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Further in, the stench of foul magic, rotten flesh, rusty blood, and something else made me gag. I covered my nose and breathed in and out through my mouth. Rosalinda bent over and heaved out a vomit.
The walls were smeared with blood, both dried and fresh, dripping down the walls.
My magic detected terrifying evil pulsing underground, and that was where we needed to go, though all my instincts roared at me to run, to get away from this place, and never to return.
Elvey’s hand squeezed mine. “I’m with you, my queen.”
We continued on the stone path, which was also tainted with blood, our footsteps echoing eerily in the dark chamber, our shadows dancing around as Elvey’s blue light leapt erratically.
At the second turn, another demon jumped from the ceiling, missing me by inches. Elvey pierced his sword into the demon without casting a backward glance while Rosalinda decapitated the fallen creature.
My companions grew even tenser, expecting to be waylaid at every turn.
At the fourth turn, I sensed something dashing toward us in the air. It was so fast I didn’t have a chance to call out a warning. A wave of blue light blasted out from Elvey and pushed forward before us. At the same time, my White Light followed and enhanced the defense of my husband’s light.
Numerous darts dropped before us and turned to dirt.
Elvey cursed. “They’re one of the nastiest spells. We were lucky we blocked them before any of them hit us.”
“What kind of spells are they?” Rosalinda asked.
“Death and soul-catching spells,” Elvey said.
Zembyr cursed profusely. “Nasty things! We need to kill Tianna as soon as possible.”
A dark figure in a cloak ran across the space, away from us, but Rosalinda’s knife aimed true and fast. It sailed toward the figure and buried into the back of the fugitive’s skull. The enemy dropped in a heap.
Zembyr sprang ahead of us. When we reached the fallen enemy, Zembyr turned her around to see her face, blood pooling under her head.
“One of Tianna’s black witches,” Elvey said coldly. “They were guarding this place for her.”
The witch must have tossed the spells at us.
Not far from her, steep stone stairs led down into gloomy dimness. That was the entrance point of the evil power I’d felt. My magic pricked, and chills ran down my spine.
Zembyr handed the dagger he’d extracted to Rosalinda. We shared a look and descended the stairs, my White Light shielding us.
The stairs twined left then right. At the bottom of the stairs, a vast underground chamber sprawled before us.
In the center was a black crystal container, enchanted and warded by dark magic. As we moved closer and looked through the sealed lid, we saw a dark heart suspended in it, pulsing like it was living. Hundreds of veins spread out from it, connecting to the standing glass coffins lined up against the walls.
To my horror, there was a living being—either Fae, human, or some other species—fastened to the cords that led to the black heart in each transparent coffin. A terrifying comprehension hit me. They were feeding the heart. Their energy flowed to that living heart as if charging a battery.
“Soul charge,” Elvey whispered under his breath.
He stepped next to me as I went to inspect the unfortunate prisoners trapped inside the coffin. I even saw a white tiger and a dragon in chains among the Fae and humans.
“She’s been using their souls to charge the black heart, and the heart gives her power,” Elvey said. “I’d heard the rumors but never imagined this.”
“We must free them,” I said, wrath roaring in my bloodstream. I knew Tianna was pure evil, but the degree of her horror was just too great. “And then we’ll burn this place down.”
Before I threw out my White Light to break all the glass coffins, Elvey grabbed my wrist. “Not yet, darling.”
Zembyr gasped and cursed. He had gone to check the coffins on the opposite side of the room while Rosalinda stood guard.
He dropped to his knees before a coffin, tears streaming down his face in rivulets.
“Your Majesties,” he murmured, staring up at the coffin.
