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When we reached it, she pressed her palm to something faintly carved in the stone — a strange symbol made of intersecting circles and triangles.
A loud grinding sound reverberated through the wall, almost drowning out the other sounds in the room as a door slid open, revealing a narrow stairway leading down into darkness.
Fuck. A cellar? Or a dungeon?
I froze.
"Come on, Blondy. It's not a request," Faera said, gesturing for me to follow her into the darkness. "Plus, it's not that bad. You'll see."
I gritted my teeth. Fine. I'd survived a dungeon before. I could do it again.
My knees felt weak, and the scar on my back tingled, though, as I stepped into the darkness.
Chapter 45
Kaiya
Faera led the way down a steep set of stairs, lit only by the single flickering torch in her hand.
It was nothing like Ellingsworth's basement of stone, chains, and horrors — but my mind obviously didn't understand that.
My heart sped up and my vision narrowed as images of that dark night flickered through my mind — Aunt Grace, pale, and limp … Eli, dead in my arms … Lynk, staring at me with those hard, silver eyes.
No! I couldn't go back there. Not again!
A warm hand pressed into my back. "It's okay, Princess," Jaiel's voice was soft in my ear. "Just breathe."
As he spoke, the knot in my stomach loosened enough for me to catch my breath, and I inhaled sharply, pushing away the images.
Fuck. I hadn't had an attack like that in over a year. Perhaps I wasn't as over Gleyma as I'd thought.
Gritting my teeth, I let Jaiel lead me down the rest of the stairs, trying to keep those memories at bay.
I hated needing to rely on him, but it was better than another attack.
At the bottom of the stairs, Faera touched her small torch out to another, and the golden glow spread through the passage, illuminating a slim hallway lined in plush carpet.
My shoulders relaxed, and I looked around, letting out a long sigh as my mind finally accepted this was not, in fact, Lord Ellingsworth's dungeon.
Cheerily decorated doors stretched along both sides of the hall, and as Faera lit more lights, the oppressive darkness gave way to what I might have otherwise mistaken for a hallway in a luxury hotel in the Capital.
"Welcome to where we send outsiders … the guest chambers," the woman said, lips quirked smugly. "Please make yourselves at home. At the moment, all these rooms are empty."
Jaiel's hand dropped from my back, and I ignored the brief pang of loss at its absence.
"Thank you, Faera," he said, offering her his famous smile as he dipped his head in a charming mini-bow. "Your hospitality is much appreciated."
She dipped her chin in return, cheeks slightly pink. "The banquet begins at 6pm, sharp," she said, offering him a slight smile. "If you want alcohol, you'll need to be there promptly. Our pack goes through the ale rather quickly. After the party gets fully underway, Alpha Blackwood should have time to discuss your mate bond, Kaiya."
I nodded, but my mind was on the way she kept looking through her lashes at Jaiel. It was just …
Fuck! Was I jealous?
No. There was no way. Who Jaiel flirted with had no bearing on me. In fact, if he fucked her, it would take the burden of refilling his charisma off me. And that would be a relief!
"Until then," she said, cocking a brow at me and shaking her head. "You both need to remain down here. For your safety."
Jaiel and I both nodded, and with one more smile directed at him, she turned and strode up the stairs, hips swaying with each step.
