The Storm Tower | Vol.4, The Eldenarian Artifacts ✓

28.

Karin's idea involved an anti-gravity charm and walking up the curved walls of the tower.

Makaela nearly threw up at the thought. Being upright hundreds of feet in the air, held to a surface by a magic that could fail at any given second, didn't sound fun—nor safe—in the slightest. But with no other way to access the room in the ceiling, she knew she'd have to suck up her vertigo and push on.

"Everyone, copy me," Karin instructed. She held her hands over her snow boots and performed the long, complicated sequence for the anti-gravity charm.

Makaela was sure to mirror every finger movement the girl made, careful not to botch the charm. One misstep could prove to be the difference between her sticking or sliding down the wall. While she possessed more abilities than the average magician, flight wasn't one of them. If the charm stopped working at any point...

The image of her body splattered across the tower floor made her cringe and shiver. Dying in such a manner after overcoming everything she'd been through thus far almost seemed like a bad joke. Her story wouldn't end her, though. She was sure of it.

Once the group successfully finished charming their shoes, they approached the nearest wall not covered by dusty bookshelves and faded paintings. Karin went first. She planted her left foot on the ivory surface, and sure enough, it stuck as if coated in heavy-duty glue. Grinning, she jumped and placed her other foot on the wall. Her body went rigid and horizontal. The magician's long, silky hair fell past her face, cascading down in a mercury waterfall.

Han and Ismael moved beneath her as she went up. Once they were confident her charm would hold, they joined her on the wall. With widened eyes, Makaela remained at the base. The sight of them walking vertically was a bizarre one. Magic never ceased to amaze her.

"What are you waiting for?" Karin called out from a few yards above her head. "Get a move on, Makaela!"

Cursing, shook out her arms and legs as if that would get rid of the nerves worming through her taut muscles. She exhaled and placed a foot on the wall. A strong, suction-like feeling emitted from the bottom of her boot. It took a great amount of force just to remove it. She nodded. A good sign. After testing the other foot, she determined it safe enough to continue. Squeezing her eyes shut, she journeyed up the wall.

Against her better judgment, she kept her eyes closed. Her heightened sense of hearing—courtesy of her now cooperating Nightling—allowed her to keep track of her friends. She didn't want to risk looking below; one glimpse of the retreating floor would've been enough to make her empty her stomach. She didn't need anything slowing her down. They needed to get to the room in the ceiling. With Shades likely nearby, they didn't have any time to—

The temperature in the massive library dropped to a violent chill. It had been cold before, but now she was freezing. Goosebumps riddled her dark skin, and she was forced to open her eyes. Vertigo immediately hit her with the force of a blasting spell. The nausea wasn't far behind. She reluctantly glanced over her shoulder. Her body tensed. Fear of the climb was usurped by fear of what lurked below.

Hooded figures poured into the library like smoke. Silver masks hid their faces, the glossy metal reflecting the sunlight pouring through the stained-glass panes Makaela just stepped past. Despite the disguises, their identities were all too familiar.

Shades.

Her stomach turned over. Terror and anger rushed through, warming her skin to an uncomfortable temperature. She looked upright and opened her mouth to warn her friends. Her warning was cut short by a spell crashing past her ear. A smoldering hole had been burned into the wall inches away from her foot.