“What is this place?” I ask.
Telar doesn’t bother replying. He looks over his shoulder with a haughty expression aimed at me; then he glances at Castiel, and a muscle in his jaw tics. I’m not sure what to make of his reaction toward the prince of Lynx, but I’m too concerned about my own fate to worry about the dynamics between my captors. Telar disappears into the gaping hole, and it’s like he’s completely gone. I don’t sense him anymore.
“You’ll see soon enough,” Castiel replies, then motions with his hand. “Ladies first.”
I snort. “Right. Don’t you mean ‘captive first’?”
“I’d prefer to use the wordguest.”
“I don’t think you know the distinction between those two,” I grumble.
There’s nothing for it but to follow Telar into the cave. Magic ripples through my body as I enter, and then the darkness vanishes. I’m standing in the middle of a well-lit tunnel. The light comes from blue fire lamps attached to stone walls that have been polished to perfect symmetry.
Telar is waiting for us, sporting his usual scowl.
“Careful, buddy. Your face might end up frozen like that forever,” I tease. “Then how are you going to get laid?”
His eyes widen. “Excuse me?”
“I mean, you don’t have a lot going on in terms of personality, and if you lose your looks…” I tsk. “Tough luck.”
Castiel chuckles, earning an annoyed glance from Telar. “Can you please tell your guest to shut her piehole?”
I’m sure it costs Telar a lot to play nice with Castiel. But he’s a prince, and Telar is only a soldier.
“Nah, I’m enjoying this too much. Now let’s move. Your refusal to walk the wind has put us behind schedule.”
Telar grumbles and strides forward. But he gets his wish, for I have no desire to keep taunting him. The feeling of dread increases with each step I take. I glance at Castiel, and he seems completely at ease. If he senses the doom that hangs in the air like a thick blanket, it doesn’t bother him.
We walk in silence, and the only noise echoing around us is from our steps rasping against the ground. The tunnel seems to go on for an eternity, and I lose track of time. Normally, I’d ask how much farther, but I have no desire to arrive at our destination.
We do, eventually, reach the end, a set of simple double doors made of a strange material. It isn’t wood or metal, but it emits some type of wave, and the surface shimmers. Curious, I lift my hand, but Castiel holds my arm.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“Why not?”
“Because you will fry if you touch it,” Telar responds.
Fucking great. An electrified set of doors.
They open inward, leading to a grand silver room with a high, domed ceiling. Here, instead of illumination being provided by flames, there’s a huge crystal chandelier hanging from above, and the light seems to come from inside the crystals, which are of varied sizes, the smallest one being the length of my arm. I gawk as I try to take everything in. Then I hear a familiar and awful noise capable of rendering the bravest warrior paralyzed with fear. Shadowbeasts. I whirl around, ready to defend myself. My nails have turned into claws, and my fangs are now twice as long.
In the far wall of the room, I spot several cells, and inside each, a shadowbeast prances, restless. They’re trapped inside by glass doors, allowing me to see the monsters clearly.
“What madness is this?” I ask more to myself than anyone else.
“Ah, the guest of honor has finally arrived,” a male says from behind me. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
I pivot, and King Ruel walks over. He’s a tall male, with shoulder-length strawberry blond hair and cold blue eyes. Vivi and Rikkon’s father. Queen Maewe’s husband. From what I witnessed yesterday, there’s no lost love between him and his cunt of a wife, but I’m tense just the same. I don’t trust any of those motherfuckers.
“What’s this place?” I ask.
He waves his hand. “My secret spot away from court. Everyone needs their own haven, don’t you think?”
“You call this a haven?” I point at the shadowbeasts.
“Yes.” He walks toward one of the cages with his hands clasped behind his back. “In their bestiality, they have given me piece of mind.”
