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I ran my fingers across them. The runes were old and disintegrating, almost completely eroded and flush with the mountain wall. Aside from the first one, they were almost invisible unless you knew what you were looking at.
And I did know.
I was looking at a set of runes that marked the opening to the tunnels.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Ladon
When Emilie didn’t return to our room the first night, I panicked. When she didn’t return for a week and then another, I went mad.
I tore our room apart, throwing that damn bucket against every wall. Ripping the pillows and thin blanket to shreds. I lifted the mattress and tossed it across the room. I punched the door until my knuckles bled.
And none of it helped.
She haunted my every thought. Where had they taken her? She’d been so broken when I’d been dragged out of Reyna’s room. But I was certain she was alive. I had no evidence, but I felt it in my soul.
One morning, on the way to begin my chores for the day, I managed to trick Luther into admitting that Emilie was still alive and being held in an isolated cell. He didn’t realize that I didn’t have any details on her whereabouts, but he confessed that he had been tasked with not only bringing me meals, but also bringing them to her. An extra duty that he was not happy about.
I smiled at his displeasure.
My evenings with Reyna alternated between boring and dreadful. I assessed her mood each night, wondering if I should play the obedient slave or press her for information regarding Emilie. The last thing I wanted to do was cause more harm by upsetting Reyna. I tiptoed carefully where she was concerned. Perhaps if I played my part well enough, she’d return Emilie to me.
Doubtful, but I had to try.
I had just returned to my room one night and was standing in the shower when I thought I felt the ground rumble. I paused and frowned at the floor, water running between my bare feet and down the silver drain. After waiting for several minutes, I assumed it was my imagination. Maybe I hadn’t eaten enough that day and was hallucinating.
I continued to scrub my skin, attempting to remove all traces of Reyna’s hands on me. The water and soap were never enough to completely erase her, but it was all I could do.
The ground shook again and this time, I reached for the wall to hold myself steady. I had not imagined that. Quickly rinsing my hair, I jumped from the shower and dressed.
A loud boom accompanied the next ground-rattling event, and I looked around the room helplessly. Quakes weren’t common in Osavian but I’d learned enough about them in books. They were common in the mountain ranges but I couldn’t recall ever reading about that loud noise that kept repeating.
Boom. Boom.
Two more explosive sounds.
“What the hell?” I whispered for no one to hear.
The next tremor had me stumbling for the wall. The mountain shook so ferociously; tiny rocks fell from the ceiling. I shielded my head with my arms and searched for some place to take cover. There was nothing. Our little room was bare of any place to hide.
Those booms grew louder and more frequent and I ran toward the door, pounding my fists for someone’s attention.
“Help!” I roared. “Get me out of here!”
Unsurprisingly, my plea for assistance went unanswered. I listened for the sound of footsteps running down the hall. Or the sound of frantic chatter. Any sign of life beyond my door. But it was silent aside from the rumbling rock.
More rocks tumbled from above my head, crashing to the floor and covering the mattress in dust.
Running my hands through my hair, I went into problem-solving mode. If I didn’t do something, there was a good chance I might be buried alive in this room. There was nowhere to take cover. No one was coming to rescue me.
The door was thick, solid wood. It was unlikely I’d be able to force it open, but I had to try something. I slammed my shoulder into the door, testing its strength. Then I backed up and shook out my limbs.
This might’ve been one of the stupidest ideas I’d ever had, but I was desperate.
I took a deep breath and, just as I was about to blast through the door, it swung open. It took a moment to realize what I was looking at. The harpy appeared before me, slightly alarmed at my fighting stance.
She blinked at me a few times. Then she waved at me as if to say, follow me.
