cascade | kotlc

27. Enhancing Calla's Ring

 They had been arguing about the starstone for hours.

We get it! You all want to go! Can we finally figure something out!

Like, seriously, it's just a fucking starstone. Their group was so good at randomly ad libbing it probably wasn't even dangerous.

Biana sighed, leaning against a desk and sharing an amused smile with June as they spectated the chaos.

She still found herself gazing at the starstone, and the blue beam of light it cast on the floor, inviting them to leap into the unknown. It felt so incredibly alluring, in a way.

This was going to take a while.

...

Actually?

She was tired of waiting.

Walking discretely over to June and grabbing her arm, she turned invisible, holding her breath for the best opportunity.

Grady shifted, covering Sophie from their view as he stepped to the side, revealing a direct path to the blue beam.

June glanced at her. She nodded.

Together, they dashed toward the beam. June snapped her fingers, pushing everyone away as Biana snatched the starstone from Sophie and held it up to the light again, recasting the dim path as they let the blue glow carry them away.

"We're going to be in a lot of trouble, aren't we?" Biana asked as she rubbed her eyes. The light was strangely turbulent, like it was part of a windstorm whipping them around, trying to send them scattering. Of course, after dealing with June for so long, Biana's gotten very good at holding herself together.

"Where the heck are we?" A velvet piece of silk fell over June's face as she lifted the fabric, revealing a very fancy bedroom, red and black and purple, with a bed big enough to sleep ten people.

Biana's voice faltered slightly. "This isn't a Neverseen hideout."

"No shit." June frowned at a lump under the blankets and she tiptoed over, peeling back the covers and finding a sparkly green gulon.

"Isn't that Keefe's...? Mrs. Stinkbottom...?"

"Wait, what? I thought he didn't take it with him..." Light seeped in through a window and June made her way over, sliding the pane open and gasping as she looked down. Biana hurried over, her breath hitching on her throat.

"We're in Candleshade," she breathed.

"This proves Cyrah made the starstone in Lady Gisela's pin, doesn't it?" June asked.

"It's worse than that." Biana rubbed her stomach, calming the queasiness as she sank onto the bed, tracing her hand over the gulon and letting the sinking realization hit.

She glanced around the room, making sure Lord Cassius wasn't around to hear her before she whispered, "I think it proves for sure that Lady Gisela killed her."

"Why am I even surprised anymore?" June asked as she sank into a chair. The adults weren't actually that mad at her, though according to Sophie there was a lot of chaos. Fitz almost peed his pants, apparantly. "Of course Lady Gisela figured out some way to get out of prison."

"I'm assuming no one knows show she escaped, or if someone helped her," Mr. Forkle said slowly, watching a stringy-looking creature floating in the dim-lit aquarium. Alden had loaned them his office, again.

Biana watched outside the window, noticing a moonlark dipping in a small pond, tracing its tail against the water. "It definitely wasn't us, but I feel confident saying that no prison is unbreakable." She rubbed her temples, keeping in her headache as she leaned against the marble windowsill. "For all we know, she could've blasted a hole in the walls or something. Didn't you say outward channeling could destroy a mountain, if you really tried hard enough? Lady Gisela's been locked in the prison for, like, a year, almost."