you are beyond any protection I can offer. My men do their best to keep the darker forces within the hold isolated, but I can make no promises. Dragonhold has more secrets than you may want to believe."
"And what of you?" Kendra asked. "What will you do?"
"I can take care of myself," Trinda said. "You should concentrate on what Catrin will do. She's a danger to us all, even if she does not wish it. I'm sorry. I know she's your mother, Sinjin, but please remember the rest of us when the time comes."
Sinjin nearly scoffed at her words. It was an old reaction and one that probably would not serve him well. It was a credit to his maturity that he gave what she said credence, even if he did not believe it to be true. His mother was one of the few things keeping darkness from claiming them all, and he could not imagine anything that would make her a threat.
"Thank you for your kind words of warning," Kendra said. "If you wanted to be of help, you'd provide us with the documents you used to make such wonderful decisions for all of us."
Trinda flushed at Kendra's scolding, but Sinjin could not deny the truth.
"You've never really wanted to help us," Kendra continued, and Sinjin doubted those words would improve the situation. "If you had, you would have given us the information we needed--the information we asked for. You couldn't even return all the herald globes to the person who created them. To tell the truth, Trinda Hollis, I've had about all I can stand of you."
Trinda just sniffed and looked offended. "Fine," she said. "If that is the reward I get for my kindness, then you're on your own."
The child queen then stood, huffed, and walked along the otherwise invisible ledge. When she disappeared around a corner and into a perfectly disguised rectangular orifice, Sinjin couldn't help but wonder if his wife had made a huge mistake.
* * *
There was no time to contemplate their route. All Pelivor could do was run away from demons and whatever else moved within the hold. Catrin kept pace but said nothing, the pain on her face clear. Coming here had been a terrible mistake. What had they been thinking? Exploring in pairs and lightly armed, they were no match for even a single demon, and by the sounds of it, there were many. Part of Catrin's pain came from not being able to help those she loved and now knowing she'd probably sent them to their deaths. Pelivor bore his own measure of responsibility.
A nearby growl caused them to scurry back the way they had come and around a corner. Catrin breathed heavily beside him. What a shock it must be for her, he thought. To go from having the power to rend the world to being helpless must be terrifying. Pelivor had considerably less access to the energy around them, but he knew how it felt to lose that power. It was something they might never get over if left in this wretched prison.
There was something that drew them both on, though: a persistent feeling. It wasn't that Pelivor knew which direction to turn or which chambers to explore; it was more the general sense he was getting closer to or farther from his goal. It was something he couldn't explain, and he did not even want to put the feeling to words for fear of breaking the spell.
When the demon patrols drove them in the wrong direction, Pelivor simply did what he could to find an alternate route toward their goal. Catrin must know, he thought. Why else would she follow his lead so blindly and without a word? She must feel it too.
At the next junction, he hesitated. Catrin drew him along, taking the lead and moving in the direction his spirit also told him to go. He'd been right. Both moved with increased confidence. They were getting close. He could feel it.
When Catrin reached out and squeezed his hand, a thrill ran along his arm, and he met her eyes. Whatever was going to happen was about to happen. Prepare yourself, her gaze said. There was something else there too, and Pelivor felt like a teenager all over again.
"And what of you?" Kendra asked. "What will you do?"
"I can take care of myself," Trinda said. "You should concentrate on what Catrin will do. She's a danger to us all, even if she does not wish it. I'm sorry. I know she's your mother, Sinjin, but please remember the rest of us when the time comes."
Sinjin nearly scoffed at her words. It was an old reaction and one that probably would not serve him well. It was a credit to his maturity that he gave what she said credence, even if he did not believe it to be true. His mother was one of the few things keeping darkness from claiming them all, and he could not imagine anything that would make her a threat.
"Thank you for your kind words of warning," Kendra said. "If you wanted to be of help, you'd provide us with the documents you used to make such wonderful decisions for all of us."
Trinda flushed at Kendra's scolding, but Sinjin could not deny the truth.
"You've never really wanted to help us," Kendra continued, and Sinjin doubted those words would improve the situation. "If you had, you would have given us the information we needed--the information we asked for. You couldn't even return all the herald globes to the person who created them. To tell the truth, Trinda Hollis, I've had about all I can stand of you."
Trinda just sniffed and looked offended. "Fine," she said. "If that is the reward I get for my kindness, then you're on your own."
The child queen then stood, huffed, and walked along the otherwise invisible ledge. When she disappeared around a corner and into a perfectly disguised rectangular orifice, Sinjin couldn't help but wonder if his wife had made a huge mistake.
* * *
There was no time to contemplate their route. All Pelivor could do was run away from demons and whatever else moved within the hold. Catrin kept pace but said nothing, the pain on her face clear. Coming here had been a terrible mistake. What had they been thinking? Exploring in pairs and lightly armed, they were no match for even a single demon, and by the sounds of it, there were many. Part of Catrin's pain came from not being able to help those she loved and now knowing she'd probably sent them to their deaths. Pelivor bore his own measure of responsibility.
A nearby growl caused them to scurry back the way they had come and around a corner. Catrin breathed heavily beside him. What a shock it must be for her, he thought. To go from having the power to rend the world to being helpless must be terrifying. Pelivor had considerably less access to the energy around them, but he knew how it felt to lose that power. It was something they might never get over if left in this wretched prison.
There was something that drew them both on, though: a persistent feeling. It wasn't that Pelivor knew which direction to turn or which chambers to explore; it was more the general sense he was getting closer to or farther from his goal. It was something he couldn't explain, and he did not even want to put the feeling to words for fear of breaking the spell.
When the demon patrols drove them in the wrong direction, Pelivor simply did what he could to find an alternate route toward their goal. Catrin must know, he thought. Why else would she follow his lead so blindly and without a word? She must feel it too.
At the next junction, he hesitated. Catrin drew him along, taking the lead and moving in the direction his spirit also told him to go. He'd been right. Both moved with increased confidence. They were getting close. He could feel it.
When Catrin reached out and squeezed his hand, a thrill ran along his arm, and he met her eyes. Whatever was going to happen was about to happen. Prepare yourself, her gaze said. There was something else there too, and Pelivor felt like a teenager all over again.
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