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The room is triangular in shape, narrowing toward an opening at the top where light is shining down in a cylindrical beam, highlighting an ancient stone basin, carved with the same etchings. I reach forward, fingertips trailing along the letters I don’t recognize.
The light slightly shifts to the side, the mark I’m touching no longer illuminated. I squint up to the ceiling. Particles of dust glimmer in the ray of sunlight.
Sunlight.
It must be a timer of sorts.
I circle the basin, searching for something. Anything. Esther and I weren’t able to find any materials about the interior of the Cave of Silence, let alone any reference material.
Come on, come on… think!
A sudden wave of dizziness tilts the room, and my feet stumble. I place a hand on the rough stone basin, catching my balance. At once, I’m transported into a vision from the stars. I can feel my eyes glowing, rolling behind my eyelids as flashes of images play through my head. It’s too fast. I can barely catch the images.
The ground rises up to meet me as the stars aggressively push me out of their vision. I fall forward onto my hands and knees. Blood is still crusted underneath my fingernails.
“Hello, my bride.”
Through tangles of dripping hair, my worst nightmare comes true. Lord Rollo of the Jord stands tall in a full suit of battle armor, arms crossed over his massive chest. A quiver of red wax-tipped arrows peeks over his fur-covered shoulders. Across his hip, a large silver axe is holstered, blood dried on the edge he hasn’t bothered to wipe off. His grin pulls at the scar on his face. “It was very rude of you to run away.”
Lightning shoots through my veins, and I jolt upright, ignoring the way the edge of my vision darkens, and whirl my staff into position.
Rollo raises a hand lazily. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
My brows furrow. “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”
He laughs. “Little pet, you’ve gone feral, haven’t you?”
I spit. It lands on his toe.
He blinks slowly, expression flattening into something much more sinister, then lets out a short whistle.
A horrible scraping noise fills the cavern. My nose scrunches at the sound. Every hair on my body rises. There are some sounds that nothing good can come from. A music so deadly, your soul recognizes it the instant it’s sung.
Metal scrapes and clanks against stone.
Rollo steps to the side. Behind him is an ugly tear in the mountain that doesn’t match the rest of the cave. No etchings, no smooth surfaces, just broken rocks. Unnatural. Forced. A pathway into the cave that doesn’t belong.
The light in the cave ticks once more, leaving the basin only partially lit. I’m running out of time!
A low growl resonates from the space as a giant ghosthound prowls forward to sit next to his master. Behind it, more shapes emerge, two large Oksvakt dragging something massive and heavy between them. Chains scrape against stone.
In a sudden burst, my wrist stings with pain. I look down where the invisible tattoo glows white. The one Atlys gave me to always know where I am.
The Oksvakt warriors emerge from the tunnel into the chamber.
My stomach lurches.
Between them, the figure is wrapped in chains and covered in dirt and blood. Two silver eyes lock with mine.
My scream is cut short by the sweet refuge of nothingness. Total and complete darkness.
52
A Seed of Hope
Any harm that befalls my Sunrise I will return tenfold, if it’s the last thing I do. Sickness be fucking damned, I will kill anyone who harms her. Family or otherwise.
Especially my family.
