that led to the royal family’s wing, various council rooms, guest rooms, and the working rooms of the castle. They had no idea where Gareth had gone.
Ian stopped beside her. “I think he has been turning himself into one of his own beast-men.”
Robin looked back at Ian. “No, not a beast-man. He has been using the magic to create a stronger man.” She shook her head as understanding dawned. “The first attempts—Aden and the one at the monastery—failed. They had the strength but they were all beast, with not enough of a man left.”
Ian nodded, quickly understanding her. “The ones we just fought were more man than beast.” His eyes drifted past her, unfocused. “He said something...He was angry about the chaos Meena and Sol destroyed. He was draining my father because he needed more magic.” Ian looked back at Robin, his gaze sharp again. “He is not done using the magic on himself.”
“The arrow did not kill him,” Robin said, repeating Ian’s earlier words. “He has found a way to heal himself.”
“He is trying to make himself immortal,” Ian said. “He told me I would be unable to kill him.”
Robin turned around the hallway. “Where would he go to finish applying the magic to himself?”
“The tapestry,” Ian said. “He knows about the tapestry. It is the only magical item in the castle, and it is in a place he would not expect to be disturbed.” Ian’s eyes widened in panic. “Ashlin?”
Robin did not need to hear more. She ran down the hallway again, moving toward the back courtyard that separated the main castle from the old eastern tower.
The courtyard was deserted. Every soldier was at the front of the castle, engaged in combat.
However, the door to the eastern tower was wide open.
Robin ran through it, then turned sharply to the left to ascend the stairs.
She entered the room first, Ian on her heels. She was relieved to see that Ashlin was not in the room.
Gareth, however, was.
He stood in the center of the room, his hands held outward. Strings of glass beads dripped from his fingers, and broken strands lay at his feet.
Bursts of lightning shot from the beads, snapping across the small space as they sent painful-looking power into Gareth’s body. It was almost too bright to look at, the light flashing quickly and rapidly in the small space.
A single beast-man stood guarding Gareth, standing between him and the door.
The guard stepped toward them as soon as the door opened.
