Chapter 408 (2/2)
Lyra’s brows knitted together, and one side of her is chuckled in my mind ‘Worth the wait’
“We moved your teleportation artifact to a safer location,” Kathyln said, h the palace
Lyra gave a soft scoff “She means they hid it fro that returning to my homeland is a death sentence”
“Threat of death alone does not an ally make,” Kathyln replied calmly, her chin turned up and her eyes forward
Kathyln led us through the palace in silence, down into the bowels of the undercroft to a guarded vault There, ere allowed entry on Kathyln’s orders, and inside she took us to an individual roo on a metal table by itself, was the tempus warp
As Kathyln stood aside to allow the four of us into the small room, I took in her stance, her expression, and where she was focusing her attention “Thank you I know this can’t have been easy, but Etistin—Dicathen—needed you”
She rewarded my words with a small but warm smile Then the s focus “I know you’ll be busy in the co days and weeks, but Etistin still needs you Please return when you can”
“I will,” I promised, then turnedthe Realmheart Godrune with aether, I felt that heady rush as the mana came to life all around me I quickly input our destination into the device and then activated it bythe ainst one wall Aether reached out and tugged on the tee rune
Jash
“Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Glayder,” Lyra said, putting a hand on her chest and giving a shallo
Kathyln said nothing as the retainer followed Jasis went quickly after her
The for back
My gaze lingered on her’s “Are you sure everything is all right?”
“These are complicated times, Arthur,” she said in that cool, distant way she had before giving an to turn around, I reached out and took her hand For a moment, the two of us stayed silent as I watched a flush of color spread in her cheeks But her expression mirrored my own; an expression ed throughout the tiether
Gently pulling her hand loose fro, her forehead resting on ain, ers feathered through her hair where it had fallen over her shoulder
“See you soon,” I assured her Then, with no more to say, I turned and stepped into the portal R ea d first at l i g h tn o v e l r e a d e ro- r g
The scene shi+fted from the small, barren vault to the massive cavern of Vildorial With the tempus warp, it was a smooth transition, nearly sea
Nearby, Lyra was looking out over the edge of the curving road with is watched her carefully A handful of dwarves in heavy plate arates of the Earthborn Institute, our destination One dwarf put hinized him immediately as Skarn Earthborn, Mica’s cousin
“Lance Arthur,” he said, stopping several feet away His contingent of guards halted just behind hiered on Lyra Dreide “I’ve been on the lookout for you for the last few days Do you mind if I ask…nevermind, not my business” He cleared his throat “My uncle, Carnelian, needs to speak to you as soon as—”
I held up a hand, forestalling the rest of Skarn’s e “I’ll make my rounds as soon as I’ve had a moment to check in on my family Tell Carnelian that I’h”
Skarn’s always pinched, vaguely hostile expression darkened, but he held back whatever argument he obviously wanted to uards, he said, “Back to your posts!”
He hurried away, his ar around?” Jaset so much as she babysat the retainer in Etistin “We’ll catch up later”
Jasoing to dragexciting”
Chuckling, I shooed her off
She turned aaving over her head without looking back
“You are a strange leader,” Lyra said fro Jas road “But then, perhaps only one who doesn’t wish for authority can wield it without corruption assuon of purity that you present to the world”
I stared down at the retainer placidly She stared back, e But she said nothing else, only followed as I ates of the Earthborn Institute
The guards let us pass without a word, and then we delved into the stone halls cut into the side of the cavern Instead of heading straight for my mother and Ellie’s roo quarters Although not a prison, the Earthborn Institute had a large number of secure vaults
I found one that was easy enough to return to and currently appeared unoccupied It had a barred front like a prison cell, and between each bar was a warding rune that would repelmy intention, Lyra scoffed “Surely you don’t—”
I eh the runes repelledto interrupt the aetheric pathways, and, in a flash of a, we appeared within the vault
Her words cut off in a surprised gasp
Before she could react, I God Stepped back out of the vault With lightning still cascading across h the bars to meet her eye “We both know this vault probably can’t keep you, but I think we also both know it’s not in your best interest to break free”
And just for safe uard her
‘How did I know that was co your fierce asura-crafted weapon and becoood at so you to do it, I quipped
“Is this really necessary, Regent?” Lyra asked with a sigh “I’ve already—”
“Behave yourself, and maybe I’ll start to let out your leash,” I said over her, then turned and marched away quickly
Finally, after what, for them, would have been well over a week, I found myself back before the door tohearty, like afrom under the front door
I knocked, softly at first, then slightly louder Voices exchanged from within, muffled by the thick dwarven door, and a few seconds went by The door’s latch lifted with a resonant clunk, and the door swung open
My sister’s sandy-brown eyes fleide as she saw hted screech “Arthur!”
I pulled her into a tight e her squawk in surprise When I finally set her down, she was red and her
“I’ue out at me “Where have you been, anyway?”
It was my mother who answered She had stepped out of the kitchen and was leaning against the wall, wiping her hands on an apron “Off saving the world, of course”
I rolledas well “It s,” Ellie said, bouncing past us toward the kitchen “I was pretty sure she was going to poison us all in the first week, but she’s gotten better”
Moed out of the way and ducked through the kitchen arch Moers out of that pie, young lady!” She threw me an exasperated look over her shoulder “Come on, you can help finish up Or at least pin your sister down and keep her fro before it’s ready I swear, I’ve never seen anyone who could put down so ,” she said around a mouthful of food I followed ed her while si another roll from a heaped plate
Mo up a pile of vegetables that were going into a pot over the fire “So her personally By throwing your na what looked like an entire roll at once “Hey, after all the near-deaths and running and hiding, being a Leywin should come with some perks…”
Her voice trailed off as mother froze, and my own face fell
“Sorry,” Ellie said quickly, i the shi+ft in mood “I didn’t mean it like that”
My mom stood stiffly for a“Don’t worry about it, dear You’re right, we’ve been through a lot I’ you, since your brother is too busy saving the world”
They laughed together, albeit a little aardly, but that sound alone ain,” I shot back with uess I could just let the world end That way I wouldn’t have to worry about Ellie ever dating”
Moenuinely this tie and chucked a roll across the kitchen at me I snatched it out of the air and took a bite
As I chewed, though, a force flared deep under the institute I flinched at the n of noticing Looking down at my feet, I stretched my senses
A sudden, sharp wave of aether had burst like a geyser so all throughout the institute It was potent enough that certainly others should have sensed it…
“Arthur?” Mo?”
“I’ for the door “Stay here, and”—I made eye contact with my sister—“summon Boo, just in case”