Fen'Tarasyl

Chapter Twenty Five

So once more Talyn and her companions explored the forbidden shadows of the castle, sneaking around palace guards and picking locks in order to get to the Royal Wing. There was nothing amiss in the dimly lit halls. There was not a thing out of place, the beds were still made, the fireplaces were empty, and the floors shone under the dimly burning torches.

There was something off, Talyn could feel it. And from the looks on everyone else's faces, they felt it as well.

They searched every room but found nothing. So, they went to the last pair of doors that had to have led out to the garden.

Talyn went to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

"Damn it, it's barred from the other side." She said.

"There has to be another way around." Cassandra stated. "A secret door maybe."

"Cole," Solas spoke to the spirit, "do you think you could look for another entrance to the garden?"

Cole looked to Solas with his glazed over eyes, shook his head yes, and disappeared.

"How does he do that?!" Cassandra exclaimed. "Is he a mage?!"

Talyn hid her smile. She had almost forgotten that Cassandra didn't know his secret.

"I have no idea." Solas replied innocently, but he shared an amused look with Talyn.

They waited for a few minutes for him to return.

When he did, he spoke dreamily, "I found a hidden path in one of the bedrooms."

"Good job, Cole." Talyn praised him.

He led them to a bookcase inside of the bedrooms. He reached over and pulled down a book with pink binding, and she heard her a click. Then there was the sound of stone scraping against stone as a hidden door swung open in the middle of the wall.

"This is strange." Cassandra said.

"Yes, it is." Solas agreed.

Talyn led them down the hallway, which had another set of doors at the end. They stopped in front of the doors, Solas standing next to her.

"Be careful guys, this could be a trap." She said to them.

They pushed the doors open.

And found twenty arrows pointed at them. A green sliver hung in the air between them, illuminating the wilting flowers and twisted trees shedding their red and orange leaves. Talyn heard the doors behind them slam shut.

"Inquisitor! I'm so glad you could join us, I wasn't sure if you were going to make it." Florianne's smug voice rang through the air.

Talyn looked up to the second story deck of the garden and saw the smirking bitch leaning against the railing, resting her head in the palms of her hands.

"You are such a challenge to read, I wasn't certain you'd taken my bait."

Talyn felt the Anchor flare up, the emerald light growing stronger in reaction to the improperly closed rift.

"I had a feeling you were mixed up in this, Florianne." She should have known. Why didn't she just follow what her instincts had been telling her all along? She just walked everyone right into a trap.

"What did Corypheus promise you in return of murdering your cousin and framing your brother?"

Florianne threw her hands up to the sky and laughed. "Power, Inquisitor! What else would grab my attention so? The Elder One had promised me riches and power beyond my imagination once he takes the Black Throne."