We pulled our cloak hoods over our heads and then followed the thief as he led us through the alley. A few elves passed us, but they kept their distances without giving us a second glance.
The city felt different from the last time I visited. For one thing, I didn’t see any children on the streets, and the only sounds came from wagon wheels creaking and the shout of an occasional vendor. Colors were muted, lights seemed dimmer—there seemed to be a pall cast over the entire city.
The castle’s main tower rose above the rest of the buildings, and as we approached it, I began to recognize the area near my father’s cottage. We passed by an open park with spindle-straight trees and a pond with water that rippled in the wind, making waves lap against the pebble-strewn shore. The park benches, crafted to look like roots growing from the ground, sat empty. After the park, we entered the district surrounding the castle. Ornate stonework covered the buildings; cobblestones mixed with sparkling crystals paved the streets.
We took a road that led us behind the buildings. Soon, we entered another open park area where mossy grass grew like carpet and fairies built homes in the trees. Beneath the trees’ sprawling green canopies, we found cottages built in the style of the elves’ ancestors. Some were built around the trees and spanned several stories, while others sat away from the rest. It seemed an odd place for a woodland village, right here in the heart of the city, but elves had a thing about nature, so they reserved these homes for important people—people like my dad.
As we approached my father’s cottage, I hesitated to walk to the door with the others. I’d never gotten along well with my dad. Although he had his reasons, he’d never visited me much when I was a kid, and even after his explanations and apologies, I half expected him to turn me away again. Rejection was a hard emotion to live with. Still, if I wanted to know what had happened to Mom, and if we wanted to know where the elves had taken the staff, then I had no choice but to face him.
Chapter 26
Maveryck knocked on the door. After a moment, the door opened, and my father stood on the other side. His eyes snagged on me.
“Olive?”
“Hi, Father.”
He looked from me to the rest of the group. “Maveryck, you received my message?”
“Yes. We must speak with you, Magistrate Pozin. As you know, it’s of the utmost importance.”
“Very well. Come inside quickly. You shouldn’t be out in the open like this.”
My father ushered us inside. After we entered, he shut the door behind us, locking us away from the howling wind and outside world.
A fire crackled in the hearth, sending warmth throughout the room, radiating ocher light over the parquet floors, the pillars carved with vines and bunches of grapes, and the mahogany furniture accented with mother-of-pearl and gold leaf. We removed our cloaks and hung them on pegs near the door. Father’s home hadn’t changed much, except I did notice books strewn on the couches and chairs, and several more tomes piled on one of the round tables near the couch.
Father hastily picked up the books and shelved them. “Did you have any trouble getting here?”
“No,” Maveryck answered. “The city seems unusually quiet.”
“Yes, it’s been that way for some time now. Please, have a seat. I shall prepare the tea.”
We sat on the couches and waited on my father. Kull and Heidel sat with straight backs and shifted uncomfortably. The cushions had never been made for comfort, though my dad didn’t seem to mind.
The scent of mint filled the room, and the hissing of the teakettle whistled from the kitchen. Soon, Father returned and placed a tray on a table near the couch. We took our cups and Father sat across from us, his face lined with worry.
I hadn’t realized it earlier, but Dad looked older. He had several more gray hairs threaded through his long hair, and wrinkles lined his eyes and forehead. I knew the magic loss last year hadn’t been easy on him, and it seemed life hadn’t been kind to him, either. I wanted to ask if he knew where Mom was, but I held my tongue. If she were here, the last thing he would do was tell me with the possibility of being found out.
“The staff,” Maveryck said as he placed his cup on the table. “Your message said you know its location.”
“I do not know its location, exactly, but I am close to finding it.” Father steepled his fingers as he peered at us. “I have been keeping a close eye on the nobles. My status gives me access to almost all places in the castle. Several days ago, I watched a Wult man being locked in the dungeon. I found it strange that the elves would imprison him, so after the guards left, I visited him.
“He told me his name was Euric and he had worked with the elves to remove the staff from Danegeld. He was angry with the king and thought that by taking the staff, it would make him look incompetent. The Wult man aided the elves in bringing the staff back to Lauressa, and then aided them further still by helping them hide it in a new location. However, he’d seen too much, and so instead of rewarding him as he had thought, the elves locked him up.
“After I met with him, I sent the message to you.”
Kull spoke up. “Did Euric say where the staff is now?”
“He said only that the elves had taken it through a gateway located in the inner sanctum in the catacombs. I tried to go there, but it was heavily guarded. Not even I could enter.”
“A gateway?” I asked. “Gateway to where?”
Father stood and removed one of the books from the shelf. “That is what I have been trying to determine.
