CHAPTER NINETEEN
Calista
Black, thick, leafy vines with deep purple blooms the size of dinner plates climbed the walls of the castle. What was once barren reminded me of a Gothic scene of sorts. I wondered if it would swallow it whole in time. But as Astaroth stated, time didn’t exist. It just was. Whatever that meant.
As I approached, Astaroth stepped out from behind one of several partially finished columns. The closer I got, I noticed goblin faces etched onto them. He clapped his hands, the sound slightly muted by the gloves he wore.
“You did as I told you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I did as I remembered.”
His head slightly inclined, and I took that as him conceding. I needed a win.
“And much quicker this time. I expected you to come from there.” He pointed to a different area of the wall. “I do wonder how you discovered a shorter path.”
I shrugged off his question and intense gaze to take in the pillar. The details in the carvings were masterful and smooth; not a blemish to be found, which was amazing considering how ugly and blemish-riddled the goblins actually were.
“You could’ve created a shorter path by bringing us directly here,” I said, my finger tracing the face of an especially young and humanesque goblin. It reminded me of Kaiden’s when he was trapped in Astaroth’s cage. My chest tightened from the memory, and I dropped my hand.
“As I said—”
“You wanted another chance to kill me,” I snapped.
“I never wanted you dead.”
“Could’ve fooled me. And you have, every chance you’ve gotten.”
The drawbridge began rising to seal the outer wall of the castle. My anxiety spiked, remembering what happened next. Only this time, I wasn’t saving my brother. I had to find a way to save myself. Escape was no longer an option. I was officially trapped unless I found a way out of our agreement.
“I will prove it to you. But right now, you must go inside.”
I followed him to a door that opened as we approached. I hesitated at the threshold when I saw what awaited us. Did we have to enter here? Was this part of his power play?
He didn’t look back as he sauntered inside his throne room. A group of goblins loitered, awaiting their king. The ruckus rose to a loud clamber when they noticed Astaroth striding across the black marble floors to take his seat on the throne. That is new, I thought. Spikes fanned out from behind the tall-backed chair. The tip of each spike displayed a skull, and in the center, themask he wore when he visited me stared straight at me. It was another reminder to me of who held the power in this hellhole.
The goblins dropped to their knees in reverence as he stepped up onto the dais and spun around. It painted a powerful image and would make one hell of a portrait. After a moment of silence, their heads turned in unison and black eyes stared back at me.
I trembled and braced myself in the door frame. A soft stroke to the back of my hand made me jerk away. One of the vines wavered as if ushering me inside.
One tentative step was all it would take, but I couldn’t do it. All I could see was my brother inside a human-sized bird cage dangling from the stone ceiling, his face transforming into one of the little mongrels in front of me now.
Before I could register the movement, I retreated and pressed my back against the outer wall. Each breath gave life to the fire burning in my chest. I’d like to believe that the smoke from that blaze was causing my eyes to water instead of the fear coursing through my veins. Maybe if I were lucky, they’d water enough to purge this feeling entirely and douse the flames. But I was never lucky. All my good fortune was thanks to this cursed wishing stone.
The pendant throbbed against my chest in a low steady thrum as if it knew I was thinking about it and hurt along with me. I gripped it with a tight fist, the chain tugging at my neck as I willed it to break so I could hurl it far away from me. I squeezed my eyes shut and fought the urge to scream.
A tickle on my cheek eased me. It followed the trail of my tears and wiped them away. What was with the vines around here? I reached up to push it away and paused.
Astaroth’s hand rested beneath mine. The fabric of his glove absorbed the stream and dried my cheek beneath it.
Confusion ate at me. I needed this kind gesture as much as I needed my next breath, but I wasn’t sure I wanted it fromhim. No, I know I didn’t want it from him. He did this to me. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him.
“Calista—”
I turned my head, his hand lingering in the air by my face before dropping it at his side.
“Are we to go back to this?”
I grit my teeth together.
