She did as she was told, stepping off into an imposing set of heavy stone catacomb-looking passages and corridors.
“Where are we?” she quietly mused to herself, not expecting an answer.
She received one moments later when she spied Elder Soparo standing beside a heavy door. A door with heavy metal hinges.This wasn’t a new facility; this was one she’d read about in the ancient archives.
The original dungeon. It has to be. But I thought the old cells were replaced after the great upheaval.
She scanned her surroundings, confirming her initial impression. The place was old, and unmistakable. She’d read enough about it, after all, though mostly in the older texts. It was supposedly razed and replaced with newer facilities in the rebuilding.
Apparently not. Seems the newer texts got that bit wrong.
Elder Soparo stared at her with a disappointed look on his face, as one might have gazing upon a misbehaving child. One who had done something very bad. He nodded to the open door. Ella stepped inside, searching for a hint of kindness in his face. He avoided looking at her, stepping back as the guards shut the door, sliding the thick bolt into place with a resounding thunk.
The smell hit her at once. Dry. Old. The air faintly scented with hints of some sort of burnt incense or some such from days long gone. Ella walked the small chamber, her fingers tracing the lines of the massive stone blocks set into place thousands of years ago. The illumination was minimal, a lone light bar mounted to the ceiling. It was the only high-tech addition to the space, it seemed.
The room was actually fairly decent in size, nowhere near as constraining as a prison cell. But the low ceiling and stone made it feel oppressive all the same. A small bunk sat up against the wall, a thin mattress and thinner blanket the only comforts afforded her.
“At least the toilet’s clean and functional,” she noted, taking a closer look at the hole in the ground where a steady flow of subterranean water ran beneath her feet.
Ella moved to her bed and sat, a shudder making her body tense up, the stress of the situation finally taking hold. She’dbeen so blissfully happy less than an hour ago, and now? Now who knew what would come of this.
She forced back her tears, a pang of worry flooding her body.
“What are they going to do with him?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Draikis walked tall and proud into the waiting transport, head held high, his gaze defiant. He may have been stark naked, but these were his brothers, they’d all seen one another in such a state for as long as they’d been members of the order. Except for the erection, that is.Thatput a few of them off and led to some uneasy glances.
“For the love of decorum, put your clothes on,” Totaxxis grumbled, tossing Draikis his bundled attire.
“You seem uncomfortable, Brother.”
“I am not uncomfortable. I simply have no desire to see the obvious signs of your betrayal to our order.”
“I—”
“You broke your vows. The law. And while your other transgressions may have been overlooked, this is unforgivable. You will be expelled from the order, naturally. What additional punishment is in store remains to be seen, but I assure you it will be severe. Elder Soparo will see to it.”
Draikis held his tongue and dressed, assessing the situation he’d found himself in with a growing ball of worry in his gut. He hid it well, but it was there, burning with a steady intensity.
They have Ella. Took her from me.His adrenaline surged, the desire to fight and cause maximum harm if necessary to protect his woman flooding his body.
No. You cannot overcome these odds. And she will suffer more if you try. Calm yourself, Draikis. Breathe, and regain your control. Then find out all you can.
“How did you know we would be at the hot springs?” he asked innocently enough. “No one ever goes there.”
“Thought you were safe to break our laws, did you?”
Draikis bit his tongue. He’d violated laws, yes, and more importantly, his vows to the order. But this wasn’t just some woman. He could have handled that easily enough. Ella, on the other hand, well, she was special. More than that. She was meant for him, as he was for her, not that Totaxxis would care one iota about that.
So, he remained silent, knowing Totaxxis would not be able to keep silent long. The need to brag about how clever he was would undoubtedly loosen his lips. Sure enough only a moment later was he proven right.
“Surveillance drones.”
“You sent up drones? That’s a violation of protocol.”
“There were concerns of your closeness with the interloper. It was a prudent measure. Besides, I’m the head of security, Draikis. I wrote the protocols.”
