Page 124 of Prince of Shadow and Ash
“It lines up with his notes and description.”
Adelaide blasted the wall with fire. It warmed him for a moment, but had no impact on the stone. She threw daggers of light at it. Still nothing. “Why.” Another blast of fire. “Won’t.” Her voice rose as a glowing spear pinged off the wall. “It!” A torrent of flames. “OPEN!” She shoved her hands forward, throwing a blast of light at the wall.
A sharp crack like a lightning strike rent the air and rattled his bones. A fissure opened in the bottom of the wall and raced up some ten feet before spreading right and left. The rock in front of them crumbled and crashed to the ground. He covered his face as dust billowed. When he lowered his arm, a gaping hole in the wall opened into inky blackness. They looked at each other, then headed inside, an orb of blue light leading their way.
They stood inside a round stone room no more than six paces in diameter. In the center of the room stood a marble statue. They moved closer, and the light fell on the statue—a woman in flowing robes. The marble woman’s eyes were closed, and her head lowered. She held one hand over her face, hiding one eye. The stone beneath her visible eye was stained, making her look like she had been crying. Her other hand was cupped, palm up, in front of her stomach. In her palm glittered a huge opal of black and purple with flecks of orange and red. It was polished into an oval and about as long as a little finger. Adelaide reached out and curled her fingers around the opal. Regulus held his breath as she pulled her hand back.
The statue moved.
The marble woman blinked, her lids grating over pupil-less eyes with a rasping sound. She raised her head with a creak of stone. Adelaide stepped closer to Regulus, clutching the opal to her chest. The statue’s white lips parted.
“Do not seek to re-forge the Staff of Nightfall.” The statue’s cold voice filled the room. “The Staff brings only death and destruction. The sorceress who created it is dead, along with all her victims.” She reached out her hand, the marble groaning. “You are pure of heart to enter here. The Staff’s power cannot be used for good. Its desire is tainted. Return the opal and seal the door, or the Staff will bring endless night.”
His heart sank. Whatever the sorcerer wanted with a staff that brought death and destruction, it wasn’t good. Regardless of whetherendless nightwas a metaphor, he didn’t like the sound of it.Etiros...forgive me.
“Who are you?” Adelaide’s voice sounded small in the stone chamber.
“I am the spirit of those who died by the power of the Staff of Nightfall.” The statue blinked again and tears—real tears—ran from her marble eyes. Regulus recoiled.
Adelaide’s fist moved from her chest. She cried out. In the same moment, a burning sensation spread from the mark on his own arm. She was considering leaving the opal. And the sorcerer knew.
“Return the opal.” Tears dripped over the polished marble of the statue’s face and splashed on the stone floor.
Adelaide screamed and Regulus groaned as they both fell to their knees. Regulus knew what she was feeling, because the same slicing, burning pain cut up his arm and across his chest. But he had experienced it before. Adelaide shook beside him, sobbing. He wrapped his arm around her as the pain made his head pound. She whimpered and rocked back and forth. His eyes watered—not from his own pain as much as for hers.
“Adelaide.” He placed a trembling hand against her cheek.
She shook her head. “We can’t, we—” She arched backward and screamed. A stifled scream ground up his own throat as it felt like his heart was being wound round and round with hot wire. The opal slipped from Adelaide’s fingers and clattered across the stone.
“We don’t have a choice,” Regulus whispered, holding her shoulders. “He controls us.”
She nodded, tears running down her cheeks and neck. “All right. All right.”
The pain rushed out of his chest, down his arm, and disappeared. Adelaide leaned against him, breathing hard. After a moment, Regulus scooped the opal off the ground and put it in his saddlebag before helping her to her feet. The marble statue creaked as they walked toward the entrance, and he looked over his shoulder.
Both her stone hands covered her face.
