Page 65 of A Soul to Steal

They passed many open doorways into rooms filled with people doing various things, from eating, to casually lounging and chatting, to those studying. Somehow, it was both quiet and unbearably loud at the same time, as though all attempted tospeak in muted tones, but the collective collision of their voices made the constant chatting and movement distinct.

The hallway seemed to go on forever, spiralling subtly as they ascended further within. The higher they went, the more visible the ore was until they replaced certain sections with glass instead, allowing light to filter in.

In the mass of people, it took him a while to notice something rather peculiar.

Only when they passed a man with brown horns on top of his head, who chanced a glance at them with red eyes, did he realise some of these people had Demon-like features. But that was absurd, right? These Elves wouldn’t willingly allow Demons to live among them, wouldn’t laugh and talk to them as though they were just any other person.

He doubted it, especially since none of them had that void-like exterior he’d seen back on Earth. Their flesh wasn’t glossy, as though stars may begin to twinkle in the obsidian nothingness that kept them together.

They’re probably just a different kind of Elf. Who knows, and who am I to judge?

His wide stare connected with another person.

Since they had familiar red eyes to the Demon who had peered into his very being, his verysoul, as it disembowelled him... it was difficult not to be disturbed.

His gaze shied away.I haven’t thought about how I died in a while.Gideon sidled a little closer to Aleron, as the hairs on the nape of his neck stood on end.

Once they were halted, and this so-called Mericato gestured to a door, Merikh barged past them. He opened it, then entered without a word. Gideon shared a glance with Aleron, and they silently entered as well, while the others left.

Inside looked like much of the architecture he’d seen so far, the walls matching the hallway they’d just climbed.

Mild sunlight caused the embedded ore to glisten, and turned the disturbed dust from Merikh’s entry into sparkles. Sections of glass had been fitted into the wall as windows, utilising the natural gaps in the formation, rather than holes being created for them.

He paused once the door closed shut on its own behind them.

I figured we would be taken to some kind of office or holding room,he thought, surveying the modest and homely décor.

However, to their left was a short hallway that led to two rooms with closed doors. To the right, an opened door revealed a large room with a bed that took up most of the space. It was neatly made, and a pale-blue and green blanket with a pattern like knotted vines was draped over it.

Drifting his gaze back over the entry area, to the right was a large golden table that easily sat four, with chairs that matched. Black cushions appeared to be plush and for supreme comfort.

I guess gold isn’t valuable here.One of those chairs could have fed an entire village for a year.

It matched the stout, rectangular table to their left. Behind it, and against the wall, there was a lounge made of a material he couldn’t even begin to describe, but kind of looked like tiny feathers. It rested against the wall right next to the doorway they’d just come from.

In front of them was some kind of kitchen, although the stove was quite small and didn’t truly look useful for cooking a glorious meal. A mixture of bark, presumably from the tree they currently stood inside of, and more ore, formed a bench around it.

The light above was odd, since it appeared to be made of a green stone, rather than flame. He marvelled at it, as he’d never seen anything like it.

“Where are we?” Gideon blurted out, since this wasn’t what he expected at all.

“My home. Raewyn thought it best we brought you here instead.” Merikh sighed loudly, while pushing a dining chair back so he could fall into it. “I would offer you something to drink, but that seems rather ridiculous.”

Gideon’s brows drew together in a frown. It only deepened at the doll sitting upon the lounge, and the picture book on the table.

“This is not like your cave,” Aleron said with a light chuckle, probably trying to ease the tension within the room.

“No, it is very different,” Merikh agreed. “Much has changed for me, as it has for you. Although, I must admit, I got the better side.”

Both chairs opposite Merikh suddenly shunted back, scraping across the timber floor as though he’d kicked them.

“Here, pretend to sit. It’ll be more comfortable than standing like a pair of ghostly statues. For me, at least.”

Despite wanting to be defiant because... well, fuck this guy, Gideon did as he was told. He floated through the first chair and took the second. They both hovered above their seats, and it took a few moments of waving his hands to settle or he’d lift upwards to the ceiling or sink to the ground. Aleron had the same issue, but at least his tail feathers went straight through the backrest and weren’t in the way.

Merikh plonked both elbows on the table, but he laid one arm across it while the other he bent so he could place the underside of his jaw in his palm. He rasped his claws against the surface, his expressionless, bony face taking them in.

“I have decided to take on the advice of my usually right and wise bride,” he stated, sounding completely bored.

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