Lucas interpreted my confusion. “Sarti is in the deepest part of the underworld. Here, the underlords rule supreme. It is, without question, one of the most depraved and dangerous cities across the realms.” He stared at Riley with some incredulity. “Is your Dragon friend trying to get us killed?”
I brushed Riley’s hair back off her face. Her skin was hot to the touch, dry everywhere except on her face, and flushed. I didn’t know her well, but I was pretty sure the fact she hadn’t yet tried to rise spoke volumes.
“He thought it would be the best place to hide from Isobel until he can give us another Jump point.” Her voice sounded a little stronger, but only marginally.
“This is the last place Isobel would think to look for us,” I said.
A muscle jumped in Lucas’s jaw as he continued to stare out across the city. But finally, he nodded. “You might be right.”
His gaze drifted from Riley to me, and I said, “There must be a gate nearby.”
His mouth pulled straight. “There are no gates here. Or anywhere in this valley. Sarti and her sister cities were built here for a reason. We are in a valley created by an extinct volcano.”
My eyes widened. Places where the earth’s molten core came to the surface pushed the rivers of life energy away. They were magical dead zones.
“What does that mean?” Riley whispered.
My arms tightened around her. “It means that gates can’t be built here. Gates rely on lodestones, or places where life energies converge. The farther they are from them, the more difficult the gates are to create and maintain.”
“There are no lodestones around volcanoes,” Lucas added. “Which is why Sarti was built in this location. Watchers are connected to every gate that exists, they can use them as their eyes and ears. Therefore, the underlords have free rein here.” He gestured out across the city to the distant mountain peaks. “The closest gate is on the other side of that mountain ridge. Five days travel by Trantil. Almost two by Dragon. I’d have to stick to the passes as the mountains are tough to fly over.”
The note in his voice—“You’ve been here before?”
He looked away. “Yes. Swore I’d never be back.” His shoulders rose and then fell. “Should’ve known that would dare Fate to do otherwise. She is quite perverse.”
No gates meant that unless we committed to that trip, we were trapped here until Riley recovered.
Lucas was following the same trail of logic as me. “We need a place where we can hole up, so you can heal her properly.”
I grimaced. “My healing talent is damaged. I need crystal energy, or there isn’t much I can do.”
“I just need to rest.” Riley, finally, struggled to sit up. But she was so weak, she swayed. She met Lucas’s eyes. “Do you have any crystal dust?”
His mouth clamped shut for an instant, before he said. “One thing at a time. First, we need to find a safe place to lie low.” He turned around and surveyed the city. “Think I know where we are. Can you boost her enough to walk?”
In answer, I put an arm around Riley’s waist and lifted her to her feet. She swayed into me.
“Sorry,” she said. “Dizzy. Dust would help.”
Lucas’s lips pulled back from his teeth. “I’m sure it would,” he stated. “But I don’t have any.”
He headed for the ladder that would take us down to the street, and we staggered after him.
21
Marcus
“You sent herwhere?”
I couldn’t quite believe what I’d heard. The red Dragon glared at me, and snarled, “You heard me.”
My jaw had been resting on the floor, and now it snapped shut. “That place will rip her to shreds. What were you thinking?”
My voice had hoarsened, and black scales chased along my wrists, but I didn’t give a damn. If there was a hell on earth, it was Sarti.
Havoc’s copper eyes ignited, and his fingers sprouted talons. So did mine.
Calm down, Marcus. It isn’t the worst idea. Dangerous, yes, but so is Isobel. Sarti is a pale second compared to her.
