Tall black walls rose above us. Even from this distance, I felt magic powering them, warding off the Regaymor. Soon, we reached a tall set of gates.
Groups of people filed into the city through the open gates. Some pushed carts or rode in wagons pulled by horse-like creatures that might have been Pegasus once, although only stubs remained where their wings had been.
“Do we just walk inside?” Heidel asked.
“Yes,” Maveryck said. “The amulets will help us to blend in, but keep your heads down. It would be best not to draw attention. Most of these people are refugees from the outer villages, and we would be wise to adopt the same story. If they discover our true identities, we’ll most likely be killed.”
Glancing at Maveryck, I still had trouble comprehending that he was here speaking to us. I’d thought for sure the man was dead, but I was beginning to realize that even after a lifetime of experience, being raised by dragons, living in two worlds—among humans and fae creatures—and being trained in magic for my entire life, I still didn’t know much. There was so much more out there I didn’t know and had yet to learn. Some of it, I dreaded knowing.
As we made our way toward the gates, the city came into view. Black soot covered the buildings’ walls and a layer of packed ash covered the cobbled streets, reminding me of eighteenth-century London, when smog and soot were commonplace and had become a part of everyday life.
I couldn’t imagine that life in a city such as this was a great existence.
We mingled with the crowd as we crossed over the drawbridge, steps echoing, until we reached the other side and entered the city. With our cowls pulled over our heads, I hoped we wouldn’t attract attention.
Masses of people gathered around food stalls or inns. Tents had been erected in some places, where I saw people who looked starving huddled under dirty robes. Other people pushed carts or walked alone. Most people dressed in rags of drab grays or brown, though I spotted a few citizens dressed a little nicer than the others who were wearing purple or red with clean-shaven faces. A good portion of the people had the same red eyes as Lucretian. I did my best not to stare.
We followed Maveryck to a town square, to a statue taking up the center of the space. As we approached, I recognized the stone façade carved to be Theht, although with large cracks through the marble and pieces chipped from its surface, the statue had seen better days.
Standing near it, Maveryck pointed toward the tower looming against the horizon.
“Take this path,” he said, pointing straight ahead. “It will lead you to Jeven’s tower. Heidel and I will meet you here after you reclaim the sword, and then we shall escape the city.”
“How long will it take you to remove the unicorn’s stone?” I asked.
“I can’t say, as I do not know what we will be up against. However, you’ll know the moment we remove the stone because the spells protecting the sword will dissipate. Stay close to the sword so you’ll know when to remove it.”
“Will Jeven let us get close to it?” Kull asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never met Jeven or been inside his tower, but I can tell you this, it would be best to heed Lucretian’s advice. I’ve got some experience in thievery, if you remember. If you want to get close to that sword, he’ll have to trust you. Tell him his city is in imminent danger from the Regaymor and that the sword is the only weapon capable of defending it, which isn’t too far from the truth. Jeven is terrified of the Regaymor, and you should use his fear to your advantage.”
Kull crossed his arms. “I don’t like this. We’re supposed to just walk inside some warlock’s castle and ask him to show us his most prized possession? This has no chance of working.”
“Do you have a better idea?” Heidel asked.
“Yes, we sneak inside when he’s unaware and remove it when he’s distracted.”
“He would know when you enter his tower,” Maveryck explained. “His wards will not allow anyone inside without his permission.”
“Olive knows how to disable wards,” Kull said.
“And if she did,” Maveryck said, “Jeven would immediately be alerted to your presence, and if he caught you disabling his wards, he’d kill you.”
Kull sighed. “Then we’ll kill Jeven.”
“Not possible,” Maveryck said. “The people on this world do not experience death as you are familiar with it.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.
He paused before answering. “I can only tell you that if you attempt to kill Jeven through traditional means, he will not die. Befriend him, if you must. Flatter him until you’re able to locate the sword, and then take it from him when the time is right. I wish you both luck.”
We exchanged good-byes, and Kull and I took a different path from the other two as we headed toward the tower. It felt strange to leave them behind. I didn’t like the feeling. I’d felt vulnerable since we’d arrived in this city, and with Maveryck and Heidel gone, the feeling got worse.
The lane widened, revealing shops with wares arranged on tables alongside the streets. I tried not to gape at some of the displayed items. Inside glass jars, preserved hearts floated in cloudy solutions. Other jars contained spleens or livers.
“Do you see that?” I whispered to Kull.
“Yes, it’s unusual.”
“Unusual? It’s horrifying.”
The clanging of machinery grew distant as we approached Jeven’s tower. Behind a backdrop of black smoke and a smog-filled sky, we found the tower, a single spire reaching into the sky. A wall surrounded it, and I felt the magical wards making my skin
