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“Hundreds of Cursed?” Ryker repeated, his lip curling in anger.
“Yeah . . .” I placed a caring hand on the cool metal wrapped around his forearm. “But they aren’t down there anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
I pointed to the painting of the auburn-haired queen, just down the hallway from us. “They are behind there.”
“Behind?” Ryker asked, quizzically. His expression shifted to concern—for me.
“I promise I haven’t lost my mind,” I stated with a chuckle. “There are hidden passageways that run throughout the castle. It’s how we’ve all been able to move undetected. We were going to try to leave through this exit, but it’s packed with soldiers.”
Ryker thumbed over his shoulder, towards the room the soldiers were in. “That room was practically empty this morning, despite a few guards posted at the entrance.” He dropped his hand, returning his arm to its crossed position. “I don’t know what those things are, but they sure aren’t soldiers. Soldiers move, but they don’t.”
I had noticed that as well.
Unease sifted, like winter’s touch, into my bones.
“What do you think they are?” I asked, tempted to walk back and peer at them around the corner.
“Honestly, I have no idea. They look human, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they are something else entirely.”
I nodded in agreement. I felt the same way when I saw them too—something was definitely off about them.
“Do you think they would move if hundreds of prisoners were walking through them?” I asked jokingly.
“There’s only one way to find out,” Ryker said with a one-shoulder shrug, walking forward.
“What?” I said, following behind him. “Ryker, I was kidding.”
We both peered around the corner, looking at the massive, perfectly still army—my skin turned to gooseflesh.
“Look. Their chests don’t even rise,” he pointed out.
A few seconds of watching confirmed he was right. “I see that.”
He nodded. “It’s like they aren’t even alive.”
“Then how are they standing there?”
Ryker shrugged a muscular shoulder, bulked up by his armor. “Creator above if I know.”
My brows dipped. “Do you think they are under some type of spell or something?”
“Anything could be possible,” he answered. “Stay here.”
“Wait . . . what are you doing?”
“I’m going to test our theory out,” he said with a confident smirk.
I was about to protest, but Ryker was already well on his way. He walked through the small hallway, then out into the other room.
I bit my bottom lip, watching as he strolled up to the soldier with a mind-boggling amount of confidence. I had to give it to the fire twin, most people would probably shit their pants if they were in his shoes, but not Ryker. He acted as though he were walking up to a baker on the street—not an army of frozen . . . whatever they were.
“Good day, soldier,” Ryker said casually.
The soldier didn’t say a word.
Ryker waved his gauntleted hand in front of the soldier’s face, and I nearly fell over.
