Page 75 of Violet Legacy

“We found a series of other tunnels.” Talik walked over to where Dante stood. “Chaucer may be useful.”

Hot rage threatened to overwhelm him, but he forced it down as he focused his attention on finding Rieka. Dante moved to the outer door, his gaze never leaving Chaucer. “Move.”

Chapter 45

“Pretendingtobeasleep,Rieka?”

Idris.

Or whoever he really was.

Rieka shut her eyes tightly. It hadn’t been a nightmare; the voices were barely an audible murmur in the background, but at any moment that could change. Slowly opening them, she took note of her surroundings. Idris had placed her in a small pitch-black windowless room, no bigger than a young child’s room. Even in the darkness, she could only make out the outline of one entrance; Idris was standing in front of it. Pale light slithered between the miniscule gap between the door and the floor. It was not enough light for her to make out her hand in the darkness.

How long had she been out for? Long enough for the sharp rocks to imprint into her flesh. She slowly stood; her body screamed in protest. Her arm continued to throb in agony as she took in the dark surroundings. Idris must have taken her somewhere. The last thing she remembered was the monster grabbing her ankle, then the rest of her memory slammed into her like a freight train.

Dante had known who she was the entire time. And like a pawn, she had played right into his game. She stifled a sniff as she clenched her fists, the pain of her nails biting into her flesh anchoring her into the now.

The rage running through her would sustain her long enough to survive. The tomb was hers to find. Not Dante’s. Not anyone else’s. She hadn’t sacrificed everything to forget about it now. Dante, by now, had the pendant and the journal—he didn’t need her anymore.

“I see Dante told you about the knives,” Idris began in a conversational tone. “What he omitted was that it was an old assassin trick. They train them to be immune to most poisons. It is how Dante and I first become acquaintances,” Idris chuckled. “The lowly assassin and the first male born to the Delacroix line. It was an unusual mix.”

“What have they promised you?” She needed Idris to keep talking. Emotions she had thought she had outgrown threatened to blind her.

Always the second choice.

“True salvation,” Idris answered. “They will remake the world in their image.”

The unflinching zealotry in Idris’s voice was familiar. She had heard it over and over again when the Atlanteans had stalked her over the forgery. There was no arguing with it.

Metal scratching against stone caught her attention as the wall moved into place.

Idris stood in front of her, blocking her exit and freedom. “I hope you were telling the truth, that you are not afraid of the dark.”

The door slammed shut as she reached it. She banged her fists against the wall. Pain shot through her, but she was getting used to it. Alone in the darkness, where she couldn’t even see her hands. The silence was suffocating as it burrowed deep inside her, carving through her flesh until it settled into her bones. She was truly alone. She closed her eyes, willing the newly heightened senses to come alive. Nothing. The sound of her racing heart echoed loudly, almost drowning out the silence of the room.

“Goddamn,” Rieka yelled, throwing every ounce of pity she felt for herself into her voice. The outburst wasn’t going to change her situation, but it may just make her feel better. “Fuck it.”

She stared at the offending bracelet; it was blessedly silent. Just like the voices in her mind. For now—she didn’t know how long the respite would last.

“The blood of queens and monsters runs through me.”

The hairs on the back of her neck rose as a faint pale blue light shimmered. A small beacon in the darkness. Rieka squared her shoulders and stared back into the darkness, unflinching. Adrenaline was fueling her—combined with unrelenting rage. She would worry about everything else once she was out of this hellhole. A dark shape materialized just out of her reach. It quickly took a humanoid form. After all she had been through, she didn’t have the energy to be shocked or surprised.

Pale blue eyes stared down at her, the rest of their features half-hidden within a hood. The hue was so pale, it was almost white. They were the exact shade as her mom’s. She should not be surprised; after all, they had been twins.

Rieka swallowed a lump stuck in her throat as she forced herself to keep her arms by her sides.

“Hello, little one.” His lyrical voice rolled over her, simultaneously familiar and threatening, just like she remembered. As if it hadn’t been decades since she had last seen him.

He clicked his fingers as the crystals on the wall came to life.

“Hello, Uncle.”

Chapter 46

Dantestilledastheworld around them vibrated and groaned.

The stone wall in front of them continued to shift like an Escheresque monument. It forced them to stop and reorient to a different path, one that was not of their choosing. The crystals were a pale pink hue, their glow scarcely penetrating the darkness, even with their heightened sight. But there was enough of a glow to cast shadows, and for them to know they were no longer alone. Something was herding them.

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