Page 45 of Devour
I try my best to keep track of each hall that doesn’t lead anywhere new, without making any more markings. It’s hard, though, as everything looks nearly identical. The halls curve and twist, but I can’t keep enough track of each twist.
Finally, I notice the floor tilting up, so I eagerly follow the path I assume at least takes me closer to the surface but maybe even out of the labyrinth.
I rush forward, and within a few minutes, I notice the air getting noticeably warmer.
“What do we have here?”
I suck in a breath and twist to find a Dread staring down at me. I cower against the stone wall behind me but don’t even have the mind to flee from him.
Instead, I stare at him like a panicked bunny, frozen in shock.
He’s smaller than the others I’ve seen so far, but most strikingly, he is maskless. For once I can see a full face. Normal. He looks normal. Young even.
Strange clothes, half his body exposed, even his feet. He’s just an adolescent boy, older than Astella, younger than me. Maybe fourteen, if I had to guess.
He smirks, but there’s a playful lilt to his eye.
“Escaping is impossible, you know.” He crosses his arms. “Better scuttle back where you belong before you’re found by someone much worse than me.”
My heart races, but the mini-Dread doesn’t move to grab me.
“You’re new, huh? Here let me—” He turns and waves for me to follow him, but I don’t dare budge.
Instead, I consider rushing back to my prison.
What will I do there? Sleep? What if my Dread is back and intends to torture me? Suck my blood? I don’t know what they do or what he wants me for, and I’m not eager to find out.
The young warrior disappears down the hall and I wait. Could I sneak past and keep going, hoping to find the way out even though I’ve already been found out? If it were that easy, there’s no way he would have left me here. But I have to try, right?
I take a few deep breaths and inch slowly and as quietly as possible back up the hall toward where the intimidating boy went.
“There you are.”
I gasp, again throwing my back against the stone wall opposite him.
He’s grinning. “Here, I just went to grab this for you—” He holds out a small red cloth bag.
When I don’t reach for it, he dumps the contents into his open palm. Small round crackers appear that are so pale they are nearly white.
“I thought maybe you were hungry if you were just brought in. Maybe trying to escape too; they do that a lot. They don’t make it, though, just so you know. You’re almost to the bathing chambers.” He points over his shoulder. “It’s the middle of the night, though, so it’ll be empty. Trust me, it’s not as bad here as whatever you’re expecting. At least, not once you’ve made it to this part of the den.” He grins, like he’s given me good news.
I frown. He’s willingly giving me information. Just rambling.
How is this one of the legendary Drak warriors? Nothing is scary about him. Unless he’s just trying to make me comfortable before he—no, what reason would he have to do that? Even a mini-warrior is stronger than me. He could do whatever he wanted.
“Why?” I rasp. I don’t know why my voice is hoarse. The sobbing? Was I screaming? “Why are you helping?”
His smile is sweet. Is he actually what he appears? A kind kid, but they’re going to turn him into one of those monsters that kills for sport?
“I don’t know. Maybe you’re important?”
I flinch. Important? “What could possibly be important about me?”
“Never know.” He shrugs. “Besides, we get new people enough that we’re kinda used to it. I’d rather help than—well, I know the outside world is rough. People come in starving and who knows what else. So, it’s best just to help people along a little. If you get a little food in your belly and then sleep, you’ll probably have someone show you around and help you get cleaned up in the morning.”
He wrinkles his nose, looking down at my disheveled clothes.
“You’ll be in a much better mood after all of that. I promise.”
