CHAPTER 35

URBAN

She took me out of the castle through the secret tunnel.

First, we went along a narrow corridor that passed behind the kitchens and down a dark stairwell, where she had to grab a torch resting in a wall sconce at the top before descending. At the bottom, I found myself in a dank, cool wine cellar.

“Hold this, will you?” She handed the torch to me so she could turn to a stone wall and dig the fingers of both her hands into a crack I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. Then she gritted her teeth until the tendons in her neck strained, and she began to pull open a concealed doorway.

Feeling the fool for standing there, holding the light while she did all the muscle work, I dryly said, “I could’ve done that for you, you know.”

Once the door was opened enough for us to pass through, she straightened, blew out a breath, and moved some hair out of her eyes with her fingers. “I didn’t mind,” she told me brightly, reaching back to retrieve the torch.

I handed it over, asking, “Who ~usually~ holds the light for you while you open this door?”

I didn’t want to be jealous, but dammit, I was jealous of anyone who got to see this hidden side of her.

Her shoulders shrugged as she moved into the tunnel ahead of me. “No one. I don’t bring people down here, and I’m adept at traveling this in the dark. I just thought you’d like to actually see where we were going. Could you close the door behind us?”

She moved ahead without waiting on me, so I rushed to pull the door shut, and son of a bitch, my one true love had some muscle in her compact little body to handle such a heavy boulder.

I always knew she was more awesome than anyone else suspected.

Once I was finished with my task, I dusted my hands off on my thighs and turned to hurry after her, only to curse swiftly and hunch my shoulders before I could hit my noggin on the ceiling.

Thank God for her light; otherwise, I’d have a raging headache right about now.

Cursing under my breath, I bent my knees to keep low and scrambled after Vienne. “So, you’re adept at sneaking out of the castle in the dark, huh?” I asked conversationally. “Why do I get the sense you could provide me with a whole heap of surprising revelations from that one sentiment alone?”

She grinned over her shoulder at me, the reflection of the torchlight on her cheeks surprising me all over again with how stunningly beautiful she was, especially with the added impish gleam in her eyes. “My old nanny isn’t the only contact I meet with in secret. It takes a lot of quiet, behind-the-scenes work to help the king keep this realm running smoothly, you know.”

“I see,” I said. “Crochets baby booties by day and saves the kingdom by night, one secret rendezvous at a time. Yes, it all makes perfect sense now.”

She snorted out a laugh. “How did you know about the booties?”

“What? You’re not the only one who’s been furtively slinking about. I had to learn about you somehow. Those booties were adorably awful, by the way. Did they even fit poor Anniston’s feet once she was born?”

“Of course not,” she muttered. “The heel was wider than the toe, so they just fell right off her.”

“Ah, well,” I said on a sigh. “They’ll be perfect little mementos to put in her keepsakes chest, regardless.” With a smile, I added, “I still have a set of booties my mother stitched for me before I was born. Allera says they never fit me either, as I had huge baby feet, apparently. But does that matter now? No. They’re the only thing I have that my mother made me, so I cherish them anyway. As Anniston will cherish hers.”

Vienne was quiet a moment before murmuring, “Thank you. That actually means a lot.”

I nodded. “Every time I see you with her, I always wish I’d gotten to know my own mother. She—dear God. Are we passing under the moat right now?”

I could actually hear the water lapping lazily against the walls surrounding us.

“We are,” Vienne confirmed.

Glancing up uneasily, I ducked even more away from the low ceiling. “What’re the chances of all that water up there collapsing on top of us at any moment?”

Grinning back at me, she took my hand and pulled me up to her side. “Don’t worry, Prince. This tunnel’s been here as long as the castle has, and it hasn’t collapsed yet.”

“And ~how~ old is this castle again?” It couldn’t have even been thirty years since its conception, with some parts exceptionally newer.

Her fingers warmed around mine as she gently tightened her grip. “I wouldn’t put you in danger. I swear.”

And just like that, I couldn’t think of another reason to question her, so I shifted closer to smell her fragrance over the musty rock walls of the tunnel. God, everything about her enchanted me.

Clearing my throat because I was becoming a little ~too~ enchanted, I asked, “How much can we trust your old nanny not to have some dark magic in her as well?”

“I trust her implicitly,” Vienne answered without hesitation. “She’s the one who posted a magic ward around all of Mandalay and the Iron Castle, protecting us since all the other magic folk were exiled. I’d say that makes her safe.”

I nodded until a thought struck. “Then how did this dark magic get in? How did that carriage explode?”

Vienne glanced up at me solemnly. “She only protected the borders, to keep others from getting in. That was nearly two years ago when Caulder’s parents were killed and he kicked most magic kind out. Whoever holds the dark magic had to have already been here in Donnelly at that time, and he hasn’t crossed outside the borders since.”

I frowned slightly. “Then whoever it is was already here when Allera and I arrived?”

She nodded. “Which makes me think it might ~not~ be a Lowden supporter of the Graykey family seeking revenge against you.”

“Hmm,” I said, frowning. “That does shoot holes in my theory.”

“But strengthens mine,” Vienne murmured. “There were a lot of deaths around the time Caulder took over and magic was banned. His parents died only a few months after Yasmin and I were married into the family and moved to the castle. My own parents were killed in a carriage accident not even a year after that. And Soren’s parents died of stomach ailments a year ~before~.”

“Hmm,” I said. “That is a lot of deaths, and carriage accidents, and stomach ailments all within a short amount of time. Has anyone else royal died since your parents’ accident?”

“No.” She glanced up at me, her gaze seeking. “Why? What’re you thinking?”

I shrugged. “Not sure. It just seems that if everything went quiet after that, then whoever was behind it is satisfied with who’s currently in charge.”

“Caulder,” she said softly, her eyes widening with shock. “Wait. You don’t think he’s the bearer—”

I pressed my finger to her lips to silence her, even though I was nearly positive our conversation couldn’t be overheard. I mostly just liked having a reason to touch her. “I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head. “But this could be why he’s so adamant to keep other magic out of the kingdom. If he’s the bearer, he certainly wouldn’t want anyone else to sense any darkness in him.”

She shuddered, her eyes showing troubled thoughts as she murmured, “I really don’t like this line of thinking. But there’s sound reasoning behind it.”

“I know,” I agreed. “I think it best if we keep our heads on a swivel.”

She nodded, and a thought struck.

“Are you certain the ward your nanny put up is still working? The High Cliff priestess who came to Allera’s wedding was able to enter the kingdom without any problems…I mean, before the bearer of dark magic killed her.”

Vienne smiled as if impressed by my deduction. “I can explain that one since I’m the one who intercepts all the permits Caulder signs, allowing new people of magic into Donnelly. It happens so infrequently, it’s easy enough to track. I just take that person’s name to Nanny Wynter, and she allows them to cross through the ward.”

“Hmm,” I murmured, scratching my chin. “So Caulder knows nothing about the ward?”

“Nope.”

“Has he left the kingdom’s borders since it’s gone up?”

Her brown eyes grew troubled. “No. He hasn’t.”

Shit. That didn’t free him from suspicion, then. I was hoping I could discover something that proved his innocence. I didn’t want the king to be evil.

“I have another question,” I went on, my mind spinning in an entirely new direction. “You supported his decision to align High Cliff with Donnelly, didn’t you?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Well, if your nanny warded the borders for protection, and the only thing High Cliff can really offer Donnelly is protection, why did you want us here?”

A mischievous grin lit her lips. “Are you thinking I somehow sensed it would bring you to me?”

I shrugged, hoping for that very thing.

She sighed. “Sorry to disappoint you, Prince, but no. I had no idea it would bring you here. For me, it was only about protection. A magical ward can keep out other magic, but it doesn’t affect mortal men who might want to breach our borders and invade.”

“Ahh,” I murmured, nodding my acceptance. “So I really ~am~ only useful for my fighting abilities.”

With a light chuckle, she bumped her shoulder purposefully into mine. “Among other things.” I was about to ask ~which~ other things when she added, “Here we are.”

When I glanced up, we’d reached the base of a stone stairwell I hadn’t even noticed coming into view.

“I’m going to douse the torch now,” Vienne told me.

“Okay.” A moment later, the tunnel was plunged into darkness. And a second after that, her fingers tightened on my hand before she led me up the steps.

“If there’s another heavy door to push aside at the top of these steps, you’ll at least let me open it this time, right?” I asked.

“Sure,” she said before I heard her grunt, and light flooded into the stairwell as she heaved with all her might to open another weighty portal.

I shook my head and sighed. “I figured.”

She grinned at me and led me from the ground, where we exited into the middle of the forest at the side of a tree, exactly where I’d lost her earlier.

“Incredible,” I murmured, glancing around.

Vienne chuckled and shook her head. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

From there, we walked and walked. I thought she was going to lead me into Mandalay, but she veered off the path and headed straight for one of the sand mountains that concealed the village.

Pausing at the foot of the larger mountain, she glanced at me nervously.

“What?” I asked, glancing around and looking for whatever it was she seemed worried about. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she murmured before drawing in a deep breath. “It’s just… I’ve never brought anyone here before. No one from the castle knows about it. Not the king, any of his siblings, his cousin, not even my sister.”

I nodded, realizing she was about to share something momentous with me. “I understand,” I murmured. “I won’t tell anyone.”

With a nod, she began kicking around the sand until she uncovered a rope. Leaning down, she grabbed and tugged. But whatever was attached to the other end seemed heavy.

“Here. Let me.”

“No, I…” She gritted her teeth and heaved. “I got it.”

“Seriously, Vienne, could you at least let me do ~something~?”

“Not…necessary,” she strained out before slinging the rope over her shoulder and turning to put her back to it as to provide better leverage when she started trudging away, drawing the sand away from it until a crevice appeared in the desert floor, yawning open wider with each labored step she took.

“Holy shit,” I murmured, backing away to gape as the hole grew large enough to reveal a rectangular entrance with a set of footsteps inside, going down.

“Oh dear,” Vienne said after she dropped the rope. “If the mere entrance has you in this much of a thrall, the inside may actually shock you to death.”

I looked up at her, my mouth sagging open. “There’s a fucking tunnel under this mountain.”

Her smile was charmed. “Yes, I know.” Taking my hand, she led me inside.

We stepped down, me ducking my head again because it was a tight squeeze with more low ceilings. I just loved low ceilings.

As we left the light from the outside world, I realized this place was lit from within—torchlight glimmering below. The further down we went, the more I could hear ahead, like men working, metal clinking against metal, voices of people calling out instructions, the rattle of chains.

“What—?” I started in confusion as we reached a squat room at the base of the steps only to find myself surrounded by sheets and sheets of thin clear rock, piling up nearly to the ceiling. “This is where clear rock’s made,” I said in awe.

“It is.” Vienne turned to me, grinning, as she bobbed her head, affirming it.

Just then, four men came in, each of them carrying a corner of a massive sheet of transparent clear rock.

“Howdy, Vienne,” one greeted. “We weren’t expecting you today.” He glanced at me only to smile back at her. “Everything okay out there?”

“Yes, of course,” she offered with an easy smile. “I just wanted to speak with my grandfather, if he’s around.”

I whipped my face in her direction. “Grandfather?”

“Oh, I’m always around,” a new but weathered voice announced. I spun back to watch a stoop-shouldered man with a shock of wild white hair and an equally untamed white mustache hobble toward us with the use of a wooden walking staff. He paused to crank his head to the side so he could look up at me. “Looks like you brought company today.”

“Sir,” I said, bowing low before him. “It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Urban Bjorn.”

“Oh, and a polite one, too.” He winked at Vienne before turning back to me. “Wren Mandalay. Nice to meet you, sonny.”

“You…” I pointed. “You’re…” He was one of the two founders of Donnelly. Too stunned to say any more, I just blinked at him.

For some reason, I thought he’d be long dead by now.

“Bjorn?” he was saying with a frown. “Met a couple Bjorns in my day. One of them even ruled the realm of High Cliff, I believe.” Then he squinted and peered closer at me. “Yes, you must be from there; you bear one of those silly marks they get.”

“Grandfather,” Vienne chastised softly. “The marks aren’t silly. His ended up saving my life, and it helped me save his right back.”

“What’s that, you say?” the old man asked her, squinting and shifting his head to the side as if he were hard of hearing. Then his bushy white eyebrows perked up. “Hey, you’re not pregnant anymore. Had the baby, did you? Was it a girl or a boy?”

“A girl,” Vienne announced, beaming. “And I named her Anniston. After Grandmother.”

“Did you, now?” Face blooming with approval, Mandalay nodded and glanced up at me. “My dear Anniston came from your High Cliff.” He pointed his finger at me. “She had one of those silly marks too. Marched right up to me the first time we met and told me we were going to wed.” Nodding solemnly, he announced, “Best day of my life.”

As I grinned over his story, Vienne shook her head and frowned. “I never knew she came from High Cliff.”

Mandalay nodded, sadness dimming his brown eyes that looked strikingly like Vienne’s. “Yes. If she hadn’t died before you were born, she probably would’ve told you all the stories. She was the daughter of a High Cliff dignitary who was sent to Lowden as an emissary to try to talk peace negotiations with the Graykey king at the time. But alas, Graykey slaughtered her parents and would’ve gone after her next if I hadn’t helped her escape.”

My eyebrows lifted. “I remember hearing that story in my history lessons when I was young. The emissary was Anatoli Moast, wasn’t it?”

“That’s right,” Mandalay said, tapping my arm. “Anatoli was her father. He was a good man.”

“From an honored family,” I added with a nod as I glanced toward Vienne in a new light. Moast was a strong, noble, well-respected clan in High Cliff. It was enlightening to learn Vienne came from their line. Now I knew where she’d gotten that aggravatingly loyal nature of hers.

She met my gaze, unspeaking.

“One of the soldiers who came to Donnelly with Allera and me is from the house of Moast,” I told her. “I wonder if he’s a second or third cousin to you.”

Her eyes flared with shock. “Really? I’d be interested to meet him.”

“Sure.” I shrugged. “Indigo’s a good man. I think you’d like him.”

“I’d like to meet the boy, too,” Mandalay said, nodding his head. “My Anniston always spoke of a younger brother she had that had been left in High Cliff because he’d been too young to travel with them. If this soldier came from his line, I’d like to settle in my own head all the questions she had about whatever became of her brother.”

“No problem,” I answered. “There aren’t many left from the house of Moast, so I’m sure he would know what happened to the boy. It’s a good chance he’s even a direct descendant.”

“Well, thank you.” The old man regarded me with a touch of surprise, approval, and pride. Then he turned to Vienne. “So, you’re here to show the boy around and introduce him to Elliott, I imagine. Go ahead, then. I don’t mind.”

Her eyebrows raised. “You trust him to meet Elliott?”

Mandalay smiled as he touched her cheek. “I see that ~you~ trust him enough to even bring him down here, and I trust you, so… Yes, I do.”

“I…” Vienne blinked rapidly, clearly honored and overcome to receive such faith from her grandfather. I could tell she wanted to cry but was holding it in. “That’s… Well, thank you. I’m… I’m pleased that you trust my… That is… I mean…”

She couldn’t seem to spit out whatever it was she wanted to say, so I touched her elbow in support.

After glancing my way, she cleared her throat and turned back to Mandalay. “Actually, no. We came looking for Nanny Wynter. But since we’re here, I’m sure he’d love to meet Elliott.”

“Elliott?” I asked, glancing between the two and wondering why it would be so important to meet this mysterious fellow.

His name started with a vowel; had he come from High Cliff as well?

“Nanny Wynter?” Mandalay asked with a heavy frown. “I haven’t seen her in years. Why are you looking for her? Did the magical ward she put up fail?”

Vienne met my gaze, hesitating before saying, “No. No, the ward’s still working as far as I know, but we had a magical question for her. We believe there may be a bearer of dark magic in the castle, and we were wondering if she could help us find him. Are you sure she didn’t come down here? Maybe she slipped in without notice and is staying in one of the empty rooms.”

“No, I’m positive she’s not here. All the rooms are full at the moment, and besides, you’re the first who’s come down those stairs in a month.”

Biting her lip, Vienne sent me another worried glance. “Okay,” she said slowly. “Thank you. But I don’t know where else to look for her. She had to leave her cottage quite abruptly. I thought for sure this is where she’d come.”

“I would think so, too,” Mandalay answered just as a resounding roar echoed through the chamber, lighting the room with a blazing orange glow.

As I cursed and ducked, covering my head with my arms, Mandalay and Vienne remained standing, unruffled by whatever had exploded in the room next to us.

“What the hell?” I said, still flinching my head down even as I straightened back to my full height and wondered why the other two weren’t equally alarmed.

Mandalay burst out laughing. “I think it’s time to introduce him to Elliott.”

I flashed Vienne a startled glance. “Who the fuck is Elliott?”

She tightened her lips into a grin as if she wanted to laugh. “I should probably tell you now that Grandfather created dragon glass.”

“Okay,” I said slowly, staring after Mandalay as he hobbled toward the doorway leading into the chamber that had just lit up with the echoing roar. Then I turned back to Vienne. “What’s dragon glass?”

“Oh, right. Sorry.” She snapped her fingers and sent me a rueful grin. “I’ve grown accustomed to calling it that down here under the mountain because, for some strange reason, Grandfather has always refused to call it clear rock.”

“The word ~glass~ just rolls off the tongue better,” Mandalay grumbled over his shoulder as he passed through the doorway. “But no…no… That damn Terran ~insisted~ we called it clear rock. ~Clear Rock~! How unoriginal is that?”

“Terran is—” Vienne started, only for me to wave a hand.

“Yeah, yeah. Terran Donnelly, the man your grandfather discovered this kingdom with. I got that part. And glass is another word for clear rock, I gather, but… Why the dragon part?”

Before she could answer, the cavern filled with that roar again, along with a great glow of light. And heat. I swear, the temperature grew about twenty degrees hotter before cooling once more. I stared at the doorway to the room that Mandalay had just entered as the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

Then I shook my head, denying what my brain was trying to suggest, because…

No fucking way.

Turning slowly to Vienne, I recalled, “Mandalay and Donnelly were exiled from Lowden for killing off the last dragon in the Outer Realms, weren’t they?”

My one true love nodded deliberately, her smile growing. “They were.”

I shook my head. “But they ~didn’t~ kill the last dragon, did they?”

“No,” she whispered. “They saved him. He was just a baby, and the Graykey family was intent on destroying him. To destroy all of them. They wanted the dragons’ powers.”

I gulped, returning my attention to the doorway, realizing who—or rather ~what~—Elliott was.

“Show me,” I said.