pretty sure I can hear the ocean on the other side of the castle, and I hope I’ll have the opportunity to see it, but that is something that will have to wait.
Back in Arhaven, I’d been taken to Vaeril’s underground prison, but I was lucky never to visit the castle dungeons. I heard terrible stories about what used to happen to those who were unfortunate or evil enough to end up there. My mind is whirring with possibilities of what might happen to me here. I’m their enemy, and the queen is just barely tolerating my presence, but I have no doubt that if I cause even the slightest problem, she will order my execution. Based on how furious she was just now, she might just save everyone the trouble and kill me herself.
We round the castle and enter through a gate where the carriages must come through. I see the stable off to the right where the horses from our ride today are being led to be brushed and fed. Elier follows behind, leading his horse towards the stables, and looks up at me as we part way, his lips twitching into a ghost of a smile as he meets my gaze.
Maybe I did make a friend after all.
Returning the smile, I turn to face the way we’re going, the last thing I need is to trip because I’m not paying attention. My stomach is a knot of worry and I’m trying to keep my breathing even.
We reach a large, wooden door built into the back end of the castle where two elves are standing guard, but when they see us, they pull open the heavy door, allowing us entry. As soon as we step inside, the door shuts behind us with a thud, and darkness envelops us as the sunlight is cut off. It takes a couple of seconds for my eyes to adjust, and I have to take a few deep breaths to calm my racing heart. Thankfully, the guards give me time to adjust before moving on. They’re certainly treating me better than any of the guards back in Arhaven, but my mind is making up all sorts of terrifying scenarios.
Now that my eyes have adjusted, I can see we’re in a long, dark corridor, but I see light at the end of it, which, thankfully, is the direction we’re heading. There are a couple of thick metal doors with a tiny barred hole at the top, but we just keep walking.
“Is it true you helped rescue Lord Vaeril?” the guard on my left inquires, his voice quiet, like he doesn’t want to be overheard, but he doesn’t sound disbelieving. Me, however, I have to stop my jaw from falling open.
Lord? Vaeril is a lord? He never told me that, I practically shout in my mind. That could have been a helpful fact to know before I dragged his lifeless body straight to his queen. Of course Vaeril wasn’t just any elf.
“Yes, we worked together to escape,” I finally respond, pleased that I manage to keep my voice even and devoid of the surprise I’m feeling.
The guard on my right snorts in disbelief. “But she’s a human! How would she be able to help him escape?”
“You saw her arm glowing, she is no normal human,” the first guard retorts.
The farther down the corridor we go, the lighter it gets, and I can see why. The cells have gotten bigger, and the bars on the door are floor-to-ceiling, with a little window in the far wall that lets in a small amount of sunlight.
“I guess,” the sceptical guard mutters with a huff.
“All I know is that he’s been missing for a century. He couldn’t do it alone or he would’ve already. She helped him,” the kind guard on my left counters defensively, and he’s right. I can feel their eyes on me now, wondering how a human helped an elf escape. I’m suddenly pulled to a stop, and the guard on my right tugs open the barred door to an empty cell.
The kind guard steps in front of me, waiting for me to lift my head and meet his gaze. “We won’t forget your actions. You will be safe here,” he promises, and I breathe a sigh of relief, screwing my eyes shut for a second.
I want to hug him. I don’t know where that thought comes from. I usually avoid physical contact, which is something I’m working on, but I also know that won’t be