Chapter 283 The Lock

Chapter 283: Chapter 283 The Lock

Talia’s POV

“STOPPPPPPP...” I screamed with a very loud voice.

The scream tore from my throat, raw and desperate.

The guard’s sword was still swinging toward Kaelen. The silver blade glinted in the torchlight, inches from his neck. I could not stop it, and I could not reach him in time. So I could only watch, with desperation in my voice, and tears filing my eyes.

Then suddenly, the guard stopped.

His arm froze mid - swing, and his eyes went wide. He looked down at his chest, and I saw the confusion on his face. He did not understand what was happening, and i did not understand either.

Then I realized what I had done, and I remembered the scream. The scream had carried my magic. It had not been just a normal command from my voice power, but it had been a pure, raw, desperate call, and it had worked.

I realized then that my scream had not been empty. It had carried my Silvertongue magic, and it had reached the guard. But I needed to finish what I had started.

I opened my mouth again, with my throat that was raw and burning badly from the silver. "Sleep," I commanded, my voice was hoarse but firm.

The burning in my chest made it feel like the word carried the last of my magic.

But immediately I spoke the word, the guard’s eyes turned over.

The guard swayed on his feet, and I saw the confusion in his eyes. Then his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

He was still alive, but he was unconscious. My magic had worked, but barely.

Kaelen looked at me, with his eyes wide. "Talia... you did it."

I stared at the guard on the ground crying. "I did not know it would work."

"But it did," Kaelen said, moving towards me.

"I thought my magic had abandoned me completely," I said, with my voice shaking as I looked at the unconscious guard. "I thought the silver had drained everything out of me, and I would never be able to use it again. But when I saw that sword swinging toward you, something just... broke open inside me, and the words came out before I even knew what I was doing."

I fell to my knees, with more tears now streaming down my face, and I could not stop them. I felt the fear, the relief, the exhaustion, as it all came crashing down at once. ℴ

"Kaelen," I sobbed. "I thought I was going to lose you. I thought he was going to kill you."

Kaelen was beside me in an instant, with his arms wrapping around me. "I am here, Talia. I am not going anywhere."

I pressed my face into his chest, and I let myself cry. "I could not stop him. My magic would not work, Kaelen. I thought I was going to watch you die."

He held me tighter. "But you did stop him, Talia. You saved me."

I pulled back and looked at him. "My magic... it was so weak. I did not know if it would work."

"But it did," Kaelen said, wiping the tears from my cheeks. "That is all that matters."

I nodded, and I forced myself to breathe. "We need to keep moving."

Kaelen stood, swaying on his feet. His skin was red and raw from the silver, and I knew that he could not keep going like this.

"Kaelen," I said. "You need to stay back." I looked at his face and neck. "You can barely stand, Kaelen," I said, and my voice was tight with worry. "Your skin is red and raw, and every time you touch something that has silver, you flinch like it is burning you alive. I cannot lose you to this place, not when we are so close to finding her."

He shook his head. "I am still coming with you."

I stared at him. "Kaelen..."

"Talia," he said, cutting off my words. "I am not leaving you."

I looked at him, and I was quiet for a moment. But i knew that he would not change his mind. "Fine. But stay close."

I looked at the guard on the ground, and I saw the weapons at his side. The sword was silver, and the dagger was silver. They would be useful, but they would also hurt Kaelen.

"Kaelen," I said. "Help me with his weapons."

He nodded, and together we pulled the sword and dagger from the guard’s belt. The silver burned my hands, but I ignored the pain. I carried them to an empty cell and threw them inside. The clatter echoed through the corridor.

"Better," I said.

Then I looked at the guard again. He was still unconscious, but he would not stay that way forever.

"Kaelen," I said. "Help me drag him."

“To where, Talia?” He asked.

“To one of these cells, so that he would not follow us anytime soon, in case my magic wears off sooner than expected.” I explained.

Kaelen nodded, and we grabbed the guard’s arms and pulled him across the stone floor. I opened the door of an empty cell, and we shoved him inside. The door clanged shut, and I slid the lock into place.

"He will not bother us when he wakes," I said.

Kaelen looked at me, and I saw the respect in his eyes. "You are something else, Talia." He smiled. “How did you think of that idea?”

I shook my head. "I am just trying to survive."

“Okay. Let us keep moving.” Kaelen said.

I nodded, and we walked deeper into the dungeon, and the cells continued to stretch out before us, still very empty, dark, and cold.

I held the torch higher, and I searched each cell as we passed. I looked for any sign of life, any movement, or anything that would tell me my mother was close. But there was nothing. Just emptiness and shadows and cold stone.

"Talia," Kaelen said. "We are getting close. I can feel it."

I nodded, but I did not stop searching. I could not stop, because every cell I passed without finding her made my heart ache a little more.

But I kept going, because I had to.

Then I saw it.

There was a door at the end of the corridor, and it was different from the cells. It was heavy, made of thick stone, and covered in silver. The lock was silver, the handle was silver, and everything was silver.

Kaelen stopped. "Talia, look."

I looked at the door, and I felt my heart pound. "That is it. That must be where she is."

Kaelen stepped forward, but I grabbed his arm. "Stop."

He looked at me. "What?"

I pointed to the door. "The silver, Kaelen. It is everywhere, and you cannot touch it."

He looked at the door, and I saw the frustration on his face. "Then how do we open it?"