Page 103 of Hunted in the Shadows
While Roslyn busied herself with clearing the basin, my gaze drifted back to my dagger. Before leaving the room, I snatched the sheathed weapon and tucked it into the deep pocket of my gown.
As promised, Marcellus was waiting for me in the main area of the dwelling. I swore his breath caught when he eyed me, but I was distracted as the women hurried to my side to coo over me. In any other situation, I might have been glad to spend leisurely time with them. They were entranced by my presence, suggesting I join them for strolls or chores or the Celestial Feast itself.
I couldn’t help but admire how the Velorian women moved with a kind of effortless elegance, their skin a warm, tawny shade that seemed to glow like polished amber, just like Marcellus’. Their dark hair fell in waves or curls, boasting tones of deep turquoise, cerulean, and seafoam green that caught the light. Next to them, my red hair felt like a flare in the sea.
Many of them had gold runes painted on their eyelids, trailing up to their foreheads in beautiful designs. I had only seen Elsyia’s Elders wear such runes during the winter Solstice feasts, but their paint had been crude compared to the tapered, intricate strokes these fairies had lovingly painted on each other. I was tempted to indulge their insistence that I join them in weaving garlands of lotus petals; their eyes were kind, promising wine and conversation.
Focus.
The gentle heartbeat of the pendant around my neck sent a shiver of alertness through me. And this was a tiny fraction of what I would attain when I found what I came for.
I smiled politely, glancing at Marcellus for help. He appeared faintly amused, perhaps teasing me by waiting a few more moments before stepping in.
“I’m afraid Sylvia has much to see before she settles in for the feast,” he said, taking my arm to lead me away. He kissed Roslyn’s cheek on the way to the door. “Thank you, my dear.”
Before I could offer my thanks as well, we were out the door.
Smiling breathlessly, I pushed my damp hair back, feeling the soft waves slowly spring back to life. “Your people are certainly friendly.”
“You expected a trial? They’re enamored.” He chuckled and gave me a meaningful look. “Naturally.”
My face flushed. I turned away to peer through the archway at the cavern—hoping to catch a glimpse of Jon and Cliff. The path had twisted too much for me to spot them. Concern stirred in my gut as I wondered if I’d really needed to take all that time to clean myself up while they were still essentially captives. Though less than thirty minutes must’ve passed, worry burrowed in my chest. I wanted to check on them, even for a moment.
Unless it’s too late, a sinister voice tickled the back of my mind. Once again, I had to assure myself that this was my own fear—not the Ancients back to collect.Unless your boys are long dead already.
No—no, that couldn’t be. They were killers themselves; they would have fought. I would have heard them shout.
Marcellus took my shoulder, and I eased the furrow from my brow, cementing a passive expression as I faced him.
“Now, gem scavenger,” he said with a roguish grin. “You could sense our stores from afar, but how precise are your instincts?”
I perked up, knowing a challenge when I heard one. He released me and nodded, allowing me to take the lead.
All at once, childhood fantasies came rushing back. I’d spend hours upon hours near the glamour bounds, pretending I was on some great expedition to locate the rarest of gemstones—much to Mother’s chagrin. I dodged guard patrols not because I was breaking any rules, but just to see if I could. I dreamt of the beasts I might outwit, the adventures I would conquer.
The thrill of it drove me forward, searching for the exact direction of the gemstones’ hum. Marcellus followed, neither confirming nor denying whether I was selecting the correct paths, but I knew in my heart that I was right.Stars, I hadn’t trulyutilized gem magic, but the exhilaration of the chase was intoxicating. It reminded me of how restless Jon and Cliff became when they wereso closeto reaching their target—except there were no monster corpses waiting for me at the end of this journey. Only power and freedom.
Fairies looked up at us as we charged through the air—through windows, from balconies, peering up far below from the water’s edge. Seeing so many wings, so much like my own, set me oddly at ease. No one shouted or chased us. Some even smiled curiously, waving.
We were deep in the cavern when I finally paused to gather my thoughts, where dwellings along the walls became scarce and the width of the space narrowed. The idle passing of sirens were left behind us, the rush of crystalline water beneath us too narrow for them to swim. The diamond-like points of bookcases on the jagged ceiling thinned too, making me wonder if perhaps I had misread the pulsing beckon of the gemstones. It looked unfrequented—perhaps forbidden. Had we gone too far?
I felt it in my bones before I saw it—thatpull. It felt like invisible ropes looping around my insides, tugging me forward with a weightless sensation in my stomach. Directly ahead of us, shadowed in the low light, my flickering gaze set on an entryway.
Like many of the others, the archway was carved out of the stone itself, but this one was different. The stone was carved like a tangle of vines, opals glinting throughout. After catching Marcellus’ goading smile, I dove toward the curved balcony. A small set of steep, winding stairs led upward. I lifted the trailing edge of my gown as I ascended, taking them two at a time as I neared the top. My lungs burning, I brushed my palm across an opal embedded in the towering pillar.
No. Not these.
A whisper of air beside me—Marcellus stood before the doors and gestured a spell with his hands. Two spells at once, though he didn’t move his lips—and I was watching carefully. A golden orb of light was conjured over his head, while the other spell unlocked the doors with a heavyshinkof metal and sent them yawning inward.
“After you,” he said.
He looked so effortlessly powerful as he gestured for me to enter, his warrior rune glinting in the warm light. My stomach flipped, and I hoped my expression was more collected than I felt. All of my training these past months pushing myself to my limits felt like child’s play compared to what this man was clearly capable of.
I was grateful for the conjured illumination as we entered a hallway with lofty ceilings. The path led toward a chamber—the opening ahead wide enough to accommodate over a dozen fairies at once. Statues twice my height lined our path, their faces partially obscured in the bobbing gold light. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the darkness of the chamber—so thick, it seemed to swallow all light. A flicker of fear joined my anticipation. I didn’t need Jon and Cliff to protect me, but I still wished they were here. Just to be with me.
But that pulsing rope around my heart roared.
Come, come, come.
