Its roots trailed down the mound where it grew like a pedestal and intertwined with the walls and ceiling in a way that made me wonder if the plant was holding up the entire fortress. These roots looked strong and deep, and I couldn’t see the end of any them. And the magic that surrounded the rose bush was so bright it almost overwhelmed my ability to take it in.
Was this rose bush connected to the scraggly branches I’d seen by Alastor? And had he detected the fae magic too? I knew he couldn’t see it the way I could, but he used to be able to feel Motab whenever she was around.
And Motab always knew when we were close.
As I studied the great rose cavern, a new branch grew up from the ground by my feet. In ten seconds it sprouted up from a flat spot on the ground to three feet tall. Leaves popped out on its stalk, and then two roses. The branch leaned toward me, and I extended a finger to touch it.
“What are you doing?” The soft outrage echoed through the cavern. I knew that voice. I’d heard the king project it with magic before.
I straightened up and turned to face him.
He stalked toward me, fury rolling off his broad shoulders like smoke falling from a fire. Was it really smoke? Or was I seeing his magic? I couldn’t tell the difference.
But I knew I hadn’t seen him this angry since he’d wanted to incinerate my brother.
And even though he’d been a monster of legend on that day, I was more afraid of him right now than I had been then.
I stepped backward as he marched closer to me. I stumbled over a root and fell to the floor. I threw my hands out to catch myself before my head hit the ground.
He loomed over me, like a terror from nightmares. “I trusted you,” he snarled. “I gave you more freedom than I thought was wise because I wanted to do right by you. And you turned around, in less than an hour, and betrayed me.”
“No!” I cried from the ground. “I haven’t done anything to hurt you.”
“You lie!”
“No! I haven’t lied to you. Not once!”
He bent over me and reached a hand towardmy neck. I closed my eyes and waited for his grip to choke me. Or his fires to destroy me. Or whatever a drekkan king did when he thought someone had betrayed his trust.
But the violence I expected did not come.
Seconds passed.
I opened my eyes.
He still loomed over me. Anger—and maybe hurt—filled his entire countenance and rose off him in great waves. I saw the conflict in him—a debate between his most basic instincts: kill or protect. He battled with himself, and I did not dare enter the arena. How could I know which direction anything I said would tip him when I did not even understand the conflict? No conversation I’d ever had with him had made sense, and now my life hung somewhere between his unknown value system and his uncertain self-control.
I met his furious gaze. It took every piece of strength I possessed, but if he was going to kill me, I wanted him to know that I hadn’t lied to him.
“Get out,” he hissed, before I could say anything.
I opened my mouth to attempt to explain, but he cut me off.
“Get out!” he roared, sounding more like a drekkan than an elf.
I rolled over onto my hands and knees and pushed off into a run. I raced out of the epic cavern and did not look back.
I stumbled twice, nearly fell to my knees, but caught myself on my hands and kept running. When I finally reached the courtyard where all the tunnels met, I slowed to catch my breath. My hands shook and my legs burned. I glanced down the corridor I’d come from and shivered. The king was not close enough to see, but… I did not want to see him again. Whatever I had done had made him so furious that I expected him to kill me for it eventually.
And he’d told me,“Get out.”
I glanced down the corridor to my room, but shook my head just thinking about it. If I went there, the king could march back up and roast me any time he wanted.
“I’m sorry, Mylo,” I muttered as I turned into a tunnel marked with a tulip. “I really didn’t mean to lie to you. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Chapter 10: Callista
The tulip tunnel opened to a grand entryway that was far bigger than the underground cavern. Chandeliers with rows of crystals radiated magic light that brightened the space so much that it felt like midday.
