I guess that could have been worse, but I needed to be more careful in the future.I wanted what I told Dawn about being able to take care of myself to be true. But even if I was in over my head, I had no other choice.
* * *
I reached the village at the base of Mount Grimhorn without any further issue at the end of my second day of traveling. It was one of the smaller peaks within the Jewel Spring Mountains, and a raven was waiting for me at the inn Dawn had told me to go to.
Things are bad here, but we are managing for now. Let me know when you’ve reached the inn safely.
Love,
Dawn
I penned her a quick response telling her I had reached Mount Grimhorn safely and would send word when I found the Shadow Heart. I left out the incident with the elderly couple along the way, not wanting to worry her.
The village at the base of Mount Grimhorn, Vonryx, had seen better days. I’d caught more than one suspicious glance my way since the moment I rode into town. It was smaller than the village of Blackrock at the base of the ruby mine that I’d visited with Stryker. The Jewel Spring Mountain range was much larger than I’d thought with many towns surrounding it and just as many mines.In Vonryx there was only one inn and a smattering of dwellings that were still occupied. There were at least a half-dozen other establishments that were boarded up and abandoned.
When I’d asked the proprietor of the inn what was mined here he said, “Nothing.” When I’d cocked my head in confusion he said that they used to mine black sapphires in Mount Grimhorn, but that the mines had all been shut down some years back and many of the village’s residents had moved on. That explained the sad state of the town, but when I enquired about why the mines had shut, he wouldn’t give me an answer.
That night I slept fitfully and the next morning I spent half the day hiking midway up the mountain to where the entrance to the mine was. I couldn’t decide if the mines not being active was a good or bad thing. I was glad I wouldn’t have to try to talk my way past miners to search for the Shadow Heart, but on the other hand, I had no direction on where to go once I reached the mine.
I was hoping I would stumble across a secret tunnel or something that led to a vault inside the mountain and that the Shadow Heart would be sitting on a silver platter waiting for me to grab it. But as much as I hoped for that, it seemed highly unlikely.
When I reached the entrance and saw that the mine was sealed, my face fell. They’d boarded it up, and then chained it shut. I hadn’t considered that since the mines were shut down, they’d have sealed the entrance, but it made sense that Stryker wouldn’t want fae stealing his gems. But why close down the mines to begin with? That, I couldn’t figure out. Maybe it was dangerous? That thought spooked me, so I didn’t allow myself to think of it further.
It took me almost a full hour to pry one of the boards loose and slip between the chains.Thank goodness I was small, or else I never would have been able to fit.
When I entered the dark tunnel I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of me, but quickly spied a lantern hanging on the wall that still had some oil in it. Using two flint rocks I’d had in my pack I created a spark and got it to light up, and breathed a sigh of relief that I wouldn’t have to blindly feel my way around the mining tunnels.
This was slightly terrifying but I told myself it was for my people. For my mother and father, and not just the Fall fae but Summer too. For all of Faerie.
I felt ill-prepared but determined as I started down the passageway, but as the day dragged on and I lost track of time and the number of turns I’d made, my hope started to wane. It felt like I’d been searching the mine tunnels for hours when I finally stopped for a break.
It was hotter in the passageways than I was expecting. My clothes stuck to me in uncomfortable places and sweat trickled down the side of my face.
Lifting my free arm, I wiped my brow with the sleeve of my shirt and then set the lantern down on the ground. My arm ached from holding it up in front of me for so long and my legs and feet were fatigued from traversing over uneven ground for hours.
Not caring in the least about how dirty it was, I slid to the ground and pulled some food from my pack. All I had were a few pieces of dried meat and cheese and a small canteen with water. I couldn’t stop myself from draining the canteen in seconds, and even after I’d drunk it all my throat was still parched. My mind drifted as I chewed on the food, not really tasting it.
I hadn’t wanted to admit it to myself, but I was lost. It was foolish of me to go into the mine all alone and without a plan. I should have done something to mark my path, but I was so anxious to find the Shadow Heart, and find it quickly, that I’d thrown caution to the wind and now I was paying for it. The oil in my lantern wouldn’t last forever and I wasn’t any closer to finding what I was looking for than the moment I squeezed between the planks and entered the mine.
What was I going to do?
As if it couldn’t get any worse, my heart was beating too fast and a wave of dizziness washed over me. I closed my eyes against it, trying to regulate the beats with slow, even breaths, but nothing seemed to help. I couldn’t calm myself down because I was in deep trouble.
When I swallowed my last bite I picked up the lantern and stood, turning back the way I came. I had to get out of here before I was plunged into darkness. I tried to make myself feel better by saying that I’d return the next day with a better plan to search, but part of my mind whispered that I wouldn’t ever find my way out of this labyrinth.
My heart began to beat faster and harder, and I became short of breath. Panic seized me and I was half-running now, stumbling through the narrow tunnels as my shoulders occasionally hit against the rough stone walls.
I turned a corner and felt a jolt of relief for the first time. I was sure I’d come this way, the stone looked familiar.
A smile started to lift the corners of my mouth, but then a low rumbling echoed beneath me and I halted. Dust rained down on me from above and the ground and walls began to vibrate.
Oh no.
Run, Aribella!I screamed inside my head, but my body was paralyzed. It wasn’t until right before the ground below me crumbled that I started to move, but by then it was too late.
Chapter 18
My whole body hurt. I hadn’t lost consciousness when the ground opened up and swallowed me, but at some point I’d squeezed my eyes shut, so I’d been unprepared when I landed on a pile of compacted sand and then rolled several times over some unforgiving rock before stopping.
