AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her purpose entwined with its final hour,
Will be the beginning or end of Terraheim’s power.”
The prophecy complete, an ominous silence followed. I stared into the silvery bowl, seeing nothing but my own reflection upon its surface.
“That cannot be true. I’m the key to breaking the king’s curse. I have seen it,” I implored.
“He has not been king for a long time, human. He relinquished his hold on the crown the day he burned Taverna to the ground,” she replied, her voice hardened with anger.
“I may be new to this world, but prophecy is not a simple science. This could be a forked prophecy hinging on certain events,” I tried, relying on the limited knowledge I’d collected in the village, but she shook her head.
“I cannot take that chance,” she murmured, and my blood ran cold.
“Helheim is coming. They will be here within days. You must prepare,” I beseeched.
“I must protect my people and I will begin with you,” she answered. There was a soft sadness to her expression, and I lifted my chin.
“Don’t,” I whispered.
“Guards!” she called out.
I took a step back, but it was already too late. In an instant, a series of magical portals opened up all around me. Elves stepped through, all of them equipped like warriors on the brink of battle. When one hand reached out to me, I tried to jerk away, but a dozen more took hold of my arms and my legs. Elven rope looped around my wrists, and with a snap of the queen’s fingers, the world went black once more.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, it was still dark. I was lying down on a cot, and I pushed myself up to a seated position. With an anxious sigh, I started to look around.
As my eyes gradually adjusted to the oppressive darkness that enveloped the underground chamber, faint whispers of sound echoed through the damp air, sending chills down my spine. Far off in the distance, a solitary torch cast a flickering glow, revealing the gloomy expanse of the desolate dungeon. The walls themselves, hewn from cold, unforgiving rock, seemed to exude an eerie aura, as if they had absorbed the despair and anguish of countless prisoners who had languished within their confines.
To my right, a line of imposing iron bars stood as a formidable barrier. I approached them cautiously and reached out, my fingers brushing against the rusted surface, only to recoil from the chilling touch of the iron. The door loomed before me, an impassive sentinel, its lock a stubborn guardian preventing any hope of freedom. With a surge of determination, I pressed against it, but it didn’t budge even an inch.
Fuck.
Wrapping my fingers around the bars, I looked out. There were other cells that looked just as miserable as my own, but I couldn’t see into any of them.
“Hello?” I tried.
No one answered.
What the hell was I supposed to do now?
Silence reigned for hours. I searched every crack and crevice in that cell, but I didn’t find anything useful. There was no key in sight, and I was convinced that I was the only one being kept prisoner down here. None of the bars were loose, and the door was locked tight. I couldn’t even be certain that I was still in Eldoria. The elves had used portal magic both ways. For all I knew, I could be on the other side of the world.
I reached up to wrap my hand around the emerald necklace on my neck, squeezing it as it warmed underneath my fingertips. A faint tingle of magic flitted up the length of my arm and I started.
In the dim light, I angled the necklace so that I could see it. Just when I noticed a very faint glow at the center of the gemstone, the scrape of a shoe against the rock floor caught my attention, and I jerked away in surprise, quickly hiding the necklace underneath the fur of my mantle.
A dark form crept through the hallway, covered in a brown hooded cloak. I couldn’t see the person’s face, but from her size and stature, it appeared that it was a woman. When they moved close enough, they pushed their hood back, revealing the face of a beautiful, red-haired elf woman.
“Who are you?” I whispered.
“You can call me Mais. I’m here to help you.”
CHAPTER14
Sophia
Mais smiled at me, her expression warm and kindhearted. Long burgundy hair reached all the way to her waist. Her pale, dewy skin was touched with a rosy pink, adorning high cheekbones and perfect lips. Her beautiful green eyes seemed eternal, full of whimsical tales and ominous words of warning. I didn’t know why, but there was something about her that seemed off. I couldn’t put my finger on it.
