I guess we’re about to find out.
These damn dark stone corridors are empty. Void of any form of life, as if this part of the underground castle network is abandoned. Shadows slither over the walls, gathering in the dark corners.
Surely hiding secrets I don’t want to know about. But as the Ezkai General, probably should.
When I round the corner, I step into a corridor that has iron doors on each side.Finally.
I approach the first door. Just as my hand rests on the handle, a rush of whispering reaches my ears. As if it’s hit by lightning, I snatch my hand back. The whispers stop. I try again.The moment my hand wraps around the handle, the whispers assault me once again.
With a gasp, I step away from the door. And walk away.
No way am I opening that door.
Just as I approach the second door, a chilling scream pierces the silence. With a thrashing heart, I lean in closer to the door. Another scream. Very clearly coming from behind that door.
Yeah. Not this door either.
Hesitating, I stand in front of the next door for longer than I must. Inside my mind, I run through a hundred different scenarios of what might await me on the other side.
Stop being little bitch, I scold myself. I’m the Ezkai General. I must face everything that comes with this job. Torture chambers included.
A sight of Daegel’s face, his eyes widening a fraction as I plunged my blade into his throat, flashes in my mind.
A heartbeat and it’s gone.
The visual of the memory might be gone, but the misery and heartbreak lingers.
“Get it together,” I mutter to myself and reach for the handle.
The door swings open before me. A pale woman dressed in Ezkai leathers blinks at me, surprised. Her eyes widen when she remembers herself, and she offers me a proper greeting.
“General,” she says.
“Ezkai,” I say, confidently. “I’m looking for Taaslord Noire. He’s supposed to be somewhere in the spy lair. Have you seen him?”
“I’m right in here, General.” Noire’s voice comes from the inside of the room behind the Ezkai. “Your intuition was right to lead you here.”
The Ezkai steps to the side and allows me to enter. She leaves, closing the door behind her.
It’s not a room. It’s a whole damn cave, with round walls and ceilings carved out of black, rough stone. In the middle, there is a heavy, long table. As I get closer, I realize there’s a map carved into the stone tabletop. A map of Ekios, with the tall snowy mountains in the north surrounded by deep forests, and vast farm fields in the south.
Noire stands at the head of the table.
On his right is a tall, strong woman with long, mesmerizing blond hair weaving past her shoulders, all the way down her back. She’s stunning. I remember her: Ezkai Seraphina.
On Noire’s left is a tall, broad-shouldered man with beige skin and a neatly manicured beard. Ezkai Xander. His dark eyes are inquisitive as he watches me approach.
I pause at the other end of the table-map, across from Noire, and scan the map in front of me. Jaakii is a large, bustling city. I might have visited a few places outside the city, but I know so little about Ekios. It’s a vast, rich land with much to see and explore.
“So, this is the spy lair,” I say, looking up from the map.
Noire wears a pleasant smile on his lips. “Only part of it. I can do a full tour of all three levels later, General.”
I nod. “I’d like that, Noire.” I turn to Ezkai Seraphina. “It’s good to see you again, Ezkai Seraphina. You seem well.”
She dips her chin. “I’m happy to see you too, General. Allow me to congratulate you in person on the well-deserved and hard-earned win. I and my Ezkai are honored to be serving you.”
“Thank you, Ezkai Seraphina.” I glance at Ezkai Xander. “Good to see you too, Ezkai Xander.”
