Page 66 of Crownless Heirs

A strange unease settled over Sorcha’s skin. The ruins loomed ahead like the remains of a forgotten world. Something about this place gnawed at her, she’d been here before but why the hell couldn’t she remember. Then, without warning, a mist began to coil around their feet, shifting with the shadows.

Her hand went to her side, fingers tightening into a fist as realization struck.

“Maelan,” she whispered. “Does none of this seem familiar to you?!” She bent down and picked a loose brick from the ground.

Maelan hesitated, shaking his head at first, but then his expression shifted as a memory surfaced from deep within. “The city of the forgotten,” he whispered.

Kyron stiffened, clearly realizing where they were now.

“How did we even end up here?!” Maelan asked, still looking around, trying to make sense of the sudden trap.

Fear and anxiety crashed over Sorcha. She vividly recalled walking across the Bridge of the Forgotten, the twisted, hollow faces of the dead staring back at her. She remembered the creatures with glowing eyes that loomed from the shadows, watching from the cracks between shattered glass and stone. The pain felt raw again; the way her skin had been carved, the way the city had once held her in its tight grasp. Beneath it all, there was an overwhelming sense she needed to enter the city. A pull that she couldn’t explain, like being called home.

“We need to go into the city,” Sorcha exhaled, rolling her shoulders. “It’s calling to me, and I need to know why.”

Without waiting for them to respond, she walked toward the growing ruins, the buildings stretched taller, their shapes melding with creeping vines and blooming flowers that wove across their surfaces. Jagged shards of colored glass shimmered in the mist, catching the final moments of dusk. Hues of red drifted along the ground, covering the city in a scarlet glow. Many of the buildings were missing windows and doors, some scarred by gaping holes as if it had torn through them with force.

Moving cautiously, they maintained a Y formation as they entered the city’s heart. Maelan kept his rapier in hand while Sorcha and Kyron gripped their sheaths tightly.

Maelan whispered low, “There are eyes on the far rooftops. We’re to exposed here.”

They crouched lower, trying to stay hidden in the shadows of buildings, pressing close to the walls. By the time they entered the heart of the dead city night had swallowed the sky, and even the stars seemed to avoid this place. As they crept forward, a low growl rumbled through the stone, deep and hungry. The snap of bone followed, each break punctuated by a sickening squelch of flesh. Sorcha pressed herself against the wall, willing herself to breathe evenly as she looked toward the sound. In the moonlight, a white deer lay on its side, its body trembling, chest rising and falling in shallow, broken breaths. Its antlers, once strong and regal, hung heavy against the blood slicked cobblestones, dragging against the stone with each weak twitch. Its snow fallen coat was luminous beneath the cold glow of the moon, soaked in deep crimson where its stomach had been torn open. The dark cavity pulsed faintly, its insides quivering with the fragile instinct to live.

The thing that was feeding on it was crouched over the deer. Clawed fingers wrenched the wound wider, spilling its intestines onto the ground. It was taking its time as it peeled flesh away in glistening ribbons, throwing it onto the stone beneath it. The deer convulsed, legs jerking in last desperate movements as a sound escaped the deer. Its body then sagged against the stone, the deer’s body still. The creature feeding, lifted its head, tongue flicking out to taste the air. Golden eyes swirling with hunger. Its teeth clicked together, lips parting slightly as if savoring it. Blood dripped lazily from its mouth, trailing in sluggish rivulets down its chin, the only sign that it had been eating at all.

Sorcha forced herself to slow her breaths. It wasn’t hunger that drove the thing, it was enjoying this.

The wet sounds of tearing resumed. Another sickening crack broke the air. The creature pushed its face into the wound, inhaling deeply, dragging its mouth over what little remained intact. Sorcha began to move back when her foot kicked a rock. The creature stilled, as it listened. Its golden eyes snapping up, landing directly on Sorcha. She remained in the shadow of the building, she managed to lift her fingers, motioning for the others to move back, her hand trembling. She kept her eyes on the creature, its eyes narrowing on her. Just then, thuds echoed from the rooftops, the creatures eyes lifted and she backed around the corner. Blood pooled down the broken cobblestones, gleaming like blackened rubies flowing past her boots. Growls followed as dozens figures dropped from above, landing inside buildings and alleys. She started moving at the sound, their movements concealing her own steps as they swarmed the deer. Their bodies writhing as they tore it apart, snarling and fighting among themselves. They moved, trying to put distance between them and the beasts. They kept close to the building, slipping around the edges, moving as quietly as possible. As they pushed farther into the heart of the city, they ducked into an open building, checking the interior before speaking.

Kyron whispered, “Did you see how many there were? We don’t stand a chance if they see us.”

Maelan nodded. “We have to keep going. They are distracted now, but not for long.”

Sorcha wasn’t listening. Noctis had vanished again, but the absence of dread told her the hound was safe. The urge to move deeper into the city gripped her, an unshakable instinct leading her into the heart of the ruins. She looked through the upstairs windows. That was when she saw it. A large circular structure stood in the distance, held up by towering pillars. Its massive walls loomed, untouched by time or ruin. It looked impenetrable, a fortress hidden within the city’s remains.

That was where she needed to go.

Sorcha whispered to the others, “I need to get to a building farther in the city.”

Kyron stared at her as if she had lost her mind. “Are you insane? There are hundreds of them and only three of us. If we don’t leave now, we’re dead.” He glanced toward Maelan for support.

Maelan looked between them, hesitating before turning to Sorcha. “Why should we risk our lives to go further? What aren’t you telling us?”

Sorcha tried to think of a way to explain it but all she could say was, “I have a feeling I need to go there.”

Kyron threw his hands up, whispering angrily, “A feeling? Sorcha, you want us to head into a dead infested city over a feeling?”

“Yes.” Sorcha straightened, her decision made. She moved toward the doorway and peered out, scanning the area. The coast was clear. “I’m going. You can get out of here while you still can, but I have to go.”

She stepped into the shadows before they could stop her.

Maelan cursed under his breath and moved quickly, following behind her. A moment later, he poked his head back inside the doorway and gestured. “Come on.”

Kyron exhaled, jaw tightening before he followed. “I should have followed orders, but no, not me,” he muttered under his breath. “Why not?”

They kept to the shadows, slipping between crumbling buildings, careful to avoid the streaks of moonlight. The cold air swirled around them, carrying the distant snarls of the creatures. As they rounded another corner, the dome came into view, rising above the ruins in eerie brilliance. Moonstones shimmered where the structure met the pillars its intricate carvings tracing the surface like veins of light. Flowers and vines twisted around the stone, a delicate contrast to the destruction surrounding them. The building stood intact, and it had reminded Sorcha of the Library in Lumora. She could feel the pull of it, even stronger now. Then a sudden crash shattered the silence. Sorcha’s breath caught as she spun around to see Kyron was gone.

Her heart pounded as she spotted him below, sprawled in a deep hole hidden beneath brush and debris. He must have fallen straight through. The impact had knocked loose the stones around him, the clatter of rocks echoing through the ruins. Maelan was already at the edge, reaching down as Kyron struggled to climb out. Sorcha dropped to her knees and grabbed his other arm, bracing herself to pull. Then came the howls and screams through the night, nails scraping against stone as they moved. Rubble and debris came falling down from building as the creatures moved.