Moral Compass

Chapter Forty-Seven

Hold on for me baby.

He was sure, without a doubt, that Fallon was regretting her decision to come here alone by now. That she was in that castle somewhere wishing she'd listened to him and thought things through rationally.

He wanted to say I told you so more than anything—but he couldn't. Not till he knew she was safe. Not until everything was fine.

They'd been disembodied before they even reached Triumph.

According to Nazreen, who—unlike him—had been to Triumph before, the warlocks were usually able to sense visitors from the very moment their feet touched the ground. Theoretically, his and Nazreen's feet would never touch this ground, thus there'd be nothing to sense. Theoretically. Seth was banking on it.

"Just straight forwards from here, right?"

"Yes."

Jitteriness flooded him. Jitteriness for going in here. Even more jitteriness to get his girl back.

"Are you as nervous as I am?"

"I-uh, I—yes."

"Good. Let's get this over with."

As shadows, they started on the walk up towards the castle. Seth tried to take it all in, but it was hard with his focus so firmly rooted on Fallon.

By the time they'd reached the gates to the castle, Seth had let his tracking instinct take control. He pictured everything he loved about Fallon. And Gods, there was plenty of it.

He saw her long, chestnut hair and all of those crazy braids in it. He saw her warm brown eyes outlined by all that warpaint. He saw the gladiator sandals, heard her voice as she reprimanded him for something or other. Gods, he could practically feel her head resting over his heart as she drifted off to sleep.

Love for her guided each one of his steps towards the castle. They slipped through the doors to nothing but a long and endless hallway.

He felt bad, deep down. He had no intention of leaving here with the barmaid today. His priority was Fallon. So long as she came out of here alive, he didn't care what else happened.

At the top of that endless hallway, he cleared his throat.

"Any idea what happens from here?"

He could feel that pull telling him where to go but he didn't see any way of getting there.

"No idea," Nazreen whispered. "I—it just—it just led us to a door last time."

That's what the warlocks did. They walked down the same hallway, always reaching a destination.

"Great," Seth muttered. "Then we're just gonna have to hope this works."

Maybe if he wanted it bad enough, this hallway would take him to the right place.

Please fucking work.

They started on the walk, and Gods, did he will for Fallon to be at the end of this. He prayed to every divinity he could think of. He crossed every finger, picturing her face, letting his instinct lead him. This had to work. He didn't know what he'd do if it didn't. He could feel she was near. He needed her now.

Lo and behold, a door appeared at the end of the hallway. A locked door they had no way of getting into.

And fuck—she was in there alright.

His heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach.

Agonised screams drifted through the door.

Hold in there baby.