“Okay,” she drawled, giving me a perplexed look. “I had mine with Caelan today. He’s amazing. I already feel like I’m learning. He said he’d be at the party tonight!”
My brain blanked.
“Party?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Everyone’s going. Caelan introduced me to one of the other Aurkai, too. Her name’s Saryna. She’s so cool! I can’t wait to introduce you to her.”
I’d only been half-listening, but the last part of what she’d said caught my attention.
“Wait,” I said. “The Aurkai are going to be there?”
“Yeah,” she said, “At least some of them. I don’t know about all of them. I hope so. I can’t wait to see the others. I want to make a good impression on them. They’re the key to getting to Adept. So come on, please come with me! Let’s get ready!”
She was right. The Aurkai were the key. And if they were there, then I needed to be there.
“Alright,” I said. “Where is it?”
“Some place called The Catacombs,” she said, her face skeptical as she flicked her hand out. “Whatever that means.”
I stared after her.
The Catacombs?
This was going to be interesting.
The spiral staircase was narrow,the stone steps worn smooth by centuries of tread. The flicker of sconces along the curved walls cast long shadows, guiding us deeper underground.
“You’re sure this is where it’s at?” Isabella called ahead.
“Yes,” Riya said, laughing. “Relax, I promise there are no bodies.”
“Anymore,” I whispered to Isabella.
She was wide-eyed and I sniggered. Ever since I’d explained to her what catacombs were, she wasn’t nearly as peppy.
The air grew colder as we descended. At the end of the stairway, a short, narrow landing opened into a vast chamber, unlike anything I’d imagined.
My breath caught.
The room was enormous, its ceilings arching high above, supported by thick stone pillars. Black plush sofas formed intimate clusters around low tables. Deep red pillows were strewn across the seating areas. Students lounged about, some on the sofas and some leaned against the walls, chatting with their friends. A blazing fireplace was the only source of warmth in the room.
Despite the chill from the depth, and the fact that it was called The Catacombs, there was an elegance to this place I found intriguing—the mix of shadow and light, a timeless presence woven through the cracks in the stone.
I ran my fingers along the wall as I moved further into the room, feeling the faint indentations where ancient iron bars had once been anchored. Dungeon cells. The realization made my skin crawl. These walls had held prisoners once, and now they cradled laughter, flirtation, and the low hum of conversation.
A group of students sat nearby, their heads tilted close together as they murmured between bursts of laughter. One was leaning against the arm of a sofa, a smirk curling his lips as he toyed with a silver ring on his finger. Another couple, seated near a table draped in a crimson cloth, was locked in an intense exchange. Small clusters of students were in various alcoves of the chamber. Crumbling stone pillars of a collapsed wall set a haunting mood and made it easy to disappear in the middle of a crowded space.
I caught snippets of conversation as I passed: debates about old Valyrian texts, whispered rumors about professors, and boasts about some daring feat accomplished in the training hall.
“You’re new.”
Startled, I turned to find a tall girl with long, straight blonde hair and curious eyes. She wore confidence like armor, her lips quirked in a knowing smile.
“I—yeah,” I admitted, brushing my hand nervously against my sleeve. “First time here.”
“Figured.” She pushed off the pillar and gestured toward the nearest group of students. “Don’t let the old dungeon vibes freak you out. The main chambers are tame. Try to stick to the well-lit rooms, though. You never know what you will stumble upon if you go in much deeper.”
“That’s what she said.”
