He released a bark of laughter and raised his hand, turning it to shadows, his fingers fading and swirling like smoke. The action would be invisible to anyone else except Elenyr, who could see the changing density of his fingers.
“You’re a brother and a son,” Elenyr said. “You protect and tease, inspire laughter and anger, even compassion. You have a friend that you would die for, and a family that loves you. A shadow can’t do that.”
“You’re a mom,” he said. “You’re required to say that.”
“I didn’t sign a contract,” she said.
He grinned. “Are you certain?”
“It was several pages long,” she admitted. “And it required a blood stamp.”
He laughed and pointed ahead. “We’re almost there. What’s your plan?”
“Get in and find out everything we can about Serak’s generals,” she said. “There are lightning wards, so I can’t get through all the walls. But we both know lightning has no effect on you. Between the two of us, we should be able to explore the fortress.”
They came to a halt at the end of the corridor, where it connected with a vast cavern. It had only been five days since they’d left the cavern behind, and he should have felt a chill, but instead it was anticipation in his chest. A slow smile spread on his face as he surveyed the citadel where the fragment of Power had been ripped from him and his brothers.
Blackwell Keep.
The fortress rested on a pedestal of stone that rose from an abyss, its walls and towers overlooking the well of darkness. Light orbs hung on the exterior, illuminating the bridges that connected to the citadel. Golems that had survived the previous conflict dotted the battlements, the statues scarred and chipped, but still lethal.
“Are you nervous?” she asked.
He snorted in amusement. “Last time I was dragged into this fortress unconscious. This time I get to sneak in and discover his secrets. It’s like my birthday.”
“Don’t get arrogant,” Elenyr said, and pointed across the cavern, where another entrance was visible as a dark spot on the wall. “Lorica, Sentara, and Rune are ready to attack if either of us gets discovered.”
Shadow caught a glimpse of the three women at the opening across the cavern. The assassin was just visible, while Sentara seemed to be eating an apple as she leaned against the wall. Rune crouched in the opening, staring intently at the fortress.
Be careful, the voice of the Unnamed spoke into Shadow’s mind. I cannot determine if anyone is inside.
“I won’t get discovered,” he said to both.
Elenyr held his gaze and he sensed her worry. But in this, he was not concerned. Blackwell Keep was a fortress hovering above a sea of shadows, a veritable mountain of his magic. He enjoyed the surface, but he loved the Deep.
“The doors have lightning embedded in the material,” Shadow said. “Probably left by Numen before he was killed. How are you going to get inside?”
“We need to find an entrance that isn’t protected,” she said.
He squinted into the depths beneath the fortress, at the giant pillar holding the castle aloft. Far beneath, a length of stone extended from the exterior wall and connected to the pillar. Without light orb or other illumination, it was invisible in the darkness. A secret entrance.
“There’s another way in,” he said, pointing to the hidden bridge. “I wager it leads to an entrance you can use.”
“I’ll meet you there,” she said.
Her ethereal form descended into the stone floor of the corridor, disappearing from sight. He stepped to the platform and dropped off the edge, turning to shadow form as he plummeted into the abyss. The wind passed through his body as the lights dimmed, and his smile widened.
He reached outward and cast wings, the shadows forming around his body and allowing him to bank out of the fall. He swerved up and curved around the giant pedestal of stone, relishing the cool air against his body.
The hidden bridge arched between the central pedestal and the outer wall of the cavern, a hundred-foot span that was hardly more than a few feet across. Underneath the fortress, an arched opening had been cut into a recess, invisible from any point above. He flew toward it and alighted on the stone, dismissing his wings and striding to the door. A faint clicking sounded and the door swung open, with Elenyr framed in the opening.
“Don’t get arrogant,” he admonished.
She grinned, the expression visible beneath her cowl, and led him up the curving stairs. “Embedded lightning charms are difficult to cast,” she whispered. “I doubt he has more than the great hall and the main entrances warded.”
“Any guards?” Shadow asked.
“Not yet,” she replied.
Together, they advanced up the stone stairwell. With the scent of dust, it was obvious the secret entrance had not been used since its creation. As they ascended, a faint glow came from above, and Elenyr’s hand shot out, catching him in the shoulder. Without a word, she pointed to the ceiling, and withdrew into the wall.
Shadow turned to darkness and leapt. Rebounding off a curve in the wall, he clung to the darkness on the ceiling. Just as he did, the wall began to shift, and a golem pressed into view. It stepped free of the wall as another appeared, and then another. The trio of guards lumbered down the steps. Hidden in the shadows of the ceiling, he waited for them to grow quiet, and then crawled up the curving ceiling.
He noticed faint indentations on the walls, a curve of a finger here, the protrusion of a nose there. The walls were filled with embedded golems, ready to strike any intruder attempting to gain access. Elenyr passed right through them, and Shadow did what he did best.
They advanced up the remainder of the staircase, which culminated in an ironbound door. The spark of energy in the portal suggested it had been warded, so Shadow dropped to his feet and morphed a finger into a shadow key. Pressing it into the lock, he filled the mechanism with shadows and then rotated.
With a dull clank the portal opened, and Shadow strode into the storage room. Elenyr rose from the floor and entered the room as well. Shadow shut the door but left it ajar in case they needed a quick escape.
Stacks of barrels and crates were piled to the ceiling of the small room, a plentiful reserve in case of assault, even though Serak had been the sole person who came to Blackwell Keep. Shadow passed them by, pausing at a barrel of dwarven magma ale.
“Do you have any idea how much that costs?” he whispered.
“We aren’t here to drink,” she said.
“Maybe on the way out?”
“Shadow,” she warned.
