“Forgotten,” Leopold replied. His hand trailed along the wall as the last remnants of firelight faded. “Put your hand on my shoulder. I’ll lead us the rest of the way.”

Safi obeyed, putting one hand on his left shoulder and the other on the wall as he’d done. The stone was frozen to the touch, slightly damp, and surprisingly smooth. Whoever had created this passage had not used chisels, but magic. Every few steps, her fingers brushed over grooves in the rock. Carvings, she thought, though she could not discern what.

“I discovered this as a boy,” Leopold explained eventually. Safi had no concept of how far they had traveled, but she suspected they were now belowground. “This tower was nothing more than exposed ruins then, and Uncle would let me camp out sometimes. He even let me go alone, though I am certain he had a hundred guards spying on me nearby.”

Safi frowned into the darkness. She couldn’t imagine Henrick indulging anyone, much less a young child.

“One night, as I was pretending to be a great Paladin with flaming sword, I accidentally tapped that wall three times. And … well…” She felt his shoulders bounce softly, as if he laughed. “You saw what happens—oh, watch this step. It’s a bit taller than the rest.”

Leopold slowed slightly, and sure enough, when Safi’s slippered foot hit the ledge, she did have to reach farther to hit the next.

“I realized I had found something incredible, Safiya, and I also knew I was being watched. So rather than explore that night, I tapped the wall again and waited. Then, on my birthday a month later, I asked Uncle Henrick to restore the tower’s roof so that I might live there.”

“I remember,” Safi murmured. “Your tenth birthday.”

“Exactly. And Uncle allowed me to lead the witches restoring it, which in turn allowed me to make sure no one discovered my secret passage. Even at ten,” Leopold added, his tone turning wry, “I knew how special such a passage might be. And indeed, Safiya, it was … it is more special than anything I could have imagined. We are almost there now. Can you see the light?”

Safi blinked. She had been so focused on getting her feet in front of her and keeping her balance, she hadn’t noticed the subtle changes in the darkness. Or the subtle changes in the air, a welcome warmth building against her skin.

Three more sharp spirals, and suddenly heat and light billowed fully against her. The space opened up; a cave spanned before her—as well as a three-foot drop-off. Leopold gracefully padded to the floor and turned back to offer Safi his hand.