In Walcrest’s study, Magdala put down the book she’d been reading and rubbed her temples. “I don’t think Dwayne knows how to help,” she said to Galkin. “These are all strange.”
The book was the third of three texts that Dwayne had left for her. It detailed all of the attacks on the Southern Line for the past ten months, and it was clear that nothing on the scale of Liraya’s attacks had happened in that time, just a few small raids on the Southern Gate. The second text, which Magdala was careful not to touch because the strange black door at the back of the study hummed every time she did, was an encyclopedia of northern Vanurian counts, detailing their lands and speculating on their current economic state, but since Magdala only knew Liraya’s first name, it was all meaningless nonsense. Finally, the last text, a lengthy essay on the similarities and differences between Soura’s religious text the Book of Cueller and Vanuria’s Book of Phons, was a fascinating read and almost worth the black door’s incessant muttering every time she even looked at it, but even it seemed pointless and irrelevant.
“I don’t get it.” When Magdala heard nothing but silence, she searched for Galkin.
The steward was gazing into nothing with no sign that he was even breathing.
Magdala slid back from him. “Galkin?”
The steward blinked then focused on Magdala, his eyebrows relaxing. He bowed. “I’m just here to render assistance, my lady.”
Magdala waited to see if he’d become that distant statue again. When he didn’t, she said, “Okay… it’s just that none of this is recent enough to help.”
Galkin froze for a half moment, just long enough for Magdala to notice, but he nodded to the first book. “There’s no end date.”
Magdala’s mouth opened. “No end date?” She grabbed the book and confirmed that while the start date was clearly emblazoned on its cover, the end date was not. She opened it and flipped through it, this time going straight to the latest report. “This is Mei’s report from yesterday.” She frowned. “The trail ended at the wall like they just disappeared into thin air.”
Bells rang, the walls of Walcrest only barely muffling the sound. a guard burst through the study doors.
Magdala stood. “Where?”
The guard hunched over, breathing hard. “The… drawbridge… explosion…”
Magdala’s heart chillled. “That’s where Mei, Dwayne, and Saundra…” She took a step towards the door, but stopped. “How many people have been hurt?”
The guard shook his head. “We couldn’t see much from up here, but it looked like the explosion blew backwards, and they just dropped into the moat. It was right strange.”
Magdala let out a breath, glad that Dwayne had decided that his life was worth more than her lord uncle’s prohibition. “Okay. Let me know if anything else happens.”
The guard saluted. “Yes, milady.” He ran out of the room.
Magdala almost followed, almost ran out the door and to the aid of her friends, but Liraya didn’t do simple plans. What was her next move? She grabbed the religious essay and waved it around. “I still don’t- oh!” A piece of paper dropped out of the essay’s pages and fluttered to the table. She picked it up and read it. “Page 8, line 3. Page 17, line 24.” In moments, she’d found the references in the essay. “‘The Book of Cueller teaches that the soul must reside in the head since it is the highest in the body, and thus must reign supreme.'” She flipped to the second reference. “‘The Book of Phons states that while the essence of a human is spread throughout the body, the crucial parts reside in the heart, head, and stomach. The head holds the mind, the stomach the source of power for the body, and the heart the soul.'” Magdala reread the two passages. “I don’t get it.”
Galkin picked up the encyclopedia and flipped through the pages. He held open one. “Some of these counts are quite interesting.”
Magdala glanced at it and then snatched it out of the steward’s hands. “Cortes’s father tried to take over the top of the Southern Line?”
“That county is pinned-“
“He set up trebuchets and threw Hounds up… that’s how she’s doing this!” Magdala dropped both texts and rushed to the door where she paused. “Dwayne gave you orders to help me.”
Galkin stood and clasped his hands behind his back. “Yes, my lady.”
“After I create new explosives, I’ll need to get down to the Gate quickly.”
This time Magdala couldn’t be sure if the steward hesitated.
He nodded. “I know a way.”
Admaeus Speaks 
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