Raising his head as he climbed the steps, Kyphos saw Zara standing outside the tower’s entrance, staff in hand, looking out at the walls of water on either side. Now that the spell was established, only the six magi on the path to the cape were needed to maintain it.

‘Sorceress!’ he called out. She ignored him as she entered the arched opening at the base of the tower and vanished inside.

‘Come on!’ Kyphos called to his men, hurrying now.

He finally reached the top of the broken steps and checked behind him to see that the soldiers and slaves were still on their way. Calling out to the sorceress, he peeled aside the draping lengths of ocean growth and plunged into the darkness of the tower.

It took some time for his eyes to adjust, but soon he saw that the layout was similar to the tower in Malakai. Cocking his head, he heard Zara’s footsteps further down the wide corridor. He headed after her, following a passage filled with creepers and weeds, shells and flopping fish. Fully aware that he didn’t belong here, a place so recently underwater, he continued past the opening that led to the tower’s central shaft and followed the sloping floor down.

He found Zara standing outside a sealed metal door of solid gold.

The sorceress muttered to herself as she brushed aside debris to reveal symbols where a handle would normally be. Closing her eyes, she pressed her fingertips to the gold and concentrated.

The symbols glowed with a sudden, fierce fire. They lit up in an instant and then the light slowly began to fade.

With a heavy creaking sound, the door swung open.

The floor beyond was dry.

Zara lifted her staff and pointed the silver device into the darkness beyond. A strong breath of air blew past Kyphos’s back, gusting into the deep vault underneath the tower, refreshing the interior.

Kyphos heard the sound of boots on the stone floor and glanced behind him to see the first of the soldiers arriving. The man was wary, but looked relieved when he saw Kyphos standing with the sorceress. More men appeared behind him, brave warriors from Necropolis, who’d faced orcas and white bears, and assaulted the city of Malakai and won.

Looking ahead once more, Kyphos cursed. Zara had already gone through the door. With only the fading light of the symbols to see by, he could just make out the faintest outline of her silhouette.

‘There may be danger,’ Kyphos called back to the soldiers. ‘Wait a moment before following.’ He then hurried after the sorceress, the soldiers behind him exchanging glances.