“Now what?” Wesley stared at the weathered wood door as if waiting for their friends to return. “They’re probably already in Laegenshire by now, right?”
“I hope so,” Charles stood beside him, his eyes likewise glued to the portal door.
“They’re not in Laegenshire yet.” Jireo felt a headache forming behind his eyes.
“You should go out the other end and talk to Darielle. Let them know they’ve sealed the portal, and they should be coming any time.” Wesley stooped to gather the backpacks for conveyance back to the Yellowstone end of the portal.
Jireo nodded, but a low steady throb settled in his temples. “I’ll go out and speak to Darielle, but don’t bother to move our supplies. I can assure you, Kaevin and Alora are by no means safe, and I may have to follow them into Vindrake’s lair.”
“What are you saying, Jireo? How can you know that?” Charles’ expression clouded like a looming storm.
“It’s no matter how I know, but suffice it to say I grow more certain with each passing moment. I’ll speak to Darielle at once. And then I must return to await my moment of compulsion. I don’t wish to reopen the portal, rescinding our efforts, but I can’t let Kaevin die without attempting to intervene.”
“Are you saying they’re all going to die?” Backing up until he hit the wall, Wesley deflated to the floor.
“They know the layout of the lair from Daegreth’s drawings. At least we have that to our advantage.” Jireo tried to cheer himself as well as Charles and Wesley. “For whatever reason, they haven’t transported to safety, but perhaps they can find their way outside.”
“Are you getting all of this from that blood-brother thing Alora was talking about?” Charles squinted his eyes.
“Blood-brother thing?”
“Yeah. That thing you did when you were kids and you did some kind of blood ceremony.”
“Yes. I’m afraid Kaevin and I are bound, though the oath was a childish prank.”
The muscles flexed on Charles’ jaw. “If you ask me, you people in Tenavae get bound together all too easily. If you’re ever bleeding around me, I’m gonna back a long way off, or we might end up married.”
*****
“It’s not working! It’s not working!” Alora’s breaths came rapid and shallow, and her head swam.
“Be calm, Alora.” Kaevin craned his head to inspect their surroundings. “Vindrake must have specific wards to prevent transporting to the outside of the caverns.”
“What now? Where do we go?” asked Alora.
“If only Jireo were here to lead us. With his gift in direction, we’d find our way without a single wrong turn.” Kaevin stooped to squeeze the excess water from his pants.
“You’re like every other fellow, Kaevin, believing only men are gifted in direction.” Arista grinned with a nod of her chin.
&
nbsp; “You? You have the gift as well?” Kaevin’s voice held more joy than incredulity.
“I have the gift, and I’ve seen Daegreth’s map. But from here, the only exit is guarded, unless we escape through Vindrake’s chamber.”
“Nothing else to be done, then. We’ll follow you into the viper’s pit.” Kaevin kept his tone light and steady, but Alora could sense dread building in the depths of his stomach, almost as great as her own.
Arista led them to a dark alcove, pressed her ear to a heavy wooden door and whispered, “Vindrake’s quarters are beyond this door.”
“I’m certain I’d feel his presence if he were that close,” Alora whispered.
With a nod, Arista opened the door, which moved without resistance to her touch. Slipping inside, Arista closed the weighty door behind them while Kaevin set out quickly toward an ornately painted door on the opposite side of the room.
Alora shivered at the vile essence in the stark, cold room. Though the walls appeared to have been hewn from granite and polished to an impervious gleam, she felt malevolence as if it oozed from pores in the rock. The walls and ceiling were covered with intricate paintings in vivid colors, scenes of strange creatures sporting massive horns and sharp claws. On the far end of the cavernous chamber, the ceiling arched as high as a three-story building, and a single demonic horned image dominated the wall space. Centered beneath the arched dome sat a huge table with a stone top so massive she wondered how it had been moved into the room. Perhaps it was simply carved in place from a piece of granite wall.
“Ah! The chest… the one Daegreth mentioned…” Arista fell to her knees behind the sturdy iron bed, sliding the lock off and lifting the lid, water puddling on the stone floor around her.
“Come, Arista!” Kaevin hissed, pressing his ear to the painted door. “Don’t be foolish—time is of the essence.”