“My treasure. I want it. Surrender what is mine.”
I quickly tucked the key back into its hiding place. He sure seemed to want it a whole lot. That meant it had to lead to something special, didn’t it? But what? If I was lucky, maybe a way out. I highly doubted I was that lucky, though.
Lost in thoughts about the key, I reached forward and opened the latch.
His pain-filled denial echoed in the hall followed by mumbling about raining blood again. By then, it was too late to shut the door. I’d already seen what was inside. Souls. So many souls.
All this time, he’d been deflecting me from the rooms with the souls? But why? They hadn’t hurt me the last time I’d discovered them.
Like the previous room with souls, a few drifted out of this one, while more shuddered and pressed away from the door. I looked at the ones closest and, seeing that they weren’t my uncle, ignored them and stood on my toes to scan the rest.
“She looks. What game is this? Teach me the rules,” C’adon demanded beside me.
A soul drifted closer to me.
“Choose wrong and suffer.”
My gaze, which had been sweeping over the transparent faces, paused. Was he talking about me choosing or him? It was hard to keep up.
An unnatural coolness moved through me. I shivered and saw another soul about to pass through me. I frowned, not a fan of the sensation.
“No, no, no!” C’adon yelled beside me. “Wrong choice.”
He raised a fist and lashed out, the side of his hand hitting the wall.
“End the torment. End the suffering. I am done! Done!”
He hit it again, harder, and I felt the stone beneath my feet tremble.
“I’ve given enough! Take, take, take. There is nothing left.”
The vibrations beneath my feet grew, and a crack in the stones appeared, crawling away from C’adon. Shocked, I looked down at it.
“No,” he raged, moving to stand right in front of me. “You will look at me. One willing glance.”
He bent slightly, getting in my face as the floor continued to tremble.
“Love me!”
A soul passed through me as I shuddered at the complete violence in his tone.
He angrily grabbed the soul, tossed it into the room, and slammed the door shut. The wood splintered, and through the crack that appeared in the very thick panel, I saw the souls pressing against each other to get as far away as possible.
Following their example, I spun to escape his madness.
The floor shook harder, turning each step into a stagger.
“So be it,” he said with deadly calm. “Let blood rain.”
He was out of control and obviously tearing the building apart somehow. A building with no clearly marked exit. My gut told me I couldn’t run from this. I needed to fix it, fast, because while the ghosts would survive if this place crumbled, I wouldn’t.
Heart pounding in my chest, I stopped in my tracks and pivoted to face C’adon while keeping my gaze averted. I took one halting step forward. Then another. The building’s tremors eased at my approach.
The tension in his stance didn’t, though. He shook and glowered at me as if he was barely containing his anger. At me.
My daring slipped, and my courage faltered. I couldn’t stop myself from glancing at the cracked wood. That door was far sturdier than me, and it hadn’t survived his temper. What hope did I have?
“Do not stray from your path,” he snarled, hands fisted at his sides.
