“We’re here,” Kade says, his voice low but certain. He glances back at me, and for a moment, his eyes darken until they’re blacker than unadulterated sin. “Stay close. Malric doesn’t take kindly to strangers.”
My hand hovers near the small of his back, more out of instinct than trust, as I follow him into the suffocating cold beyond the doorway. The walls of the passage seem to press inward, their slick, uneven surfaces glistening faintly in the eerie blue light. The air here is heavy, charged with a magic that prickles against my skin, almost as if the tunnel itself is alive and watching us.
Kade moves with unsettling ease, his steps silent, purposeful. The chain between us hums faintly, pulsing in time with some unseen rhythm that sets my teeth on edge. I grip the hilt of my blade tighter, my other hand brushing the stone wall to steady myself. The floor beneath us is uneven, jagged in places, as though carved in haste or left unfinished.
“Is this some kind of test?” I ask, my voice low but sharp.
The oppressive silence of the passage makes my words feel intrusive, too loud against the unyielding quiet.
“Everything with Malric is a test,” Kade replies, glancing over his shoulder. His tone is calm, but there’s a tension in his jaw that betrays his unease. “Stay sharp, kitten. He has a way of testing your resolve.”
The air grows colder the deeper we go, and my breath clouds in front of me. The passage suddenly widens, openinginto a cavernous chamber bathed in a sickly, shifting light that seems to have no source. The walls are etched with intricate runes, their glow pulsing faintly in a rhythm that matches the hum of the chain. At the center of the chamber stands a massive stone table, its surface marred with deep grooves and dark stains that could only be blood.
And there, leaning casually against the edge of the table, is Malric.
He’s nothing like I expected. His form is lithe, almost serpentine, his skin pale as moonlight and his hair a shock of silver that cascades down his back. His eyes are the only color on him and their piercing, unnatural red pierces right through me.
He looks up as we enter, a slow, predatory smile spreading across his face.
“It’s been a long time, Kade,” Malric says, his voice smooth and venomous. “And you’ve brought a little witch. Is she a present, or a problem?”
Kade stiffens at Malric’s words, his posture taut like a bowstring.
“Neither,” he says evenly, though there’s an edge to his voice. “She’s about to become my wife.”
Malric’s smile deepens, revealing teeth several shades too sharp. He pushes away from the table, his movement fluid and deliberate, like a predator stalking prey. His gaze drifts lazily over me, and the weight of it is suffocating. I force myself to meet his eyes, though the unnatural crimson glow makes my stomach churn.
“A curious choice, binding yourself to someone so untamed,” Malric drawls, his tone laced with mockery. He circles us slowly, his presence filling the chamber like smoke. “Tell me, little witch, do you even know what you’ve gotten yourself into?”
“I’m figuring it out,” I say, as my fingers twitch against the hilt of my blade.
Malric’s laugh is soft but menacing, echoing off the cavernous walls.
“Oh, I do like this one, Kade. She’s got bite. But I wonder...” He stops directly in front of me, tilting his head as if studying a particularly interesting specimen. “Does she have teeth?”
“That’s enough, Malric,” Kade cuts in, stepping between us. His voice is low and warning, his presence suddenly a shield. The chain hums faintly, the energy between us surging with his tension.
Malric raises a pale hand as his eyes narrow and their red burns brighter. His smile doesn’t falter, but his features sharpen and he hisses as he sucks air between his teeth.
“A blood weave,” he snarls.
Malric’s reaction sends a chill through the chamber, the sickly light around us flickering in response to his sudden shift in demeanor. His gaze locks onto the chain connecting Kade and me, the crimson glow of his eyes burning brighter with each passing second.
“A blood weave,” he repeats, his voice a low, venomous hiss. He takes a deliberate step closer, his earlier amusement replaced by something darker, more dangerous. “You’re bound. Truly bound. Tell me, Kade, was it desperation or stupidity that drove you to such extremes?”
Kade doesn’t flinch, his expression hardening into a mask of defiance.
“It was an accident,” he replies, his voice steady but carrying a weight that makes my chest tighten.
Malric’s lips curl back, revealing those unnervingly sharp teeth in a snarl as the oppressive air of the chamber grows heavier with each breath. Shadows shift andwrithe along the walls, as though alive and responding to his rising anger. The sickly light pulses erratically now, casting jagged, dancing shapes that seem to mock us.
“Stupidity then,” he says, his tone dripping with disdain. “Do you even realize what you’ve done? A blood weave doesn’t just tie you together. It feeds off you. It unravels your identities. Slowly. Painfully. Until there’s nothing left but ash and regret.”
The temperature in the cavern plummets, frost creeping along the stone beneath our feet. My breath clouds in the freezing air as a low, guttural hum rises from the runes on the walls, their glow pulsating like a heartbeat in time with Malric’s escalating fury.
Kade nods. “I don’t need one of your lectures.”
Malric throws his head back and laughs, the sound sharp and cruel as it echoes through the chamber. The surrounding shadows deepen, twisting into grotesque shapes that seem to leer at us from the edges of the room. The sickly light dims further, leaving us in a gloom that feels suffocating.
