Castle that wishes to fly

16. Beyond Closed Path

The swift footsteps rang out through the deserted stone corridors, creating a precise cadence. Suddenly, a loud noise pierced the air, followed by a painful sizzle. In a hurried stumble, Suri limped towards the inner castle courtyard.

Overhead, a massive translucent dome hung, casting the courtyard in a mysterious, murky blue hue. At its center stood a petrified, colossal tree, its bare branches reaching towards the sky. The girl touched the pale, rough surface of the bark, feeling the lifeless cold penetrate her fingertips and sending a shiver down her spine.

Suri flinched but pressed her hand tighter against the trunk. [Shug,] she mentally called out to the Heart. [I know you hear me! Open the passage!]

The biting wind struck her face. The air grew colder; her numb hand tingled. Even so, the Heart kept silent.

"No. I must do everything right," Suri reproached herself once again for her lack of haste. Pulling a short dagger from her belt, she ran the narrow blade across her palm. Sharp pain spread through her hand, and warm, thick liquid seeped through her clenched fingers.

With a slap, Suri pressed her palm against the tree. If the map didn't deceive, then the trials should conclude in the underground sanctuary.

"Why isn't it working? What am I doing wrong?" Thoughts raced through Suri's mind.

The crimson nectar streamed down the bark, leaving dark stains behind. The sight of her own blood made the girl feel sick. However, the fact that Shug remained unresponsive heightened her distress.

"Even your blood doesn't work," Imber remarked, appearing before her. His chest rose and fell with heavy, uneven breaths. "The Heart doesn't care anymore."

"How much time have I wasted?" Suri frowned in frustration, pressing her hand tighter. Imber's hand lay nearby, stained with fresh blood.

"This won't work, and you know it," he said. His voice sounded calmer than usual. "You can't help her this way."

"I have to try," Suri replied. "If it doesn't work here, I'll go to the entrance and try again."

Imber's hand clenched into a fist, and he struck the hardened trunk. An angry roar escaped his lips.

Breathing heavily, Imber exclaimed, "Try the weapon." His amber gaze descended to the girl's wrist, where several layers of fabric concealed a bracelet.

Blood drained from Suri's face, and her breath caught. "How did he know?" Her thoughts raced in disarray.

"Did you really think a piece of fabric could hide something like that?" Imber whispered, checking the courtyard with a sidelong glance. Making sure they were alone, he continued, "The Heart is too famished to release its prey. We can't saved her without extreme measures. Infuse the weapon with blood, and force it to submit."

"He's not joking," Suri thought. "He doesn't just believe it will work; he knows for sure. How? Unless he saw it with his own eyes."

"Come on!" Imber exclaimed, breaking through her last hesitations.

Rolling up her sleeve, Suri uncovered the pieces of fabric on her wrist. She hesitated, nervously glancing around.

"No one will come. Success was unlikely from the start," Imber's voice cut through her numbness.

Taking a deep breath, as if bracing herself for something dreadful, she finally removed the last piece of fabric. A silvery wooden twig coiled around her hand, pressing thorns against her skin but not puncturing it.

Imber tensed, instinctively recoiling as if the bracelet might strike at him. He gripped the hilt of the blade but refrained from unsheathing it.

Hastily pressing her bloodied hand against the bracelet, Suri shielded it from the warrior's gaze. The sensation was unpleasant, but nothing more. Time slipped away, along with the chances of saving Cassia.