54. RETREAT

Senera’s story

Grizzst’s Tower

After leaving the Soaring Halls

Senera ushered everyone through the magical gate. Thurvishar was last, carried by Galen and Qown while Rebel supervised both by running around their legs, tail down and anxious. Senera had opened a portal straight to the ground level, glad once again that they’d thought to clear a safe space to make that easier.

Senera fought back a round of hysterical laughter as she thought, At least we won’t get blood on the research notes.

Fayrin looked bemused as he took in the lowest room of the tower, which Senera thought was a valid reaction. It wasn’t clear where they were if one had never been to the tower before, and the architecture was … odd … if one was used to the Capital. Grizzst’s Tower was so old that it was probably one of the only existing examples of voras construction outside of Kharas Gulgoth. Especially now that the Lighthouse at Shadrag Gor had been destroyed.

But she’d misunderstood the reason for his shock.

“Wait,” Fayrin said. “You cleaned? He let you touch his notes?”

She felt an odd sort of pain stab through her as the air caught in her lungs. Oh. If she’d had any doubts that Fayrin really had been part of the Gryphon Men, they were certainly gone now. He’d given himself away.

“Grizzst’s dead,” she said.

Fayrin blinked at her, uncomprehending. Not, she thought, the stare of someone who didn’t know who she was talking about. More that she told him something that couldn’t possibly be true.

“What are we doing here?” Galen asked as he led Thurvishar over to a chair, mostly so he wouldn’t have to hold him up while Qown saw to his injuries.

“There’s a magic gate downstairs we’re going to use,” Senera said. “It leads to the capital of the Manol.”

Sheloran’s head jerked up, and she stared at Senera in disbelief.

Senera shrugged. “The man who built this place was having an affair. He found it convenient to be able to reach his lover quickly. And right now, it is our only way into the Manol that doesn’t involve standing around at the border until someone notices us. We can’t remain here.”

“Um.” Fayrin frowned. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, we are Quuros…”

“It’s fine,” Senera said. “Their king’s a friend.”

Fayrin stared.

“We’re expected,” Senera explained. “Or at least, we planned for the possibility we might need refuge there if things went wrong—which they have.” She raised an eyebrow at Sheloran and Galen. “Really. How did you think we were going to go there? If wizards could just open portals into the Manol at will, Quur would have invaded a long time ago.”

“I’m almost done,” Qown said as he finished ripping the sleeve off Thurvishar’s arm. “Then we can move him. He’s mostly lost a lot of blood and broke some bones, but nothing more serious than that.”

“All right, finish up and—”

A roar sounded from somewhere in the distance.

They all froze.

A shiver crawled over Senera’s skin. That sounded large. That sounded draconic. Kihrin was supposed to be keeping the dragons away.

But there was one dragon he couldn’t control.

Fear quickened through her veins. How stupid of her. With the Lighthouse gone and Senera’s cottage destroyed, how many places could Senera and Thurvishar take as refuge, really? Relos Var knew Grizzst kept a gate here to the Manol. It wasn’t so great a leap to conclude that either their group would take shelter in the now empty tower of Thurvishar’s mentor or they would use it to travel to their only other reliable sanctuary.

Either way, destroying the tower was the smart play.

“Everyone downstairs!” Senera shouted, pointing to the door they needed. “Right now!”

Sheloran used magic to yank the door open by its metal handle even as she was running for the stairs. Galen picked up Thurvishar and tossed him over a shoulder. Qown, Fayrin, and Rebel just ran.

Senera was the last to go. She threw up the strongest magical ward she could just as the room filled with blue fire. The force of the blast threw her backward, down the stairs. Everything was bright light and heat and the most indescribably pure pain.

And then nothing at all.