Chapter 293 (1/2)

Chapter 293

Chapter 293: Devil’s Deal

If the pyraether, the last shape proved nearly impossible It wasn’t as si of life as a circle had ledto construct

DuringGrey, I had studied a wide variety of subjects, including syular polyhedra” were an oft discussed topic in such studies, as the ancient philosophers oftheir existence andover and over to build a perfect regular dodecahedron froular puzzle pieces The dodecahedron represented a fifth eleether, and it was considered the mediation between finite and infinite

I couldn’t think of any better geometric symbol to represent the future

It was just too bad that I couldn’t figure out how towe’d been in the o, even though I hardly ate any of my own and the others rationed carefully If it wasn’t for the water I’d brought, Kalon, Ezra, and Haedrig would have been out of that too, since drinking the salty fountain water would’ve caused theht side, the phanto no food or water Though I worried about the condition of her body e found a way to return her to it, for now she see up fine

My eyes fluttered open as I left the realm within the keystone after yet another fruitless attempt to solve the spherical puzzle I was

“—just wait around any for us to die! After all, that freak doesn’t need food or water like we do—”

“—have no idea ill happen if you do what he’s asking—”

“—least we’d be doing so to die—”

“—a trap, s even worse!”

Kalon and Ezra were standing nearly chest to chest, yelling into each other’s faces Ezra looked diminished somehow He had lost a few pounds fro else He had shrunk in on hi his bravado as he withered away into so on one of the benches, apparently doing his best to stay out of the fais, noticingat it like this for about tento one of the reflections and thinks it can help us get out of here’

What the hell does he think I’ a deep breath, I stepped into the siblings’ argument “Both of you, take a step back and let’s talk about this”

Ezra looked atthe words, “Oh, fuck you!”

I repressed the growing desire to cuff him like the brat that he was, but held back I kneould just s worse

“I’ll handle this,” Kalon said, his tone uncharacteristically brusque

I raised esture of peace “I’d like to hear what Ezra has to say”

Ezra looked at me warily, clearly not sure whether to believe erness for action won out, however, and he shouldered past his brother and walked toward one of thedully on the stone floor

“Here,” he said, gesturing for me to look at the mirror, which contained the ascender with the tall onyx horns on his helht with his arms crossed, just as he had e entered “This is Mythelias, once an ascender He kno to escape this place”

I inspected the reflection again, taking in the little details He was about h thinner, and he held himself like a soldier as he stared back athis coal-black eyes stand out like erey hair had escaped his hel down the side of his cheek

The black leather-and-plate arht and flexible—the arical; the shi+ning jet runes inlaid in the steel plates weren’t just decorative The hel onyx horns extended over two feet fro him look even taller and thinner than he already was

My eyes caught on soe that outlined the horns It wasn’t a joint, fastening the horn to the helh the helm

The man was a Vritra, or at least of Vritra blood

“What exactly is Mythelias’s plan?” I asked, not i out my discovery to the others It probably wouldn’tin iven away ave“He says he kno to use aether, and he also kno he can escape theascender hesitated, so I pressed hio on

“He—he said that the spirits frolanced down the hall, to where Riah’s remains now lay We’d been forced to relocate her away from the bench after the first few days due to the s behind Ezra, listening and looking thunderous, said, “There is no way in hell we’re giving Riah’s body to this liar”

“And how,” I said loudly, cutting their argu this ascender out of hisat his brother like he wanted nothing more than to stab him, Ezra said, “He kno to use aether He can’t tell me how to escape, but he can show us if we set hi said suddenly, not bothering to get up from his bench “I’ve spoken to some of the trapped souls here as well, and they’ve pros if only I’d help the like a cornered woadcat “He’s Vritra-blooded! One of the Sovereigns’ own Who the hell are you to question his honor?”

Haedrig rolled his eyes, but Kalon started, now looking unsure His gaze drifted to thehis head “We can’t be sure, brother”

Ezra looked his brother in the eye and spit at his feet before shouldering past hi this”

Kalon snapped The elder Granbehl sibling grabbed his brother fro hi, her eyes wide and ecstatic as she watched the scuffle

Suddenly Ezra’s crimson spear was in his hand, but he didn’t have any roo was quick to roll off the bench and kick the weapon out of his hand It spun away into the shadoith a clatter

“Get offhis elbows backwards into his brother’s sto slipped fro the brothers on “Knife hih, I stepped forward to replace the gag Regis stood at attention behind et involved

Deal with this, I instructed him

My companion lept forward and his jaere at Ezra’s throat in an instant The boy quit struggling, and both Ezra and Kalon lay on the ground panting

I let the s to leave an impression on the boy

We had passed a point of no return Now that our internal strife had devolved into violence, trust was broken I couldn’t sio back about his business, but I didn’t like to consider the alternative

Making a decision, I estured for Kalon to disentangle hi up atdown next to hi it with as much self-assuredness and authority as I could: “I understand how you feel right now You ressive actions or your insubordinate attitude

“Listen carefully, because I’ this once From this point forward, if you don’t follow orders, if you attack roup, if you try to pursue this senseless plan of yours against my wishes, I will kill you I ithout hesitation—throw you into the void”

I met Kalon’s eyes, and I could see the tu within theer at Ezra’s behavior, and his own fierce grip on what little re hope he felt

“And if your brother tries to stop me, I’ll throw him in too Understood?”

The Granbehls stared at ry, but I could tell they believed ed his brother in the shoulder with the toe of his boot

Ezra scoffed “Understood”