Chapter 290 (1/2)

Chapter 290

Chapter 290: The Mirror Rooh the portal and into the next zone A figure lunged from my left and I jerkedhappened Movement fro a flanking attack, but no attack ca at shado, eh Princess?’ Regis chuckled in my mind ‘Look’

“Who—who are they?”

All around, people looked back at uish, their faces ith tears, twisted with rage, or contorted into soundless screahwildly, striking and scratching at theround, like wards in an asyluate further, Kalon and Ezra were stu into me, Riah between the back froures within the s

At the center of the room there was a square fountain, six feet to a side and surrounded by benches “There,” I said, pointing to a bench “Set her down there”

The brothers carried their family friend across the roo fro darkly across the , her eyes glassy “Is—is this the sanctuary?” She gazed at one of the nearby figures, her brows knitting in confusion She actually leaned toward it and squinted to try and focus on it, as if she didn’t quite believe her own eyes

The figure, a very portly man ore only linen pants, a pair of steel boots, and spiked gauntlets, didn’t look back, but kneeled on all fours, haain and again

Haedrig, the last in, set a hand gently on her shoulder and guided her past me, toward the fountain at the center of the room “No, this isn’t a sanctuary room,” he said, his voice low and oes froeting with his spear He snapped around when Haedrig spoke

“What do you lanced around and flinched again, as if seeing the roouided Ada to the benches and encouraged her to sit down before turning back to Ezra “It clearly isn’t, and after that first zone you’d have to be a fool to think that we’d end up anywhere so expected as a sanctuary roo, but the mossy-haired veteran seemed entirely unconcerned They held one another’s eyes for a longto his sister

I turned my attention back to the rooht feet tall,it feel very low and claustrophobic after the enorh the area near the fountain was brightly lit by orbs of light that hung down over the running water, the roo it difficult to tell how long the roo us the tortured figures h the rooht, ‘ht As I approached the nearest h, of course, the man in the mirror was not me, nor did he exist outside of that reflection He was an olderunblinkingly back out atceaselessly

I leaned forward, cocking ainst the mirror, and I realized I could hear the faint whisper of a voice, though I could notShe’s lost a lot of blood, but that poultice you gave her saved her life, Ada If we can get out of here quick enough, she’ll be okay”

Kalon stepped up to a mirror near the fountain The man within it wore a hel him the appearance of a Vritra He stood with his arhty sneer smeared across his face Based on his armor—black leather and blackened steel plates with jet runes inlaid throughout—he was an ascender, and a wealthy one at that

“They’re all ascenders,” Haedrig said, as if he’d read n and material of their clothes and armor,” Kalon pointed out “Especially the horns It’s been out of favor to wear horned helms for, what, several decades? They’ve been trapped here for quite awhile, haven’t they?”

No one answered, though a collective chill ran through the group as we all considered being trapped in this room for eternity

“Why in Vritra’s na to stand by Kalon “This is a preli man turned toward me “You! I don’t kno, but this is your fault, isn’t it?!”

“Enough,” Kalon said quietly “Whyever we’re here, it’s just another test This is a puzzle zone We need to start looking for clues that’ll help us solve the rooed expression disappeared as she got up to her feet, forcing a slanced at the sleeping Riah, her bandages already spotted through with blood “For Riah!”

The first-time ascender’s bravery seeave his sister a side-hug, wincing as he did so

“What about you?” I asked hi,” he said, his chin up, his gaze haughty “I’ll be fine”

Shakingthe mirrors, one by one, for any hint or clue about how to proceed

Kalon stepped up beside me “That was an impressive spell you used to teleport back there”

“Thanks,” I said simply

“I’ll admit, I wasn’t the best student at academy,” Kalon went on, “and I was particularly bad at ancient runes—I just never really understood the point, you know? I always kneas going to be an ascender, and ascenders don’t fight each other”

I turned to Kalon,at?”

He raised his hands and smiled warmly, but I could see the tension in the way he held himself and the way his s conversation, Grey—and, thinking about that spell I’ve never seen anything like it We studied all kinds of runes at the acadeuess

“I was curious”—he paused, glancing up the hall toward his brother and sister—“if I could see your…What is it you have? An emblem? It seems too powerful for a crest” When I didn’t irin “It’s not a regalia, surely? Is that why you don’t have your runes displayed? Who are you?”

“Listen,” I said, “there’ll be plenty of time for war stories e’re out of here, okay? For now, let’s just figure out this puzzle room”

Kalon shook his head and patted ure you out yet, Grey” He turned to walk up the hall, following his siblings, then stopped “Oh, and sorry about Ezra Don’t irls”

‘And an iis said in my mind

I sain on the task at hand

‘Guesses here?’ Regis asked after we’d looked over a dozen orfor, Arthur?’

If everyone here is an ascender, then they’ve presu the mirrors?

‘Okay, so don’t touch the et out of here?’

I stopped when one of the figures we passed by waved wildly with both aret my attention He was a bearded man who also had a horned helm with locks of wavy brown hair that flowed down past his chin His eyes were deeply sunken and ringed with shadows, but he perked up when I stopped

They can see us, I thought, realization washi+ng over me

The trapped ascender pressed his hand to the inside of thefor rinned and nodded, then gestured again ently

‘It’s a trap, you know it is What if you get sucked in after touching that ets loose and tries to kill everyone else?’

“Can you hearat the ain at his hand pressed against the inside of the pane I shook my head back

The man’s face fell, and when he looked back up there was such a pure and malevolent hatred in his eyes that I took a step back fro off his hel it as a pickaxe to try and break his way out

‘Sheesh…sois said, laughing at his own joke

Ignoring Regis, I ed ascender

After a fewtheme as closely as I was them, Ada called out

“It’s…it’sdown the hall, which seeer than it had at first appeared Ada was standing in front of a mirror perhaps twenty feet away, and froure within

The esture the real Ada i identically so it was alenuinely a reflection of the other, both raised their hands and lassy pane