My steps are uncertain as I follow her into the darkness, watching as she slides a hand along the wall across from the bed. One I note isn’t made of stone but wood. She pauses at a clicking noise, and then a portion of the wall swings backwards.
“We’ll have to navigate the dark for a bit—”
“What is this?” I interrupt, my eyes squinting as I try to peer closer into the opening.
Eve looks over her shoulder at me, and I realize that she isn’t dressed in her maid’s uniform, instead donning a black tunic and pants. “These are the secret tunnels,” she says nonchalantly. “It’s how Xander and his rebellion have been gathering right under King Dolian’s nose.”
Chapter Forty-Seven: Rhea
There’sanentiresystemof tunnels within the castle, and Eve only shows me part of it as we walk hunched over to accommodate the low ceilings. “Every few feet, you will see a series of paint smudges that indicate what part of the castle you are nearest. Green means the back of the castle, near the largest hedges and garden. Blue means you’re at the castle center and have the chance of popping out in a variety of different rooms, some of which could leave you in more precarious situations than others.” Her voice is low as it echoes against the stonearound us, the golden glow of the torch in her hand casting just enough light to show one of those colored smudges.
“What does red mean?” I ask, letting my fingers trail lightly over the mark.
“Those are for Xander and his men to mark passageways that lead to abandoned rooms that they can convene where the likelihood of being caught is low to none.”
“How did he even discover these?”
“He’s never told me, and the others don’t bring it up, so I’m not sure.” I shiver at the much cooler air as Eve comes to a split in the passageway. One is marked red and the other blue. She turns left, following the blue paint smudge. I glance to the right but see nothing except for shadows, so I turn and follow Eve. “I like to imagine these were servant passageways or maybe a secret hideout for kings and queens long past,” she muses, dragging her free hand along the wall.
“It is strange to have them here at all.” But even I know that this castle is particularly old. From what I had read, it housed the very first king of the Mortal Realm, at least as far back as records dated. I’m sure hundreds of years ago, when there was no Spell protecting the kingdoms from each other, there was likely a need to move with such secrecy.
The ground begins to slope up, and my thighs burn again with the effort. Finally, with more sweat beading my brow than I’d like, Eve guides us to what appears to be a dead end. “If you look here,” she says, holding the torch closer to the wall and pointing with her finger, “you can see the faint outline of the door.” Her voice is a soft whisper, and when I lean forward, I can just barely make out the door. “I think you might enjoy having unfettered access to this place.”
I don’t have time to question her before she pushes at a metal bar attached horizontally to the door, the sound of stone scraping lightly rending the air. She tips her ear forward asshe listens before opening it the rest of the way. I shouldn’t be surprised that she’s taken me to a library, but a kernel of wonder warms inside of me when I see the spines of books lit by nearby flame gems. I follow her out of the tunnel, brushing my hands on my dress as I stand up tall and take the room in.
“Oh my gods,” I whisper, stepping in farther as Eve shuts the makeshift door. Rows of shelves extend nearly floor to ceiling, stretching towards the opposite end of the room for as far as the eye can see.
“I’m glad to see my hunch was correct.”
I let a small laugh tumble out of me as I struggle to take it all in. It’s more books in one space than I’ve ever seen before.
“This library istechnicallyonly open to those King Dolian allows in, and since everyone is out celebrating the king’s return to Vitour, no one will be here.”
“Celebrating,” I murmur in disgust, as if his absence is one to be missed.
Eve chuckles before blowing out her torch and setting it by the wall. “Come on, I’ll show you my favorite spot.”
Our steps whisper against the thick rugs lining the floors, my gaze tracking the towering bookcases on either side of us. They stretch up so high that even having flame gems attached to every shelf doesn’t make it easier to read the titles at the top. I can’t help but let my shoulders relax the deeper between the stacks that we go.
“I came here a lot when Xander first showed me the tunnels and how to navigate them,” Eve says, keeping her voice soft. “There were nights that I couldn’t sleep, and though my quarters here are nicer than most in my position, they still felt so small and suffocating.” I suppose we aren’t too different in that regard. I watch as a small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth, her unbound hair pulled over one shoulder. “Though it isn’t home,” she starts, that smile growing larger when a small spiralingmetal staircase comes into view ahead of us, “it’s nice to have a space like this to escape to. It’s why I wanted to show you.” We climb the steps up to the second floor, where more bookcases are built in neat rows, hundreds of books lining them. Black metal chandeliers hang from above, holding little glass bowls with a small flame gem in each.
“I’m surprised it isn’t gold,” I say, gesturing with my hand to the fixture.
“Between you and me, I’ll be happy if Ineversee the color inside any residence ever again. It makes me all the more happy to know that the humble home I share with my sister is a patchwork of mismatched lights and furniture. A little chaos is something I never thought I would be desperate to return to.”
“Will you get to go home soon?” I ask. “Now that we are closer to your home town?”
She takes her time answering, and in her silence, I observe the rest of this floor. We had ended up at an indoor balcony, after exiting the staircase and following a long aisle. A metal railing—spindles twisting as they reach from floor to banister—closes in a half circle of space, and beyond that, the first floor of the library sprawls out in front of us. It’s even more grand from this viewpoint. At the edge of the library are three stained-glass windows that vertically span nearly the entire wall, each one depicting beings that look too ethereal to be mortal. Their bodies are lithe, wrapped in strategically placed fabric. One is male, his dark skin outlined by a faint glow. The other two are female, one with the same skin tone as the male and the other a color closer to mine. The latter’s hair is bright blonde, nearly appearing white as it wraps around her down to her hips. I’m lost in the beauty of their details when Eve finally answers my question.
“As much as I long to go home, I don’t think it will happen any time soon.”
I turn back to her as she takes a seat on one of the chaises, and I follow suit choosing a deep maroon one. “Why is that?”
“The king is veryparticularabout this sort of thing.” I wait for her to elaborate, but she only adds, “It just isn’t the right time.”
The offer to speak to King Dolian on her behalf scratches at my throat, but I push it back down and sink into the chair. “Besides your sister—I’m realizing I have never asked her name—is there anyone else waiting for you?”
“Her name is Elsa, and there is someone else,” she drawls before pinching her lips closed as if she hadn’t meant to answer the question.
