“Oh, you have to be fucking joking,” Larkin barks.
Silas shakes his head. “I’m not, and neither is Briar. She would leave us all, so I’m going too.”
“Well, I’m not just sitting here,” Larkin chimes in.
“Then either stop bitching,” Silas says, “or come with us.”
I watch Fen, Oak, and Maines, waiting for them to try to join in so I can shut them down. Not everyone can come in case something goes wrong, and I need to keep them safe. They are too important for our future.
“I’m coming,” Maines whispers.
I jerk my head toward her. “No, you are not.”
“Yeah, you are not going,” Oak adds.
She nods her head. “Yes, I am. If something goes wrong, you will need me. After Larkin’s shit job at healing you, I’m not letting you do this without me.”
I let my thoughts swarm as I weigh the options. “Fine. You can come, but you are to stay outside the office door.”
Maines smiles, and Oak sighs heavily.
“Oak and Fen, please stay back and be ready for anything,” I instruct. “Hopefully, we will be back soon and can forge a plan to enter the Archives tomorrow night. If we aren’t back shortly, you both shift to Silas’s house and wait there.”
They nod, and Oak strides across the room toward Maines. She goes tense as he approaches, but immediately relaxes as he cradles her face. His expression turns so serious that for a moment, I don’t recognize him.
“Don’t you dare get hurt, Miss Madden.”
He gazes into her bright eyes, and for a minute, I watch Oak become completely lost in the blue sea they mirror. She smiles at him, and happiness fills her face as her cheeks turn a soft shadeof pink. I turn my gaze away, feeling like I’m intruding on their moment.
“I won’t,” she says with a smile, leaning into his touch.
His large hand covers her entire cheek, and he hums as she closes her eyes against his touch.
“If you need me—” Oak begins to speak, but is cut off by her pouty lips crashing into his.
Her arms wrap around his neck as he dips her deeper into the kiss.
“—I’m here.” He finishes his sentence as they part.
“Get a room,” Fenmore laughs.
Her arms remain around his neck, and she takes her time dragging her gaze away, followed by her grip. Maines begins to walk toward the door. Just before she moves out of reach, Oak playfully slaps her ass, and she yelps playfully.
“See you soon,” he calls.
“In your dreams, Hombern,” she teases.
We all step into the dim hallway.
The silence of the castle surrounds us, and the flickering candles along the walls cast an eerie feeling through my veins. Our footsteps echo in perfect unison, and an unsettling chill rushes around us. The jeweled serpents on the door seem to watch us as we pass by.
Silas and I lead the way, with Larkin on my right and Maines slightly behind. Unintentionally, my shadows have already emerged, complementing the darkness around us. Faint whispers echo through the halls—barely audible—and they only add to my racing heart.
We round the corner and face the large staircase that leads us down toward the Great Hall and one step closer to the dark hallway to Malachi’s office. With each step down, we descend further into darkness, and even though the room around us is expansive, the walls seem to close in around me. The bottom ofthe stairs is black, as if we are about to sink into a pit of darkness and despair. Silas’s fingers brush against mine, and I can feel the dread surrounding him as well.
We pause just before the hidden door that leads to the hallway, followed by his office.
“Maines, you will stay outside, but nearby should we need you,” Silas orders.
