Page 14 of Wolf Trap

They returned, Lycaon holding some sort of spiked club and Dolph carrying a huge cleaver. I wiggled my fingers. Nothing. No magic. I’d used everything, which meant I’d have to use my wits.

Great. I prefer magic if I’m honest. Still, I had my athame. Though compared to their weapons, it was like a butter knife.

Reverently, they made their way to the second door.

Again, Dolph used his huge bulk to dislodge the door, but no sooner than he’d opened it, his face paled, sweat broke on his face and he placed it back.

I swallowed, trying not to gag.

Dolph simply stated, “No!”

I shivered, God knows… I looked at the archway. Stone steps led upwards, and the three of us, as quietly as we could, sprinted up the steps.

The stairway led to another door, but this time, Lycaon stepped forward.

Locked, we both turned to Dolph, who nodded.

As quietly as he could, he leaned into the frame next to the hinges. I could hear the pressure as his body loosened them. They relented. He grabbed it and quietly placed it so that we could just sneak through.

A small hallway was before us, dotted with stone gothic archways. Intricate carvings were on each pillar, and above them, a staircase with a gothic stained-glass window. It capturedme in its beauty. The glass had pictures of a mage and witch casting fire. And all around them a forest littered with flowers, animals and a brilliant golden sun which cast a warm yellow glow over the hallway.

Whispering, I edged forward. “Which way?”

“To the main hall, you are going to want to see this…” Dolph murmured as he crept quietly under the archways that surrounded the room.

6

DOMINION

Staying close to the walls, we moved swiftly and quietly. The castle was oddly silent, the only sounds the creaking of the floorboards. It was like walking in a graveyard. My nerves felt shot. Where were they? Lying in wait, hiding? With every step I tensed, expecting to find Adara, or their monsters, ready to leap out at us.

We didn’t speak. Dolph led the way, slightly hunched with Lycaon behind me. The whole place was cast in shadows, even in daylight, as if a storm cloud hung over it, except for the stained-glass windows.

His voice hoarse, Dolph whispered, “We have to go through the main hall. We should stick to the walls. It’s heavily guarded, but… you’ll see.”

Reaching past me, Lycaon grabbed at Dolph’s wrist. “Heavily guarded? Isn’t there another way?”

“No. The sentries,” Dolph stared off into the distance before answering, “they won’t awake unless you make a noise. So don’t make any noise, don’t even breathe.”

Casting me a worried look, Lycaon fell in behind me, jutting his chin to Dolph to proceed. I could see the whites of Lycaon’s knuckles as he gripped his weapon fiercely. Carefully, I slotted my athame through my belt. I did not want to drop that from my sweaty hands.

We entered through a tiny stone archway, both shifters hunched as they stepped through, but I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. A huge opening in the circular roof poured in sunlight which shone onto a statue. It stood above everything in the enormous chamber.

Like molten gold, the sunlight bounced off the statue, a statue of a warrior angel, clad in armour and wielding a sword in one hand, and scales in the other. It was standing on a gilded mount with intricate designs. It transfixed me as the rays made the statue appear to move as they weaved and bobbed over it.

Then I saw them. Dozens of them.

Standing sentry around the statue, but cloaked from the brilliant light, soldiers dressed in armour, swords poised, ready. They hid their faces under their hoods, but I sensed no life from them. They, too, looked like statues, and perhaps they were. If they moved, we’d have no chance.

Two lines, facing each other, they surrounded the statue.

Narrowing my eyes, it was hard to see, but they looked as if they were etched in stone. Or was it enchanted armour? Who knew, but Dolph touched my arm, indicating with his head that I should move.

Lycaon’s jaw dropped as his eyes studied the statue, then he tightened his jaw as he saw the guards. But it was impossible as we moved through the hall not to steal another glance at it. Its wings spread wide and glinted gold. Its left leg showed it was ready to step forward with faith, like an Egyptian statue.The scales of justice and the sword of judgement held high. On the carved arches surrounding it, the light looked like melted honey as the sun beamed onto the pale stone. Hollow eyes, skeletal frames draped in stone shrouds, leaned outward from the pillars.

Finally, we came to a smaller arcade, and ducking through it, we came to a landing leading to three corridors.

“This way!”

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