The one-eyed warrior relaxes her fighting stance, and Gesine releases her hold of her power as they take the path toward us.
“A token from Vin’nyla. May I?” Gesine collects it from my grasp to study it. “Magnificent.”
“Lucretia has five more hidden in the crypt. I don’t know what they do, but if they’re anything like this one …”
“Did you know she went to the crypt alone last night?” Jarek’s tone carries accusation as he glares at Gesine.
“I stopped at the library to tell her, but she was busy too.” Seems everyone was busy last night but me.
Gesine’s cheeks flush as she hands the mask back to me. “I imagine there is still much the oracle hides from us.”
“You have no idea.”
Jarek’s head cocks, his glare lethal. “What is that supposed to mean?”
I sigh heavily. If he was mad before, he’ll be reaching for my neck soon. “Those nymph engravings? They’re doors to other stones. One of them opens to the nymphaeum in Cirilea.”
Jarek’s features go slack. “You didn’t—”
“I went through it.”
I press my hand over the stone that leads to Cirilea, and childish laughter curls in my ears. “Lucretia said most of them don’t work anymore.”
“Since the great rift, I would imagine.” Gesine studies another stone closely. “These markings are familiar.”
Jarek scans each one. “They all look the exact same to me.”
“Not if you have spent years staring at one of these, trying to make sense of it.” She taps the wall. “This one leads to Nyos, I am positive.”
I test the carvings. “Nothing.”
“It is too bad it no longer works. We could have had a doorway directly into Mordain.”
I snort. “Yeah, because I’m sure they’d roll out a warm welcome for me if I showed up there.”
“Master Scribe Agatha would. She would have loved to meet you. She would have kept you safe.”
“Where is this eel you keep talking about, anyway?” Zorya scowls at the emptiness around us, deftly spinning a karambit between her fingers.
“Serpent,” Gesine corrects her. “And not even that. She is a sylx, and I’m sure she is close by, waiting to reveal herself when she feels the time is right.”
“No rush.” Jarek’s shrewd gaze searches the shadows as if he can make out her hiding spot within them.
Lucretia’s location doesn’t matter. “I’m going to Cirilea again tonight,” I announce.
That jerks his attention back to me.
I can already hear what he’s going to say. “I need to find out what Atticus is doing about Queen Neilina and the poison.”
“You already know what his solution is for the latter. You’ve seen the executions.”
“That was before we wrote to him.” Zander and I didn’t hold back much in our letter, but we have no idea if Atticus listened. He may not trust me, but will he send an army north in the chance that we’re right? Will he stop slaughtering mortals, knowing that what flows through their veins won’t matter after Hudem? Will he do anything at all? “Zander is heading to the rift to try to stop Neilina. He needs to know what kind of help he can expect against her, if any. The only way to find that out is in Cirilea. And I can’t sit here in Ulysede while the world around us burns. Not when I can help.”
Jarek sighs, but he doesn’t argue. “Can others pass through this with you?”
“Yes, but—”
“Then I am going too.”
“They’ll recognize you.” I wave my mask. “I’m wearing this so no one recognizes me. If the guards see us together, the mask won’t help.”
He sets his jaw with determination. “I can blend in.”
“Really?” I eyeball all six-foot-something of him—leather and blades and long braids. “Because I’m pretty sure you can’t be anything other than a legionary, Jarek.”
“You are not going through there alone, Romeria,” he growls. “Talk some sense into her, witch.”
“In this, I must agree with Jarek.” Gesine smiles apologetically. “There is too much at stake if you are caught, and you still have much to learn where your affinities are concerned. Jarek’s sword by your side, where your powers may not help you, will be invaluable—”
“Fates!” Jarek shouts.
I spin around, panicked.
He’s holding Lucretia in the air by one arm, his hand clamped around her neck.