We were in the highest room in the tallest tower of the castle, and the lake had to be at least a hundred meters below us. “I think that’s far enough, Bryn,” Kasper said, doing his best not to sound nervous. “He’s right,” Bayle Lundeen agreed, and that’s when I reluctantly pulled myself back inside. I wasn’t sure what it was about being here, but the power of the Skojare in my blood seemed to be stronger. The water seemed to call to me more than it normally did, and when I’d been in the sapphire room yesterday, I’d felt an uncharacteristic moment of greed. Maybe it was being around Skojare people that amplified something inside me. Or it could simply have been the room we were in, since it was full of magic. The tower rooms themselves weren’t overly spectacular. They were somewhat small, cylindrical spaces at the top of about a thousand stairs. (There were actually several landings along the way with couches, water fountains, and restrooms, since you’d inevitably have to take a break getting up there.) The walls were iridescent, reminding me of the inside of clam shells, and there were two windows: one facing the shore in front, and one facing the lake to the back.
