Chapter 291 The forgotten charm

Chapter 291: Chapter 291 The forgotten charm

Talia’s POV

I held my mother’s hand through the bars, and I felt the warmth of her fingers against mine. Her eyes were so tired, and I had to find a way to get her out.

But the silver bars were too strong, my magic was too weak, and the rod was useless. I had tried everything, and nothing had worked.

My mother looked at me, and I saw the hope in her tired eyes. Then her gaze drifted to my neck, and her eyes widened.

"Talia," she said. "The charm."

I frowned. "What about it?"

"The glamour charm," she said. "Do you still have it?"

I reached up and touched my neck. The spot where the necklace had hung for fifteen years, where my mother’s magic had protected me.

It was empty.

I felt my heart drop. "I left it in Blackmoor Valley. It was broken, and I thought I did not need it anymore."

My mother’s face fell. "You left it?"

I nodded, and I felt the tears prick at my eyes. "I am sorry, Mother. I did not know you would need it."

She shook her head, and I saw the disappointment in her eyes. "It is not your fault, Talia. You did not know."

I looked at her, and I felt the desperation rising in my chest. "Why? What would the charm have done?"

She pressed her hand against the bars. "The charm was not just a disguise, Talia. It was a piece of my magic, and a strong piece of me. It carried enough of my power to break these bars."

I stared at her. "What?"

"The glamour charm was tied to my bloodline," she said. "It held my magic, my essence, and just enough of my strength. If you had brought it, we could have used it to shatter the silver. It would have recognized its own magic and broken through."

I shook my head, and the tears streamed down my face. "I did not know. I left it behind because I thought it was useless."

My mother reached through the bars and touched my face. "It is okay, Talia. You did not know."

"But Mother..." I started.

"Talia," she said. "You are here, and that is what matters."

I pressed my hand against hers through the bars. "Is there anything else? Anything else we can use?"

She closed her eyes, and I saw the exhaustion on her face. "The charm was my last hope. Without it, I do not know..."

She did not finish the words, because I understood what they meant. So, she did not need to. The weight of her words hung in the air between us.

I looked at the bars, and I felt the frustration building in my chest again. I had come so far, and I had fought so hard. And now I was being told that the one thing that could have saved my mother was sitting in a box, back in Blackmoor Valley.

"Talia," Kaelen said, his voice was weak, but urgent.

I turned to look at him. He was still leaning against the wall, with his body barely holding him upright. But his eyes were sharp, and I saw the fear in them.

"Talia, listen," he said.

I froze, as soon as I heard it too. There were footsteps, many of them, very heavy and fast, echoing through the corridor.

I could also hear voices shouting, and they were getting closer.

"Search every cell!" a voice commanded. "The intruders are still in here!"

I felt my blood run cold. "They are coming."

My mother’s face went pale. "They are too many, and you cannot fight them."

Kaelen pushed himself off the wall, with his body swaying. "Talia, we need to hide."

I looked around desperately, and there was nowhere to hide. The corridor was empty, the cells were open, and we were trapped.

"Mother," I said, with my voice shaking. "There is nowhere to hide."

My mother’s eyes darted around the cell, and then I saw the flicker of recognition in them. "There is a place, just by the corner."

I looked at the place where she was pointing. The corner of the cell was dark, and hidden in shadow, and I had not noticed it before. The stone wall seemed to curve inward, creating a small alcove barely large enough for two people.

"Quickly," she said. "Lock the cell gate and hide there. They will not see you."

I looked at her. "But Mother, what about you?"

"I will be fine," she said, and her voice was urgent. "They are coming for you, not me. They will check the cell, see me, and leave. Go Now!"

The voices grew louder. I could hear the guards shouting to each other, with their footsteps pounding against the stone floor.

"Talia, now!" Kaelen said.

I did not wait. I grabbed the cell gate and pulled it shut, and the lock clicked into place. Then I ran to Kaelen and put his arm around my shoulder, taking his weight.

"Come on," I said. "We need to move."

We stumbled to the corner of the cell, and I pulled Kaelen into the alcove. The shadows swallowed us, and I pressed my back against the cold stone.

Kaelen’s breathing was shallow and labored, and I could feel his body trembling against mine. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer, trying to make us as small as possible.

The voices grew louder.

"Check that cell!" a guard shouted.

I closed my eyes tightly, and I held my breath.

The footsteps grew louder. I could hear the guards moving from cell to cell, with their boots scraping against the stone floor. They were getting close to us, and so close to my mother.

"Empty!" a guard shouted.

"Empty here too!" Another guard’s voice echoed.

I pressed myself deeper into the alcove, and I felt Kaelen’s body pressed against mine. His breathing was still shallow, and I could feel the heat radiating from his skin, as the silver was still burning him.

"Talia," he whispered, with his voice that was barely audible.

I pressed my finger to my lips. "Shh."

He nodded slowly, and I felt him try to steady his breathing.