“You were worried about me?” Shadow feigned mock surprise. “I’m touched.”
“Shadow . . .,” she rubbed the roof of her nose. “I love you as a son, but that doesn’t mean I will not kill you.”
“Trust me,” Shadow turned and pointed to the keep. “When you hear what occurred here, you’ll be glad of the risk I took.”
“What?” she demanded. “What could be worth your life?”
“Victory.”
She regarded him with anger and, he noticed, a lingering fear. He grimaced as he realized she’d just sprinted for nearly a day, because she feared for his life. Elenyr could travel leagues without tiring, but now sweat darkened her clothing, and her hands trembled from the run.
“I’m sorry,” he said earnestly. “I didn’t mean to worry you so much. I saw an opportunity and I seized it.”
She blinked in confusion. “You’ve never apologize like that.”
Shadow cocked his head to the side, and a slow smile lit his features. “Well that’s new.”
“What?”
“I can feel remorse now,” Shadow said, and his expression soured. “I don’t think I like it.”
Elenyr began to laugh, the sound rolling out of her before she engulfed him in a long, sweaty embrace. He hoped that meant she forgave him. He didn’t like the twinge in his chest that made him think he’d been wrong. He was never wrong.
“Tell me what happened,” Elenyr said, retreating a step.
Shadow briefly outlined what he’d witnessed at the base of Xshaltheria, and the completion of the Gate. When he detailed Mimic’s rising, she sighed and leaned against the railing of the roadway.
“We cannot even kill Serak,” she said. “How can we possibly defeat the generals?”
“I think the answer lies in there.” Shadow pointed to the keep.
Elenyr raised an eyebrow. “There’s more?”
“All I know is that Draeken and Serak entered the keep, and only Draeken departed. He looked rather pleased with himself.”
“And Draeken took Serak’s dragon with him?” she asked, looking about as if she’d just realized they were alone.
“Exactly.” Shadow rubbed his chin as he recalled the events at the base of Xshaltheria. “And Serak was acting fishy, like he and Draeken were not on the same terms after the battle in the valley.”
Her eyes widened. “You think Draeken turned on Serak?”
“If he did, it would mean Serak might help us,” he said. “If he’s not dead, that is.”
Elenyr’s gaze turned calculating, and for several moments she stared at the keep like it held all the answers she sought. Then she nodded to herself and motioned to that direction.
“We should see if he is alive.”
Shadow frowned. “I just hid on the underbelly of a dragon as they flew across an entire country—all while dropping signals for you to follow.” Shadow folded his arms. “A little gratitude would be in order.”
Elenyr sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Thank you, Shadow. I’m sure that was difficult.”
“It was epic,” Shadow breathed. “They could have noticed me at any moment, but Gorewrathian is so big, he didn’t see me clinging to the shadows under his wing.”
“I’m proud of you,” she said. “Now don’t ever do that again.”
“No promises.”
She regarded him with irritation, and then laughed sourly. “I suppose it is your greatest gift.”
“That and inciting anger,” Shadow said.
“That too,” Elenyr replied.
The pair turned off the road and advanced up the street towards the fortress, detouring around a pond with various pieces of broken armor rusting on its banks. A pedestal at the center was empty, but the green water rippled and the top of a gigantic alligator head briefly surfaced. Shadow pointed to the pond, where he’d swum in his youth, but Elenyr jerked her head.
“You no longer possess a piece of the fragment of Power,” she said. “I’m not sure you would survive against the guardians of these ruins.”
He rolled his eyes but softened his footsteps so they could enter the keep. He took a peek at the rock troll statue, wishing he could fight it again. Instead of weapons, the rock troll guardian had gauntlets of spiked chain, weapons meant to damage and maim.
“Next time,” Shadow murmured, and followed Elenyr up into the fortress.
“What are the others doing?” he asked.
“I sent Sentara, Rune, and Lorica to join the alliance,” Elenyr said. “They couldn’t keep up with me, and I didn’t want them to be discovered while we are away. Rune is still adapting to the companionship of the Unnamed, and her actions can be chaotic.”
Her words were faint, as if she were pondering the revelations Shadow had shared. Then he realized it was caution, and Elenyr pressed into the wall, advancing in silence up through the fortress.
“You think it’s a trap?” Shadow asked in a normal voice.
