The footsteps in the hall stopped and she knew they’d heard him. Natalia brought the mirror back up to her face and shushed him once more. She could see Nadir squinting into the mirror and moving his head around to get a look at her.
“Is that blood on your face?” he whispered.
The noise was enough to alert those in the hallway and they pushed through the door and into the room. Natalia waited until she could clearly see the first orc enter before she plunged her sword through the she-orc’s throat. A second orc followed, sending Natalia backward and off balance. She blocked a swing from the male orc’s blade, then stabbed hers deep into his chest before the brute collapsed on the floor. Natalia rushed to the door and looked out into the hallway. No one else was in sight, so she quickly closed it.
Lifting the mirror to her face again and seeing Nadir’s shocked expression, she said, “Now, if you wouldn’t mind quietly repeating what you said a moment ago. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m in the middle of a rescue mission.”
“Where are you?” Nadir asked.
“I’m in the castle, currently looking for Anders and Ivan. I think I found Ivan’s room, but he’s not here,” she said.
“Oh no,” Nadir said.
Natalia held the mirror closer to her face, “What does that mean?”
“I tried notifying you earlier. Anders and Zahara aren’t in Southland,” Nadir said.
“How do you know that?” Natalia asked.
“Because they’re here with me, in Cedarbridge.”
“What about Ivan? I can feel his presence here,” Natalia said.
“Only Anders and Zahara escaped; Merglan had Ivan the last they saw,” Nadir said.
“Then I’ll find him,” Natalia said.
“You have to get to the crystals,” Nadir said. “We’ve learned how they can be altered. You can corrupt Merglan’s entire supply. He’s got them hidden somewhere in the castle.”
“What about Ivan? I can feel him. I’m close.”
“Merglan’s strength grows each day. You can stop him here and now.”
Natalia held the mirror to her side, thinking over her objective, “Okay. Do you know where they are?”
“They were hidden in his bed chambers last time. Try there.”
Natalia snorted, “Okay, and once I find them, how do I alter them?”
Nadir had the Norfolk woman explain to Natalia the words of the ancient language that would likely work for her and how she could use them to manipulate the crystals’ powers. “Find them, corrupt them, and then rescue Ivan,” she repeated to Nadir. “How hard can that be?” she added sarcastically.
“Good luck, we’re counting on you,” Nadir said as he ended their conversation.
Natalia realized she’d forgotten to ask how Anders had escaped. Natalia’s plan hinged on her escaping on Zahara’s back. She didn’t know if she could escape the castle now that all of the occupants were looking for her. She was on the wrong side of the battle.
She walked to the window to take in the view of the courtyard below and the city sprawling down to the ocean. The clouds clinging to the rooftops earlier that morning had lifted slightly. She actually had a clear view all of the way down to the city wall. She hadn’t realized until now, but the cannon fire had stopped. She could see movement in the streets, but didn’t know if people were fighting or not. Once she had a lay of the land, she looked for Merglan on his dragon. Surely he would emerge from the castle with a battle in the city.
She wondered why so many orcs were defending the castle, why Merglan would need that kind of defense if he was present. Why would the most powerful sorcerer need hundreds of orcs to defend his keep? Natalia wasn’t positive, but she was confident after witnessing the relaxed way of the soldiers at the wall that they weren’t expecting an attack that day. Then she realized, all in one moment, why the soldiers were so lax, why the orcs surrounded the castle, why they were searching for her and she hadn’t yet been caught. Merglan was gone.
Natalia reached out with her mind, slowly at first, then she recoiled at the presence of a wealth of power. She second-guessed herself as her mind touched the brilliant wave of energy pulsing near her. Cringing as she waited for Merglan’s mental presence to take over her mind, she was surprised when nothing happened. Natalia opened her mind again, the weeks of stored magic inside her dwarfed by a presence. It felt close, as if the power were right on top of her. She pressed her mind against the source of power and sensed it, raw and open.
The crystals, she thought.
Merglan’s stash of crystals was somewhere in that room, she could feel them as if they were right next to her. She began searching, rifling through trunks and closets and under the bed. She turned over every possible piece of furniture to find the crystals, but didn’t see them.
It doesn’t make sense, she thought.
Natalia again sourced her magic and sent her senses out into the room. She could feel the crystals as well as Ivan’s presence. Somehow, they were both there with her, but she couldn’t see them.
Placing her hand back into her pocket, Natalia grabbed the mirror to ask Nadir what she should do. As she looked into the reflection, she saw the crystals she’d been looking for. She looked up at the ceiling and saw the brilliant white and blue display of sapphires embedded into the stone ceiling overhead. Marveling at them while simultaneously feeling slightly foolish for not having thought to glance up earlier, Natalia drew on her power. Starting the incantation, she began to speak the ancient language based on the Norfolk woman’s directions. It wasn’t so different from Elvish, so she had memorized the words easily.
When she said the correct word matching the crystals’ essence, she felt them opening up. As their presence unraveled its protective coating, they revealed the contents within, and Natalia knew what she had to do. She focused intensely and forced her will onto the energy. The magnitude of it overwhelmed her and she lost herself in the influx of power. The energy poured into her, lifting her off the ground and causing her to glow like a beacon of magical force. Her emotions took over, the love she felt for her sister, mother, and father. The love she’d held for her dragon and the love she’d held for all things good in the world flourished inside her. She could feel the evil Merglan had poured into the crystals altering into the love she bore for her bonded and her family. She’d given herself to the crystals, letting them absorb her essence like a giant sponge. As the spell ended, she felt a part of her soul leaving with the energy as it fled from her body and back into the crystals.
Falling to the floor as the power drained from her, Natalia panted. She hadn’t known how much the spell would take from her. It left her weak and aching. She knelt on the floor, trying to regain her self-awareness. Then she rose to her feet, knowing she didn’t have time to rest. She had to find Ivan and get out of there. She instantly reached inward for whatever mental strength she had left. Searching the castle again, she found the same result as the last time. Ivan’s presence was in the room with her.
She looked up to see if Ivan might somehow be in the ceiling like the crystals, but didn’t find him. Searching through all of the places she had earlier and still unable to find him, Natalia planted her hands on her hips and scowled. Her eyes fell on the small wooden box resting on the table. Not understanding entirely why, she picked it up and put it in her cloak pocket. She walked out of the room and searched again for Ivan with her mind. Now Ivan seemed to be in the hallway with her. She lifted the wooden box from her cloak, rolling it as she examined it. How is that possible? she wondered.
Realizing she’d done what she had come to the castle to accomplish, she stuffed the box back in her pocket and focused on her last task, finding Solomon and escaping. Dropping down onto the second floor, Natalia let her senses guide her as she located Sol. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt that he was alive. She looked out into the expansive room where they’d parted ways and saw that the orcs had cleared out. After finding Solomon, she guessed, the rest had returned to the courtyard, thinking they’d caught their intruder.
Natalia drew her sword and ran out into the small group of unsuspecting orcs. She cut through them with focus and precision, never allowing them a chance to defend themselves. Running to the door where she sensed Solomon, she pulled it open. Four orcs and two soldiers huddled around the old man, who was tied to a chair. The soldiers rushed her first and put up more of a fight than the orcs, but in Natalia’s path of redemption, they were no match. She cut down the two soldiers before the orcs could join them. She made quick work of the four remaining and came to Solomon’s side. The old man slumped, having taken a beating from the orcs.
“Sol, are you okay?” she asked.
Solomon coughed a wet wrenching sound, blood spewing from his mouth.
“I can heal you with the crystals,” she said, cutting his ties.
Solomon shook as she picked him up and slung him over her shoulder. He whispered something, but she couldn’t make it out. Natalia knew she didn’t have enough power left over to heal the damage to his lungs, but if she could use the crystals she would.
