If he can’t be bothered to visit, the man who literally moves at the speed of light, then maybe I can’t be bothered to keep my promise.
I groan, the sound loud and sharp in the empty room. I force myself to step away from the door, pacing back and forth.
I’m going crazy. I’m losing my mind.
Being cooped up like this, day after day, with no one to talk to aside from Ishla, who never seems to have much time to spare, it’s unbearable.
My eyes scan the room I’ve been forced to call home for the past few weeks, and to say it’s gotten a bit…messy, would be an understatement. Scattered pieces of paper litter the floor, with my notes about the Essentari scribbled across them.
I need to get out of here.
What’s the worst that could happen?
I worry he might try to kill you.Jax’s warning from the garden seeps into my mind.
His father.
The king.
Might try to kill me.
I suppose that’s as dire as it gets.
But only if I’m caught…and Jax made the mistake of showing me that secret passageway, the one that got us to the gardens without crossing a single soul, the one that had additional halls to explore, to venture down.
He’ll never know. No one will ever know.
I open the door, take a deep breath, and I break my promise.
Moving quickly and silently, I make my way to the wall with the uneven stone. Pressing my weight fully into it, the hidden door shifts, revealing the secret hallway. I slip inside, the grin on my face damn near uncontrollable.
No one saw me.
And now, no one will.
I begin to explore. The air feels damp and cold, and it’s dark, so dark. But a spark from my fingertips creates a small flame, providing just enough light to allow me to see.
Eventually, I come across a narrow hall with slits in the walls that allow slivers of light to slip through. My flame disappears, and I squint through one of the cracks, desperate to see what lies on the other side.
It’s a banquet hall. Enormous and extravagant. The ceilings are vaulted, adorned with intricate gold carvings, and chandeliers hang like frozen waterfalls, each crystal catching the light.
Tables stretch across the room, covered with fine linens, and servants bustle about, arranging towering floral displays.
It’s like they’re preparing for a grand feast, a thought that immediately raises the bile in my stomach, but I swallow it down.
The fucking Elite.Never failing to make me feel sick with the way they’re allowed to live.
I force myself to look away, slipping through more hidden hallways, pausing occasionally to peer through other vents and cracks. Each offering a glimpse into another world.
Jax’sworld.
An elaborate library with bookshelves that reach the tall ceiling. Row after endless row with a glorious fireplace off to the side. I can’t help but wonder what stories each book holds. Bound in leather, some looking more aged than others.
A room made almost entirely of glass comes next. The sun filters through, reaching the countless plants I would kill to touch.
I stumble upon what looks to be a training room next. Weapons line the walls. Swords, shields, maces, and bows, each polished to perfection. The space smells of sweat and steel, and the faint sound of metal striking metal echoes through the air.
And then, through the small metal vent in the wall, I spot him, and my heart leaps straight into my throat.
