Page 65 of Of Kings and Thieves

“Over there,” Silvius whispered, pointing to a narrow fissure in the rocks nearby. It was barely discernible in the dim moonlight, but it was there, waiting for us.

As we continued along the hidden path, the rocks became increasingly unstable. I picked my way carefully, trying not to dislodge any stones and send them clattering into the abyss below. After a few minutes, the sound of another boat reached my ears. Guards.

“Down!” I hissed, pulling Scarlet to the ground just as a boat’s lantern swept in our direction. We held our breaths, waiting for any sign that we’d been spotted. Moments later, the guards passed by, seemingly oblivious to our presence. Their light swept up the side of the cliff, but from this angle, the rocks obstructed their view of us. The boat could not get closer here, forcing them to row farther away.

“Too close,” Silvius whispered, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

“Yeah. Let’s not do that again,” Melion grumbled.

And then, after what seemed hours of climbing, we reached the hidden fissure set into the rock face, camouflaged within the shadows.

“Finally,” I breathed.

The others crowded around. Kolvar studied the entrance, brow furrowed. “The opening is small. We’ll have to go in one at a time.”

I stepped forward. “I’ll go first.”

He looked at me, eyes glinting in the darkness, and I prepared for him to argue.

I swallowed hard. “If there are any guards, I can enchant them and avoid a fight that could alert more.”

As if against his better judgment, Kolvar nodded stiffly and stepped aside. I turned to the entrance, gathered my courage, and ducked inside.

The tunnel widened beyond the entrance, which cast the only pale light, but it allowed me to see the floor at the opening.

A gasp caught in my throat. The chamber was full of bones, scattered and strewn about. Skeletons were chained to the walls, as if left to rot.

“What’s wrong?” Kolvar asked, sliding through the opening.

The others filed in behind me, looks of horror crossing their faces as they took in the gruesome scene.

“Gods,” Silvius breathed.

I took a deep breath and reached out for Col through our bond once more. Still nothing. He didn’t respond.

Beyond the tunnel opening was utter darkness. We had brought torches, and everyone busied themselves with lighting them now that we wouldn’t be seen. Kolvar clicked his tongue, a spark of flame flickering to life in his palm. He used it to light his torch, which cast a dim, flickering light over the tunnel walls. “Well, this is cozy.”

The tunnel widened slightly after a few feet, just enough for us to walk single file. Our footsteps echoed strangely, distorted by the twisting path. The air felt heavy and stale, untouched by the outside world for ages.

Despite the tight quarters, Melion pushed past me and stalked ahead. Everyone followed him into the gloom.

After what felt like hours of walking, we reached a fork in the tunnel. Three paths stretched out before us, identical in their darkness. Melion growled, the sound echoing into the depths of each tunnel.

“Well, that’s not ideal,” Scarlet said. She peered down each path, her brow furrowed. “Any ideas?”

Kolvar shone his light in each tunnel in turn. “We must choose the tunnel that goes down.”

“But we want to go up,” Scarlet said, going for the tunnel to the left, which rose in a steep grade.

Kolvar shook his head. “Too easy. These tunnels were meant to be used as an escape route for those inside the castle, but they were designed to keep intruders out.”

Scarlet turned and looked at Kolvar, her expression unreadable, and stared at him. Finally, she nodded and took the tunnel in the middle, which quickly descended. The rest of us followed.

We went downward for several minutes, the cold, damp air clinging to my face and making my nose run.

“Damn this place,” Silvius muttered, his fear palpable as he stared into the abyss before us. “Feels like the bloody walls are closing in.”

“Focus,” Kolvar snapped. “We can’t afford to make any mistakes.”

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