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CHAPTER 9
There were hundreds of cells, if not more, and what I had originally thought was the lowest floor of the castle had been a lie. Bennett and I walked onto a metal bridge that stood above numerous stories carved into the earth. The chasm was oddly circular, and from what I could tell looked to hold about ten levels of cells. There were metal walkways that circled around the chasm, providing a place to travel from cell to cell, as well as a bridge on each level that traveled from one side to the other of the circular room, with spiral railed staircases that led from the center of the chasm to its very depths.
This castle laid upon a hill—and this dungeon was the hill’s secret.
I had no idea there was this much crime in Veladis. I knew the Red Bones were getting much worse, but I always assumed I had it mostly under control.
I took in the hundreds of cells below me and realized there was no way that all of these people could be from Veladis—some had to have been transferred here from Vicinus, too.
I tried to control the shaking in my hands and didn’t speak, afraid that my voice would falter. I refused to show Bennett that I was afraid—that I could be weak.
We made our way across the circular room, passing the different cells. Many of the prisoners slept without even noticing we passed.
It would have to take hours to feed all of these people. I searched my brain to think of who would be responsible, until it hit me. Bennett had to use his craft to open the door to the chasm. This is what Pater had the few females with Shadow blood in charge of. I knew it couldn’t have been the men because they were always either guarding the kingdom or training.
Pater told me he just let the women with a Shadow Craft live in the castle as court members out of respect for their blood, but he refused to have them on the guard. I hardly ever saw them in the castle, except for at night. This must be where they were during the day, feeding and keeping an eye on the prisoners in these cells. There were only five women with Shadow blood, so it would make sense that this would be a task requiring all of them.
I continued to follow Bennett, my instincts screaming at me to turn and run, but my curiosity won me over, keeping me in the chasm. One after another I gazed at different men and women of all ages who slept behind the bars. The cells were nothing more than plain stone rooms with a bucket. There was no bed or blanket to keep the chill of night away, nor any light to brighten the darkness. It was inhumane and something I would definitely have to bring up with Pater.
I gasped, stopping in my tracks as my eyes fell upon a cell with a small body huddled in the corner.
A child.
There was a child in this cell. One who couldn’t be older than fourteen lay on the stone cold floor, using his arms as a pillow. What could a child have possibly done to deserve this fate? There had to be better ways of administering control than this.
Bennett stopped and stared too, sadness glossing his eyes, but no shock lingered there.
He cleared his throat and said, “I guess I must have made a wrong turn, but I know how to get us out of here.”
Any further words were lodged in my throat and I couldn’t respond, so I simply nodded. His grip on my wrist loosened slightly as he continued leading me toward the other side of the chasm to a door opposite the one we came in from.
Once again, he used his craft to unlock the door. I took one last look at the chasm and shuddered. I had only seen half of one floor, and I was still leaving feeling shaken. How many more children were down here? Was every floor full?
Questions upon questions flooded my mind to the point where I stopped paying attention to where Bennett was leading me and stalked down the hallway mechanically.
Minutes passed before Bennett let go of my wrist, announcing we’d arrived. We were still on the lowest floor when Bennett once again used his craft to open a large door in the cobblestone wall. Preparing myself for another chasm, I was greatly relieved to have the door opened to an enormous wine cellar. Stacked bottles lined the walls down the stretched room. The cellar opened up towards the back, expanding the space to allow for a couple of settees, a glass cabinet holding some wine glasses, and a small table with cards resting upon it.
“Here we are,” Bennett said cheerfully, striding through the room.
I followed in after him, letting the door shut behind us in case anyone passed by. Bennett plucked bottle after bottle from different shelves, not even bothering to read the labels. He eventually made his way to the small sitting area in the back of the cellar, plopping down on a violet settee, grabbing two glasses and a bottle opener from the small glass cabinet.
“Oh, I don’t want a glass.”
He gave me an annoyed look as he poured two anyway.
“I never said it was for you.”
Still standing, I rolled my eyes as he poured two glasses, sliding one to me across the small table.
“Seriously, Bennett, I don’t want one.”
I really wasn’t sure though. In all honesty, I needed a drink in the current situation I was in, but I made a promise to Pater. I needed to make sure I was on my game with Bennett.
He shrugged, sliding the glass back to him. “Suit yourself, but we’re gonna be here a while.”
“As in ‘we’, I hope you mean ‘you’ because I’m going back to the party, and you’re going to stay here. A win-win situation I’d say.” I crossed my arms with a victorious smile on my face.
Bennett snickered into his wine glass. “What if I just leave?”
