Chapter Two
Arianna
A fire crackled amidst the swirling shadows. Something was—burning? No, that wasn’t right. This scent didn’t conjure forth images of crumbling homes or grieving families. This was—how could she describe it? Pleasant. A smell that made her think of temples and prayers. It summoned memories of the little bells that sang from the sacred towers once a week as the priestesses invited everyone to the grand cathedrals decorated in colorful stained glass.
Incense. That’s what it was. Arianna squinted through the black depths, trying to focus on the tiny wisp of smoke rising toward the ceiling. A void stretched above her, but the smoke kept going, twisting and winding as if determined to find a path to their forgotten gods.
Forgotten.
And silent.
Arianna reached her hand toward that growing abyss. It promised to swallow her whole. Not just the curling tendril of smoke, but everything she’d ever cared for. Her dreams. Her future. Her memories.
Hopeless. She was hopeless, a moth caught in a web of lies. Her heart surged, threatening to give in to despair, but a male voice tugged her focus down.
She blinked, vision blurry.
A tiny ember shone brightly, defying that all-encompassing darkness. A red beacon that stood in stark contrast to the swirling shadows. Arianna squinted and stumbled forward, just barely able to make out a little bronze disc. Its surface was decorated with elaborate, sweeping swirls, the lines both large and small.
Arianna stepped again, suddenly desperate for a closer look. This disc, the ember, they held the secrets that would explain everything. She could feel the certainty buzzing beneath her skin.
The disc—no, plate—sat on a rocky floor, the surface damp from trickling water. Arianna scented the air, expecting it to be cold and unyielding, but warmth flooded through her body. It reminded her . . . reminded her . . .
Mist crawled across her skin, and beads of moisture clung to her fresh, soft clothes. The image brought peace. Hope. This tiny flame was so fragile compared to the shadows looming above, as if a single breath could steal the life from it, leaving their entire world lifeless.
Yet it was also strong, standing in defiance to the very thing that could snuff it out.
A woman’s voice floated through the darkness next. Light and ethereal. Arianna tilted her head to the side, desperately trying to make out the words, but they were swallowed up by the vortex surrounding them.
She couldn’t give up. She had to know. Sheneededto know. Arianna tried holding her breath, just to erase the sounds within her own body, but then her heart beat faster, drowning out the female’s voice yet again.
The world spun, then sucked her in, and suddenly Arianna wasn’t observing the tiny ember from a distance. She was kneeling above it, her knees digging into the moist rock, that little plate directly to her right-hand side. She stared at it, trying to piece together exactly how she’d gotten here.
How—droplets echoed behind and around her, falling into pools of water she couldn’t see. The moisture had already begun seeping into her pants, dampening the fabric from her knees to ankles. She wasn’t wearing shoes.
A callused thumb brushed over the top of her right hand, jerking Arianna’s attention away from the small flame. She tried to pull her hands away, but her body wouldn’t obey. Her arms were relaxed, resting in another’s hands as if she’d intentionally placed them there. Maybe they’d always been there, from the moment she’d first entered the cave.
Those hands reminded her of—she furrowed her brow.
More water trickled around her, mixing with the distant echo of the woman’s high-pitched, ethereal voice. She tried to focus on it again, tried to move her head to see who was holding her hands, who stood above her, where—
Breath. A soft noise. Hers and another’s. Arianna’s heart thundered in her chest, but she didn’t sense any danger.
The sound of dripping water grew louder. Louder. Louder. She clenched her eyes shut, tried to pull her hands free to cover her ears. Gods, why was it so loud? The woman’s voice rose too, piercing her ears. Arianna clenched her jaw, fighting to break free. Her head was pounding, the sound radiating through her in searing waves.
She was trapped. In chains. Unable to break free.
No … no, no, no.
Arianna pulled harder, fighting, screaming within her own mind because her body wouldn’t respond. The wisp of smoke turned jagged, shooting at her wrists, clamping around them like shackles. The hands holding hers tightened, grinding the delicate bones in her fingers until Arianna was sure they’d break.
She still couldn’t scream.
Then the smoke dove down her throat, burning, burning, burning.
ARIANNA BOLTED upright in bed, hand flying to her scorching throat as she gasped for air and fought against the invisible threat. Ice raced down her arms, breaking free to surround her body in its protective embrace.
She could feel the creature in her gut stirring, panic surging through her blood and bones.
