Page 77

I frown. If Veradin is so far away, then whose hand…?

Agnar releases me and backs away, avoiding eye contact. “This Withering, the Hushing Sickness, and the Hollow Ones…can all of this cross into other lands?”

Veradin meets his gaze with solemnity. “Yes. They have in the past, and they will again. You may have missed the entries, but some of those descriptions of these creatures originated from eyewitnesses in other lands.”

Agnar’s jaw tightens, and I’m certain he’s finally realizing the scope of the threat and why we’d do anything to stop it. “Well. Fuck.”

Before Veradin can continue, the wall next to the door hidden behind the tapestry explodes inward.

I fly face-first across the room, knock over the table, and slam into the wall hard enough to empty my lungs. Something hits my head as I wheeze for air, stars bursting across my vision. The sounds around me become warped and muffled to my ringing ears. Shock locks my limbs in place, my mind sluggish to piece together what the hells just happened.

Thick, suffocating clouds billow through the laboratory. The explosion kicked the burners from the table, and papers and herbs burst aflame like they’re ravenous.

My head throbs, and groaning, I spit out a mouthful of blood from where I bit my cheek. I shove the book that slammed my head to the side and struggle to my hands and knees. The smoke burns my lungs and stings my eyes.

Through the haze, I spy Agnar on the ground near the copper pot, pushing himself upright. Blood trickles down the side of his face from a forehead cut, but his eyes are clear and tracking.

Veradin’s sprawled out near the shelves, unmoving.

Panic slices through me at the sight of his prone form. He has to be okay. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to him. I wouldn’t know what to do. I need him to direct me, to promise me things will be all right.

Liquids drip from every table and several of the shelves. Jars and bottles leak their contents, mixing where they land and reacting in ways they were never meant to. Hissing and popping follow, accompanied by green sparks that die in the smoke.

The smion—Veradin’s iridescent cat-sized pet—scrabbles across the stone floor, keening in a pitch that hurts my teeth.

My shadow spinners burst from their pouch.

Reacting to my emotions, they scatter into the smoke and chaos, disappearing into shadows and cracks to scour for the enemy, and through them, I spy several cloaked figures racing down the hall outside the laboratory.

What? How?

The hidden door was once flush with the wall, covered by a heavy but tattered tapestry that currently hangs crooked in its frame. Through the gap, I glimpse black-clad figures carrying weapons as more explosions echo from the cave system.

Who would be stupid enough to attack a Warden’s sanctuary? And how did they find us despite the warding? There are a few locals we trade with, but they ring a bell down in the valley and we go to them. No one knows this place exists, and no one but Wardens and their guests can get past the wards.

So far, none of the attackers have noticed the crooked door or the smoke pouring through the gap. A small blessing in the face of everything else.

Veradin climbs to his feet, swaying, both arms raised. A surge of relief and hope floods through me. He’ll save us. He always knows what to do, no matter the situation. His lips move, forming words I can’t hear over the ringing in my ears, but I sense the brewing magic.

The gray clouds thin as they swirl at Veradin’s feet. I suck down an easier breath and wipe tears from my stinging eyes. The fires, blazing hungrily moments ago, snuff out with little puffs. Spilled potions become clear and scentless, transforming into harmless water.

Agnar crouches low with his sword in one hand and his dagger in the other. His lips peel back, revealing the start of that awful smile that precludes his violence.

“Esme.” Veradin looks at me with his arms still raised, the spell not yet finished. “Listen carefully.”

When I try to stand, my legs wobble, so I prop myself against the wall for support.

“Take the back door to my quarters. Behind the bed, you’ll find a hidden door. It requires an opening spell, the same one I taught you for practice locks. Remember?”

I nod, unable to respond with more than a croak. The situation’s evolving so rapidly that only Veradin’s words are keeping me afloat.

His robes are torn and singed at the edges, yet his posture befits a man wearing an expensive suit as magic oozes off him and cleanses the room. “The passage leads down the other side of the mountain and into the lower forests. You’ll be safe there.” His eyes shift to Agnar. “You’re a good man, despite your earlier mistake of taking my pupil hostage.” Agnar stills, his eyes widening with disbelief as he turns to gape at me as well.

I’m just as shocked and have nothing to say.

“Please, help Esme escape. Find the Everhand. The kingdom depends on it. The world depends on it.” Veradin’s swallows audibly as he looks at me. “She is precious to me. Keep her safe.”

Tears rush to my eyes, and my throat clogs. “Veradin, I’ll stay. I can help you.”