Page 44 of Devour
I watched it crumble. The towns. The trade routes. The people, trampled underfoot. Sometimes killed by our own, so desperate for escape they would do anything, even tear their friends and family apart.
Fear does terrible things to people. It changes them.
But if there is one strength I was given, it is to find the good and cling to it.
I would never consider betraying a friend to benefit myself. I would never give up hope, even for an eternity of comfort.
It might be the only strength I have, but I am proud of it. I refuse to let these vile warriors and their death-worshipping cult be what finally snuffs out my light.
So, while my heart is sore and aching, it does more than beat.
It believes.
This place is a labyrinth of tunnels that I cannot untangle, and I wouldn’t stand a chance against even one of the warriors, let alone the drakai they ride.
I shiver at the thought of the pit I’d been forced to pass over on my way to the city, filled with those lizard monsters. And the image of the scaled beast they threatened me with before being claimed…
There must be a way, though.
I believe I will be free of this place and find Astella again, even if it isn’t logical. Because if I give up, I may as well succumb to the despair and let these monsters take whatever parts of my body and soul they want.
There will be nothing left worth fighting for.
I grip the knob of the wooden door and pretend I am braver than I am. I must be. Only a truly brave woman could face the worst demons this world has to offer and intend to beat them.
That must mean I’m brave, then, right?
My stomach sinks—yet my heart soars—when the knob turns without difficulty.
Some part of me expected it to be locked. Shouldn’t they have trapped me in this room? What kind of prison is this? With unlocked doors and weapons freely available?
The kind with other tricks up its sleeve.It’s Astella’s voice that warns me. Whether my imagination or that girl has learned some new impressive tricks with her sorcery, I don’t care. The voice is right.
They don’t need to trap me in the room to keep me harnessed.
But from everything I know of these people, wouldn’t they want to? Don’t they enjoy the pain and despair they enact on others?
So, why give me so much freedom within my chains?
I shake my head from the spiral of confusion and instead thrust open the heavy oak door. The hall flickers with orange light; torches hanging every so often keep it unevenly lit.
When I release a breath, it comes out as a little puff of white. I shiver against the cold.
I look both ways down the seemingly unending tunnel. No movement. No smells beyond the mildewy scent of the cavern.
I abandon my shoes in the room for the sake of stealth and slide over the cool stone. It feels nice on my sore feet. When I come to a split, I ignore it and continue straight. There are other wooden doors here, far apart. Other Dread? Other captives? I don’t particularly want to find out.
The tunnel eventually leads to a supply room, with chests and stacks of buckets. I bite my lip and consider. Even now, a few hundred feet straight down the hall, will I be able to find my door again? I decide to test it once by walking back from where I’d come.
I still second guess myself as I stand in front of the imposing wooden door because if I’m wrong, I could end up face to face with a fanged killer eager to drink my blood, or worse.
Heart throbbing, I conjure the courage to push the door open to an empty room with ruffled fur blankets, flickering lantern, and stacks of baskets and weapons in the corner. I release a relieved breath. This is the dwelling he left me in.
After double checking the hall is still empty, I make use of my new weapon. It’s difficult to make a dent in the dark wood, but after a few seconds, I manage to make a small mark that won’t be particularly noticeable to others, yet is still recognizable to me.
With more confidence, I head back out into the tunnels. One by one, I enter different halls. Some seem to lead nowhere or get so cold and dark I know I must be going the wrong way. Others lead to what I assume are social gathering areas. One is a domedroom with semi circles of cushions, and another has a massive oak table with a dozen chairs.
Everything is empty and still, though.
