“Maxon!”
The wall trembles under my palms, and I know he can hear me. The wall begins to give way, and pressure builds behind my eyes.I take a step forward and the wall trembles as it allows me closer. Then, out of nowhere, an intense, vibrating pain courses through the bond. I double over as the pain steals my breath, leaving me gasping for air. Just as quickly as it fell, the wall reinforces itself, cutting off my access to him.
“No!”
I’m suddenly sucked from the void, and I jerk upright in bed, a light sheen of sweat covering my body. I rub my hand over my chest, a sob working its way up my throat.
What are they doing to him?
Chapter twenty-four
Maxon
Iwake to the disorienting sensation of being tugged upright. The sack that has been placed over my head is suffocating, filling my nose with the stench of damp fabric, making it hard to breathe.
As I stand, my legs feel like they might give out at any moment, and my head is throbbing intensely, like a war drum. My wrists are now cuffed tightly behind my back, with the bones pressing into my skin with unyielding force. These bones are worse than any iron I’ve come in contact with. The fact that they tighten periodically is a fucking nightmare, draining me of my sanity.
“Move!” Yumekui’s voice slices through the muffled darkness, her tone harsh and biting.
I barely have time to steady myself before she shoves me in the back, the force making me stumble forward.
My boots scuff the stone floor, the uneven ground making it hard to navigate blindly.
As we walk, the air gets colder, heavier, and it smells different—like iron, like blood.
Hunger gnaws at me, making my gums ache, and stomach tighten. I need food, or preferably blood, so I can heal. My mouth is dry, my throat raw, and I can’t shake the ringing in my ears. I stumble again, but this time, I catch myself, a growl escaping my lips as I grit my teeth. Yumekui’s hand clamps down on my shoulder, steadying me with a mocking laugh.
The walk feels like it goes on forever, the sounds around me are muted but revealing—a door groans open heavily, distant footsteps create echoes off the cave walls, and the clinking of chains can be heard in the distance.
“Here we are,” Yumekui purrs, and with a quick yank, the sack is pulled from my head.
Before I can get my bearings, she kicks the back of my knees, and I go down hard, pain shooting up my legs. Breathing through the agony, I clench my jaw, feeling my muscles tense. Being unable to heal, my injuries amplify every sensation of torture coursing through my body.
Adjusting to the light, I blink a few times, trying to clear the blurriness from my eyes. Kneeling in the expansive cavern, Yumekui looms behind me, gripping the chain that tethers me like a degrading leash. I glare over my shoulder at her, and she is slow to smile, her eyes betraying her unease. Despite her strong posture and outward stance, I can see the fear lurking in her eyes.
I direct my attention back in front of me and survey the immense cavern. Torches line the walls, their warm glow illuminating the room and highlighting the peculiar carvings etched on its surface. I don’t see anyone else. Is this where the Shadoweaver is imprisoned?
The silence reigns around me, and I shift my position, earning a tug on the chain. I take a deep breath and wait, opening up my senses. I can feel movement in the cavern and slowly look around. I notice a flicker in the torches to my left, and shadows seem to amass there. I don’t look toward the disruption, instead keeping my gaze fixed straight ahead.
“Prince Maxon,” a disembodied voice murmurs from the dark shadows that are slowly creeping closer. “Or should I say king?”
I grind my teeth together, remaining silent.
“So good to have you here. How are you enjoying your stay?” The mocking voice fades on the air with a laugh.
The shadows around the cavern move unnaturally, making my pulse quicken. A surge of apprehension pulses in time with the pounding in my chest as the air grows colder, thicker.
The mass of shadows begins to take form, solidifying from the darkness into something far more menacing. At first, it’s just a swirling black fog, but then it starts to stretch and twist, growing arms, legs, a silhouette that looms over me like a dark god.
The Shadoweaver.
I heard stories about him when I was just a child. Tales meant to frighten, to keep us in line.Stay out of the woods at night or the Shadoweaver will come for you.Back then, I thought he was just a myth—a terrifying cautionary tale. I knew there was truth to the tales, but never in all my nightmares did I think I’d ever face him. The monster from the dark, the one who devours souls and leaves nothing but hollow, broken husks in his wake.
I blink, trying to get my eyes to adjust. His form has taken on something almost human in shape, but there’s nothing remotely human about the evil radiating from him. Eyes—if you could call them that—glow faintly from the shadowy mass, two slits of palelight that pierce through the gloom, staring right at me, into me. My skin prickles, and an icy chill grips my spine, freezing me in place.
An oppressive darkness pulses outward from him, rolling like waves of ink, suffocating every bit of light in its path.
And then he steps forward. Only—it’s not him.
