“The shadows?” Dalton asked.
“Good eye,” Skye said. “I layered some false, permanent shadows, so you can’t see the back of the alley from the front. That way we’re sure to go in and out unnoticed.”
They passed through the doorway and into a long, narrow corridor without doors or windows. Skye produced a ball of light that she held in her hand. Halfway down the hall she stopped.
“There’s a ladder built into the wall, buried under a seeming,” she explained. “Climb to the top, then make yourselves at home.”
Cole reached out for the plaster wall, and his hands sunk into it and found rungs. He climbed up, passing through the fake ceiling and eventually entering a spacious room lit by a variety of lamps. The comfortable furnishings included a low table, two sofas, and a couple of cushy armchairs. Art hung on the walls, and carpets covered much of the wooden floor.
Skye came up the ladder last. “Have a seat, everyone,” she said. “It’s time to meet our new friend.” The seemings masking their identities melted away. They all looked like themselves again. Just seeing Dalton again made Cole grin.
“Thanks for rescuing me,” Dalton said, a little uncomfortable.
“Thank Cole for that,” Jace said, plopping down on one of the sofas. “Now we’re just hoping you know something useful.”
They all sat down.
Cole knew the first question he wanted to ask. “Have you heard anything about Jenna?”
Dalton shook his head sadly. “She came with us to Junction City. I haven’t seen her since I was split into the group headed for Elloweer. I don’t know what group she ended up with. But she was okay the last time I saw her. They treat the slaves pretty well—the ones who can shape, anyway.”
“Any local news?” Jace asked.
“I’ve been working at the Silver Lining,” Dalton said. “I’ve heard all sorts of things. What do you want to know?”
“We’re wondering about a secret prisoner at Blackmont Castle,” Skye said.
“Wow,” Dalton said. “You guys don’t mess around. That’s a big deal. Hardly anybody talks about it. Nobody knows who it is.”
“Are there any rumors about her?” Cole asked.
“It’s a she?” Dalton asked back.
“We think so,” Cole said. “Have you heard something different?”
“I have no idea,” Dalton said. “I’ve never directly overheard anybody mention the prisoner. It’s still a well-guarded secret. I’ve picked up a little gossip from the other slaves. Nothing specific. As a group, we hear a lot. Do you think it’s somebody you know?”
“Yes,” Cole said. “What do you know about the High Shaper’s daughters?”
“Is that a good topic?” Jace asked.
“We can trust Dalton,” Cole said. “He’s with us now. He needs to get up to speed.”
“I just became a fugitive,” Dalton told Jace. “That was blind faith in my best friend. Lots of people will want to find me. I’m marked as a slave. I’m doomed without you guys. I’m on your side, man. The more I know, the more I can help.”
“Have you heard about the High King’s daughters?” Cole asked.
“Not much,” Dalton said. “They all died a long time ago, right? He has no heirs.”
“He faked their deaths in order to steal their shaping powers,” Cole said. “Taking their powers stopped them from aging.”
“What?” Dalton said in surprise. “Where did you hear that?”
“I know one of his daughters,” Cole said. “And we think another one of them is the secret prisoner at Blackmont Castle.”
Cole went on to explain about meeting Mira and fighting Carnag to get her powers back. He told about shapecrafters and how the High King was planning to do shapecraft experiments on the gifted slaves he had bought from Ansel.
“He can shape the shaping power?” Dalton asked incredulously.
“If he can’t, he has people who can,” Cole said. “Carnag is proof. We met one of the shapecrafters. The High King only wanted you and the others he bought to develop your powers so he could mess with them.”
“Does he want to steal them?” Dalton asked.
“We don’t know,” Cole said. “Maybe. The shapecrafter lady wouldn’t spill the details.”
“Where is Mira now?” Dalton asked.
Cole explained about losing Mira to the Rogue Knight. He told how Joe and Twitch went after her.
“And you think the big threat to the northwest is really Honor’s power?” Dalton verified.
“That’s our best guess,” Cole said.
Skye leaned forward. “It fits so well that if we can’t identify the prisoner, we’ll proceed as if it’s Honor.”
“And do what?” Dalton asked.
“Free her,” Skye replied.
Dalton whistled and shook his head. “Good luck.” He looked at Cole. “You’ve gotten mixed up in some crazy stuff.”
Cole gave a little shrug. “After I met Mira and we escaped together, it just sort of happened. It was thanks to her contacts that I found Jill Davis, who led me to you.”
“You saw Jill?” Dalton asked.
“She’s in Carthage,” Cole replied. “She wouldn’t come with me. She was too scared.”
“I see why,” Dalton said. “If you guys are going to Blackmont Castle, you’re looking for trouble. It’s the strongest prison in Elloweer.”
“I know,” Skye said. “I grew up here.”
“We’re talking about their most closely guarded prisoner,” Dalton emphasized. “Nobody has even seen this person.”
“Somebody has seen her,” Skye said.
“Somebody who knows how to keep a secret,” Dalton said. “The Dreadknight is champion of Edgemont. He watches over Blackmont Castle personally.”
“The Dreadknight?” Cole asked.
“The most feared champion in Elloweer,” Dalton said. “Nobody knows his real name. He’s been unchallenged for almost twenty years.”
“All true,” Skye said. “But we can’t let any of that stop us. The High King is losing the powers he stole. People would rally around his slighted heirs. With the help of his daughters, we can finally overthrow him and restore our old freedoms. But first we must free Honor and help her get her powers back. Until we do, the monster in the north will keep rampaging.”