CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
“Ireally don’t think this is a good idea,” Shiva grumbled for what must have been the tenth time since they’d left the changing rooms.
They were running up the stairs two at a time, climbing through the servants’ quarters that the changing room had been part of. The stairs were crudely cut into the rock of the mountain, curling in a wide spiral above and below them, centuries of footsteps having worn a smooth dip into the middle of the dark stone. Their feet trod where countless others had as they climbed higher out of the lesser-used tunnels in the depths of the mountain, to ones that were still in daily use. Aelia supposed there had been a time when all the tunnels had been a hive of activity, when the Dragons ruled probably. She wondered if Keeran could remember what it had been like.
So far, all Aelia had seen of the Inner City was the network the servants and guards used to get around without encroaching on the Main Chamber, because gods forbid the upper classes laid eyes on the people serving them.
“So you’ve said, but your plan of just waltzing into the prison left a lot to be desired.”
“We have uniforms,” Shiva gestured impatiently to his black attire, his chest heaving as they climbed past yet another door leading off the spiralling stone staircase. “Wecouldjust waltz in there.”
“I’m not taking any chances.” Aelia grabbed the handrail to help haul herself up, her legs feeling like jelly. “What we need is a distraction.”
Shiva grumbled something under his breath but kept climbing. Sweat streaked down his face as he tried to keep running, charging forwards as if he wasn’t likely to end up dead or in a cell for helping her. And all she’d done was throw his past in his face. Guilt prodded her into opening her mouth.
“Shiva, I --”
He stopped so suddenly she nearly ploughed into the back of him. “This is it.”
He held a finger to his lips and cracked the door open. It was chaos inside, with guards running past in either direction. Shiva shut the door again quickly.
“Something’s happened,” he said, looking worriedly at the handle in his hands.
“What?” Aelia panted, her heart racing from more than just the climb. She was about to walk into the guard's quarters, like a rabbit stepping into the fox’s den.
“I don’t know, but something’s got them riled up.” Shiva eyed her apprehensively. “Maybe it will help? Maybe they’ll be too preoccupied to notice two more guards running around.”
“Unless it’s us that’s got them riled up,” Aelia pointed out with a flash of fear.
Shiva shook his head. “No, whatever this is, it’s big.” He pressed his lips into a firm line, cogs almost visibly whirring behind his eyes before a hard resolve crept into them. “There’s no turning back now. Agreed?”
Aelia didn’t even hesitate. “Agreed.”
Shiva looked at her once, then he flung the door open and dove into the corridor at a sprint, trusting her to be hot on his heels.
She took off after him, heart freezing in her chest when she bumped into a guard, but he didn’t even break a stride, just sprinted off without looking back. She was just another uniformed face.
Shiva yanked open another door and disappeared inside, the hammering of boots on rock becoming muffled as the heavy wood swung shut behind them.
They both leant with their backs against the door, breathing heavily with pent-up adrenaline.
“That was the easy part,” Shiva said wryly, looking down at her with a gleam in his eyes.
Aelia laughed, clapping her hand over her mouth.
“Come on.” He tugged at her black uniform sleeve. “Just walk as if you belong here.”
The servants' door had opened onto a small backstreet, not too dissimilar from one you might see in any wealthy part of town, and he guided her down it, looking every inch the Astraean guard. He leant in to the arrogant swagger she knew from Callodosis, fixing a sneer on his face that was all too believable. She tried her best to mimic him, pointing her nose in the air with what she hoped was haughty confidence, but her expression melted as she passed a gap in the houses.
Her mouth hung open as she saw her first real glimpse of the Inner City, framed by the two houses. It was nothing like she’d envisioned; no imagination could possibly have dreamt up anything close to what stood before her. Palaces and castles grew as if from the mountain itself, their towers and turrets joined by bridges in a thousand different connections, every corner of it aglow with flickering firelight. Beauty and power rarely joinedhands, but in the Inner City, it was a partnership that had thrived.
“Aelia, come on.” Her glimpse of paradise was dragged out of sight as Shiva tugged her away by the arm. She blinked hard, trying to hold the image in her mind’s eye a moment longer.
They walked around the outer edges of the chamber, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Glimpses of the city came into view, but Aelia kept moving, resisting the urge to stop and stare.
A King's guard rounded a corner up ahead and they ducked into an alley, not looking back until they were far up the adjacent street. When they finally did, there was no sign they were being followed.
“How much further?” Aelia whispered. It felt like they’d been walking for hours. Just how bigwasthis chamber?
