The door creaked open. “Hurry, get inside.” Ann motioned for them to go in.
Ed went through first, followed by Jax and Ceara. The runes around the door frame flared and crackled with power.
Ann glanced back to make sure no one else was around then stepped through the door.
Light blurred around her as Ann reappeared in another room with a high vaulted ceiling. The walls were dark and shimmered with runes. When she reached out, power crackled against her fingers as the walls flickered in and out of existence. Whatever this place was, it didn’t seem to exist on their plane of existence. Perhaps not even on Erthea at all. This was something else, something that existed beyond time and place.
Jax, Ceara, and Ed all lay sprawled on the floor.
Ed appeared to be the only one conscious as he scrambled up into a sitting position.
“What happened?” Ann gasped. “Are you alright?”
Ed groaned, rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess your father didn’t invite people in here. Something knocked us out—or rather, knocked them out.” He motioned to Jax and Ceara. “Maybe my beast side is good for something.”
Ann knelt to check on the others and touched their throats. “They’re still breathing. I guess I should’ve come through first. I think they’ll be okay. Their pulses are strong.” She moved over to him and touched his forehead. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I’m fine.” He scrambled up and shrugged off her touch. Having him push her away like that stung.
“What’s wrong?” Ann noticed he seemed a little distant since he’d seen her kiss Jerome. She couldn’t understand why, though. She might not even see Jerome again. “Listen, about earlier when Jerome kissed—”
“Ow.” Ceara clutched at her head. “What just hit me? I feel like I have the world’s worst hangover.” She pushed her long black hair off her face. “Did one of you use magic on me?”
“Must’ve been a ward,” Ann replied. “My father would have spelled this place to prevent anyone else from being able to access it.”
“Magic isn’t supposed to affect me like that,” the Gliss grumbled.
Jax sprang up, staff drawn. “Did you just attack me?” He glared at Ceara.
“If I had, you’d know it.” She scowled back at him. “And no, I didn’t. I don’t have the power to knock you unconscious like that.”
Ed frowned, glancing around the strange passageway. “Is this the vault?” he asked. “How did you find it?”
Ann shook her head. “I didn’t. I just saw it after we first arrived. The door was just sitting there, plain as day.” She shrugged and touched the crest at her throat. “This must be the key to seeing and accessing the vault. I wonder if Blaise knew he had it all along.” Perhaps he’d waited until he thought he could trust her before giving her the crest. Either way, it didn’t matter. She’d finally found it.
The four of them moved down the passageway and into a much larger room. Shelves reached from floor to ceiling were covered in books, crystals, stones and weapons. The walls appeared to be whitewashed stone. A tapestry depicting Trin and another showing the great stones of Trewa lined the other side of the room. Two divans stuffed with cushions sat in the centre of the room along with a large table surrounded by four chairs. Strange, she hadn’t expected the vault to look so homely.
“This is it.” She nodded. “It could take decades get through all this.”
“We’ll find something.” Ed touched her shoulder and gave a squeeze.
“Now we’re safe, let’s get to work on planning our way in and way out of the palace.”
Chapter 21
Ann’s stomach fluttered as Ceara led her across the grounds. They’d even found some shackles in the vault to make it look realistic. Ed and Jax still hadn’t been happy about the idea. She knew this to be the easiest way to get in. She asked Ceara to make things look even more realistic by hitting her, and now sported a black eye and a bloodied lip.
“Relax. You’re even more nervous than I am,” Ann remarked, trying to ignore the metal digging into her wrists.
“Urien has a hold on me. I don’t want to go near him, but…” Ceara’s voice trailed off.
“Just remember you’re stronger than him.” Ann smiled. “I don’t have doubts about you, so don’t have any about yourself.”
Ceara nodded. “Right.” She paused. “Why do you believe in me so much?”
“Everyone deserves a second chance.”
“Thanks, you’re a good…friend. More than I deserve.” Ceara averted her gaze.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Ceara tugged on the shackles as they headed for the doors. Three guards stood there, wearing black uniforms. They were different from the uniforms of the old Black Guard; they wore black tunics underneath their armour. The Black had worn leather coats.
Ann resisted the urge to wince. Was Urien trying to recreate their father’s Guard? If so, why? Urien had thought Darius’s elite guard was useless, but then again, she had no idea what went through her brother’s mind these days. If he wanted to pass himself off as the archdruid, maybe creating a new Black was a way of doing that for him.
“Let me pass. I’m here to take the archdruid to Urien,” Ceara said.
The lead guard, a dark-haired man with dark eyes, stepped forward, one hand on the hilt of his sword. “This is the archdruid?” He eyed Ann and peered at her, his face only inches from hers. She resisted the urge to wince from the foul stench of ale on his breath.
“Don’t you see the Valeran crest on her? The symbol of the archdruid?” Ceara slapped him. “Don’t question a Gliss. Just let me through.” She tugged on Ann’s shackles, pulling her closer. “I’m not standing around here all day.”
“We have orders not to let—”
Ceara kept hold of Ann’s shackles in one hand and pulled out her rod with the other, jamming it into the guard’s neck. He fell to his knees, screaming. She kicked him in the head, and he slumped to the ground. “Who wants to go next?”
The second guard yanked the door open, and the third moved aside.
Ceara led Ann through and down the hall, past more guards. The entry hall looked more or less as Ann remembered. The rich tapestries that had once hung there had vanished, along with the gleaming suits of armour that her father had been so fond of. Now the walls appeared barren. Almost as though the palace too had died along with her parents. Ann tried to move her mind away from the past. What good would remembering what the palace had looked like even do? This wasn’t her home. That had been a long time ago. Another lifetime. She wasn’t that person anymore, but she might have to be Rhiannon Valeran again, at least for a while when she faced Urien.
Ceara dragged her through the great oak double doors and into the great hall. This room appeared unchanged in some ways. The high vaulted ceiling gleamed overhead. The beautiful white marble floor inlaid with a silver Valeran crest had turned dirty and scuffed with age. Back in her father’s day, it had always gleamed, no matter how many people walked upon it.
No banners hung from the walls as they once had. The Valeran banner that had once hung from the balcony had vanished too. Her heart twisted just being back in this room. She had so many memories of being here with her father, of parties and meeting different people. People from around the five lands, even outside Almara, had graced this hall when they had come to meet her father. This had been a happy place once, full of joy and laughter. Now it felt hollow, dark, and empty. A shell of what it had once been.
Another blonde-haired Gliss appeared and blocked their path. “Ceara, you’re alive,” she remarked. “What are you doing? I’m surprised you even came back. Some of us thought you drowned when Trin disappeared.”
“I told Urien he’d regret choosing Constance over at me. I’ve come to prove I’m better.” She yanked Ann forward. “I caught the archdruid single-handed. Now let me pass. My business is with Urien, not you.”
The other Gliss’s eyes narrowed. “Why should I let
you anywhere near him? You threatened his life.”
“Hurry up, will you?” Ann snapped. “I’m the archdruid. I shouldn’t be dragged around like this. I’m sure my brother will be eager to see me.”
Ceara hit her on the head. Ann winced at the pain. She’d told Ceara to treat her as if she were any other prisoner. Guess I’ve only got myself to blame for that one.
“Move, Olivia,” Ceara hissed at the other Gliss. “Get out of my way, or I swear I’ll kill you. I’m in no mood for dallying.”
The other Gliss moved aside. “We’ll see.” She made a move to grab Ann’s shackles.
“No, the archdruid stays with me.” Ceara shoved the other Gliss aside and continued moving across the floor.
Urien sat on their father’s seat up on the dais—the seat of the archdruid—and his eyes widened as his gaze fixed on them. “Ceara, I’m surprised to see you. I felt sure my spell would have finished you off by now.”
Ann’s stomach lurched at seeing him on their father’s throne. Her throne.
“As you can see, I am very much alive.” Ceara raised her chin. “I’ve brought your sister back.”
Urien rose and walked down the steps of the dais. He caught hold of Ann’s hair, his gaze roaming over her. “How? My sister isn’t stupid.”
Ann jerked her head away from him. “Unshackle me,” she spat. “I am—”
“The shackles bind her magic,” Ceara interrupted. “She’s not a threat. She can’t hurt anyone.”
Constance appeared and moved out from behind the dais. “What made you come back?” She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “I thought you would have had the sense to stay away. You know you’ll be punished for your betrayal, and for trying to escape.”
“I’ve been loyal to you for years,” Ceara said, ignoring the other Gliss. “I want to come back and be your favourite again. Constance is doing a lousy job. She couldn’t even keep hold of Trin, could she?
“You also vowed to make me pay,” Urien remarked.
“I was angry, forgive me. You know I’d never turn on you, my love.” Ceara gave him a sickly-sweet smile.
“Oh, please,” Ann scoffed. “I don’t need to see this.”
Ceara jabbed her rod against Ann’s back. She sank to her knees as pain radiated down her spine. The volts of electricity shot through every nerve ending. She gritted her teeth to keep from screaming. Her legs went numb and she couldn’t get back up.
“As you can see, she’s no threat to anyone.” Ceara smirked. “I can keep her in line.”
“How did you even get her here?” Urien asked. “My spell tracked you to Trewa.”
“She and I were friends once. It wasn’t hard to play on that and gain her trust.” Urien made a move to take the shackles from her. “Ah-ah. I won’t just hand her over. I have conditions.”
“What conditions?” Urien demanded, eyes narrowing.
“First of all, I want her gone.” She jerked her finger toward Constance. The other Gliss glared back, her hand going to one of her shock rods. “I want to be your chief Gliss again, with all the favours that come with it.”
“You dare make demands of me?” Urien’s eyes darkened.
It made Ann’s gut twist seeing Xander’s face staring back at her. It might still look like Xander, but she could see Urien staring out through his eyes.
“If you want to keep your sister powerless, yes, I do,” Ceara snapped. “I’ve been loyal to you for years. I deserve to lead again.” She gripped Ann’s shackles tighter. “Besides, I did something none of your other Gliss could do. I subdued your sister, just as you wanted. Don’t I deserve some reward for that?”
“We’ll see.”
“My lord, you can’t be serious,” Constance protested. “She vowed to make you pay for discarding her. How do we know this isn’t a trap?”
“Leave us. All of you,” Urien ordered.
“I’m not leaving.” Ceara raised her chin.
Urien’s expression darkened. “I’ll have you forcibly removed if I must,” he hissed.
Ann gave Ceara a nudge. Go, she said. Don’t make a scene. I’ll be alright.
But this wasn’t the plan, Ceara said. What if I can’t get to you again? How are we going to get out of here?
Shush, don’t speak to me unless you have to. I don’t want to risk Urien overhearing us. Ann gave her a hard look.
Ceara reluctantly let go of her and left. Ann hoped she kept her temper under control and didn’t start any fights with any of the other Gliss.
“I’m surprised you’d let one Gliss get the better of you, sister.” Urien smirked as he circled round her.
Her jaw tightened. “Ceara can be a convincing little bitch when she wants to be.” She held up her shackled wrists. “These aren’t necessary, are they? We both know I can’t hurt you without hurting Xander too.”
“True, but I can’t have you using any magic to stop me or my people.” He gave her a hard look. “Did Ceara really capture you?”
“I would think that was obvious.” She motioned to her bloodied lip and a black eye. “I wouldn’t have just handed myself over to her, would I?”
“I know you better than you think, Rhiannon. You can be very persuasive in turning people to your side,” he said. “And I know Ceara won’t take lightly to being cast aside. You’ve come to stop the meeting of the leaders, haven’t you?” His smile widened. “I thought you might hear the call. You’ll try to save them.”
Damn right, I will.
“How did you even find the device to call the leaders here?”
Urien laughed. “You’re not the only one who knew of father’s secrets, sister. I know where he kept his secret chambers and whatever he didn’t want people to find.”
“You couldn’t access Papa’s vault, though, could you?” She bit back a smile as Urien’s eyes widened. “Yes, brother. I know you’ve been looking for it, too. No doubt so you can find a way to undo the spell that binds us together and protects us from death in there.” She rubbed her wrists as the metal cut into them. “Why are you calling together the leaders? You don’t negotiate, you take what you want and damn the consequences.”
“You’re right, I don’t negotiate. It will be good to have you here by my side. It will prove to everyone I can conquer anyone—even the archdruid herself. Whatever you think you’re going to do, you won’t. I’ll stop you.”
“We’ll see, brother. We’ll see.”
Ann got shoved into what had been her former bedroom. It looked more or less just as she’d left it. Same fourposter bed, same furniture. Her jewels and weapons had all vanished, yet some of her clothes still hung in the wardrobe. Why would they hang onto her clothes? Had Urien expected her to come back?
“Get dressed,” Constance ordered. “Urien wants you to look presentable in front of the other leaders.”
“Being forced to stay here is one thing, but I don’t have to do anything you tell me to do.” She crossed her arms.
Constant pulled out her rod. “I’ll strip and dress you myself I have to.” She smirked. “I’d enjoy nothing more than to see you on your knees begging for mercy.”
Ann snorted. “I’ve never begged for anything. Enjoy your power whilst it lasts. Urien will soon cast you aside and have a new favourite.”
“You know nothing.” Constance’s hand went to one of her shock rods as she took a step toward Ann.
“Urien won’t want me looking battered and bruised, will he? That won’t make him look good in front of the other leaders.”
“Be ready in ten minutes, or I’ll drag you there naked if I have to.” Constance stormed out of the room.
Ann sighed and stared at the beautiful gowns she’d once worn as the archdruid’s daughter. Now I’m the archdruid, and my former home is my prison. She pulled a couple of dresses out. Unlacing her leather bodice and trousers, she pulled a white dress on, tucking the Valeran crest underneath it.
She still had the cuffs on, even if they weren’t shackled together
now. Constance had been nice enough to break the chains apart and thought the power of the cuffs would still work. Good thing these cuffs don’t bind my powers.
Pulling a panel out from the wardrobe, she opened a wooden box and got to work casting a spell. Smoke filled the air as she shoved the box away and brushed her hair off her face. An image of her old self—of Rhiannon Valeran—stared back at her in the mirror. Yet this Rhiannon had an edge to her eyes. She sighed again. The old Rhiannon had died the night her parents had been killed. After she’d been forced to go into hiding, accused of a crime she didn’t commit.
She wasn’t Rhiannon, the druid’s daughter anymore. She was Ann, the rogue archdruid. Time everyone knew the truth.
If Urien thought he could force her into submission, he’d be damn wrong. She applied make-up to her face when Urien stormed in. “What is taking so bloody long?” he demanded.
“I thought you wanted me to look presentable,” she remarked. “Can’t go in there with a bruised face, now can I?”
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go. The meeting is about to begin.”
Urien pulled her down the hall past several guards until they reached the balcony that looked down into the great hall.
Below, a dozen leaders, along with their servants and guards, stood around waiting.
Ann’s breath hitched. Would her spell be enough to protect them all?
Chapter 22
Ed fumbled with his uncomfortable clothes as they headed out onto the main road that led to Larenth Palace. He hated disguising himself, but it was the only way to get into the palace undetected. He now wore a dark, rough linen shirt, black trousers, and an old pair of boots. It made him miss his usual ranger clothing. He kept his long hair tied up at the nape of his neck.
“Look at me,” Jax complained. “I’m dressed like a farmer in trousers that only reach my knees. I look like a bloody idiot!”
Ed bit back a laugh. Jax’s trousers were indeed too short and only fell to knee length. His shirt didn’t look much better, but Ann hadn’t had much to choose from in her collection of clothing—at least not anything that would fit Jax. They were supposed to be blending in, but Jax wouldn’t stand out in his ridiculous outfit. It wasn’t uncommon for servants and the poor to wear ill-fitting clothing.
Archdruid Page 18