The shadows continue to swirl around us as we step into the passage. The moment we’re both inside, the hidden door shuts behind us.
Darkness swallows us whole.
Tryfon lifts a hand, and light radiates from his fingers.
“Stay close,” he tells me.
We start walking. The passage is narrow. The walls are rough stone, and the air smells of dust.
“I need to get you away from the castle,” Tryfon says as he leads the way down the passage. “Once we’re clear of the walls, we’ll need to part ways.” He glances back at me every so often while he speaks. “I’ll have to pretend you overpowered me while you make your way to the outskirts of the court. There’s a human woman waiting for you there who is a friend to our cause. Her name is Julienne. I have been assured by Lord Belen himself that she is trustworthy and would give up her life for the cause.”
“Where do I go once I am free of the castle?”
“Take the old trading road that heads due north. About three leagues out, you’ll see a stand of dead oak trees on the eastern side. Head west until you hit Moon River. Follow the river downstream until you reach a line of trees. It will lead to an old hunting cabin. It’s deep in the Elk Woods.”
“I know it; my father used to take me hunting before he died. We passed by it several times.”
“Julienne is waiting for you. She has horses and travel gear ready. Everything you’ll need to make it out of the Shadow Court and into the deadlands.” He pulls in a deep breath, looking me in the eye. “Then you need to find the other Lost Kings.”
I push out a breath. “Do you have any idea how I should go about doing that? The realm is a big place.” I know that he doesn’t, but I try my luck anyway.
I suddenly feel despondent.
“I’m sorry, Sire. I can’t help you there, but I have every faith that you will do what it takes.” He gives me the smallest of smiles.
Then he pauses at a fork in the passage, choosing the left path. “Please end Snow’s rule. The realm is dying, Your Majesty.The deadlands spread further every day. The decay worsens. She needs to fall so that the realm may be freed. So that we can all thrive again.”
“I have heard that it is bad out there.”
“Whatever your mind conjures, make it far worse, and you still won’t be close.”
I sigh. “To think I helped her.”
“We have all aided her in one way or another…myself included. It will take an army to bring her down. In order to fight, we need to live first. That means doing her bidding. When the time comes, I will gladly lay down my life for the cause. Know that many others feel the same. More than you think.”
We walk in silence for a while. The passage winds through what must be the very walls of the castle.
Tryfon navigates the twisting passages with confidence.
We reach a section where the passage narrows even further. Tryfon holds up a hand, signaling me to stop. Then he presses a finger to his lips.
I freeze.
The sound of voices filters through the stone. We must be passing directly behind one of the main corridors.
There is talking and the sound of shoes on stone.
Tryfon waits several beats more before moving forward again. He doesn’t speak, and neither do I.
The passage slopes downward now, descending deeper into the earth. The air grows colder and damper. The voices fade away.
Then the ceiling drops dramatically. Tryfon crouches, moving forward in an awkward half-crouch. I follow suit.
“Not much further,” he whispers.
The space gets even tighter; my shoulders barely fit.
I heave a grateful sigh when the passage widens again. Tryfon picks up the pace, moving quickly now.
