Chapter 33: Chapter 33
“Which way do we need to go?” Slate asked Nya as the troops they’d been tailing got far enough ahead of them that he could safely ask without being overheard. They were at a crossroads, where another hallway entered into the corridor where they were walking, and she’d have to decide whether or not they should keep going down the path where they were headed or turn off and take this other route.
Nya moved so that her back was against the wall and closed her eyes, feeling out into the future using her mind’s eye to determine which was the most direct route to the Heart of Magic.
If they continued down the path they were headed down now, she saw them coming to another stairwell that headed up, which is where the soldiers were going. They’d end up on a different part of the roof, which would do them no good. If they took the path that led off to the left, they’d need to take a stairwell up about four flights. Thousands of scenarios ran through her head. She let them all play out as quickly as possible until she settled on the one that she thought would work. After her last mistake, running into the soldier on the stairs, she wasn’t completely sure this was foolproof, but she believed she knew what they needed to do. “Go to the left,” she said, opening her eyes.
Slate watched her carefully and then nodded when he seemed sure that she was sure. He turned to the left, and she followed behind him, both of them keeping their steps light so that they wouldn’t make much noise.
She didn’t see anyone in the hall, which was exactly what she expected, and when they came to the door that led to the stairwell they needed to use, she tugged on the back of Slate’s shirt and gestured for him to take that staircase.
Once again, Slate’s eyes read her face. Nya did her best to look confident. She didn’t know for sure that they would make it up the five flights they needed to go without running into anyone, but she did see them emerging in the hallway upstairs. That’s when things started to get dangerous. Slate nodded and quietly opened the door.
This stairwell was lit better than the other one and the hallway they’d been in, which was sort of a shame because, if they did run into anyone, it would be impossible to hide. The stairs were steep and narrow, and they wound up without a railing to hold on to. Nya hustled to keep up with Slate, but when they heard voices, both of them pulled their swords and waited.
There were two distinct voices, both of them women, and neither of them sounding like much of a threat. Their thick Beelzanborgian accents made it difficult to understand them, but Nya got the impression they were complaining about how filthy the king’s privy was. She tried not to laugh, and both she and Slate put their weapons away. These two were not immediate threats. While it was possible the women might question who they were and what they were doing there, she doubted they’d sound an alarm if she and Slate handled themselves appropriately.
As the women rounded the bend and caught sight of Slate, their eyes widened. Both of the women were older, probably old enough to be Nya’s grandmother, and wore the clothing of maids. Still, they were not hiding their delight at seeing the well-built man. “Good morrow,” Slate said, looking them right in the eye.
Both of the women blushed a little and returned his greeting before moving on, not paying Nya any mind at all. If they were concerned that the castle was under siege, they didn’t show it. What sort of an attacker would look someone right in the face and greet them? Nya had to assume the women thought he was a visiting dignitary or something like that, and if they even saw Nya at all, they must think she was his servant or something.
Once the women were out of earshot, Slate turned to look at Nya. “We need to hurry,” he said. “They might not be suspicious now, but that doesn’t mean they won’t become suspicious.”
Nya nodded in agreement. They picked up their speed, rushing up the steps as Nya counted floors. When they reached the floor she was certain the Heart of Magic was being kept on, she grabbed Slate’s hand. “Stop,” she said. “This is the right floor.”
He nodded, no longer giving her the questioning look he’d been following up each of her recommendations with. “Will we meet trouble on this floor?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes. There will be a lot of soldiers. I see us both getting away, though. Separated. I will make it to the room with the gem, and then, I will find you, and you’ll have the power to free yourself.” She closed her eyes briefly and saw the same scene playing out again and again, the one she’d been seeing since she started this journey. She saw a large dragon in chains, black and red, like Slate, though it was difficult to see a lot of detail. She saw herself making a decision. Nya opened her eyes, and once again, he didn’t seem to think there was a chance he might not believe her or trust that she would give him the gem. She’d given him no reason not to believe her.
“All right,” he said. “Then… let’s do it.”
The fact that he was now prepared to go full speed ahead, making this the mission to get the gem and not a reconnaissance mission as it had started out, said a lot about how much he trusted her. Nya wanted to reach up on her tiptoes and press her lips to his for good luck, but she couldn’t move. Her eyes were transfixed on his handsome face.
When the time came, she’d give him the gem--wouldn’t she?
Slate gave her a reassuring smile, and they moved to the door, facing soldiers, uncertainty, and a hope that she would do the right thing when the time came.