Chapter 10
The space ahead of me is vast, yet feels suffocating.
The sconces on the wall ignite at my presence—burning away the cobwebs hanging from them—and I jump.
Dozens of towering bookshelves rise to the ceiling, standing before me like mountains of history.
Stories long forgotten by time fill the shelves, and each book looks to have been softened from years of neglect.
I step further into the room, struggling to adjust my eyes to the flickering candlelight attempting to illuminate the deep, dark shadows that linger in every corner.
The room is silent, as if it’s been frozen for centuries.
I grab a candle from a nearby reading table and reach to light it from a sconce on the wall.
The candle’s flame wooshes to life, and I take a deep breath, steadying myself.
There are books and scrolls scattered everywhere.
How could anyone ever read everything in this room?
To my left, a longer hallway leads into complete darkness—to nowhere but despair. To my right, the room boasts large, towering bookshelves. I scan the room once more, taking in my surroundings, and my eye catches sight of a few small snakes moving about, minding their own business. I cringe.
With the center of the main room filled with light, I make my way to a wooden table cluttered with books, stepping over a few snakes on the way, thinking that being in the light—and avoiding the tunnel of darkness and despair—may be the safest route.
I scan the table of books and notice most of the spines have faded over time, so choosing which book to grab first feels like a gamble.
The persistent urge to look over my shoulder with each passing second weighs on me, but I force my eyes to stay straight.
There is no wind in this room; however, I notice a slight breeze from the left—like the room around me is taking small breaths.
A stunning dark amber leather-bound book with ornate vines woven into the cover captures my attention. I run my hand along the smooth binding. The black tattoo coating most of my hands tingles, my darkness urging me to open the old pages.
Does Silas know about this room?
My hands tremble as I begin to open the ancient book.
In the distance, something large crashes.
My entire body jolts, the snakes quickly slither away, and the book in my hands falls to the floor.
The rugged leather slaps the ground, and an echo reverberates around me—as if responding to the sound seconds before.
Another crash in the distance snaps my gaze into the darkness before me.
The disorienting shadows that line the bookshelves seem to pulse, and my heart races.
A low growl snakes from the darkness, and I feel the blood drain from my face.
I keep my feet planted on the cold ground and stare into the darkness, paralyzed by my fear. The shadows become darker by the second, and the panic rises in my chest, causing it to heave.
Oh, Gods.
I can’t move or think for a moment, because whatever is before me has petrified all my senses and ability to reason.
Somehow, the darkness between the two large bookshelves seems to stretch—opening wide to suck me in, never to return.
This is a different darkness—something ancient and long forgotten.
The room around me takes another breath, and a gust of wind causes my hair to whip my face from all directions, blinding me momentarily.
The dark creatures of Andorwood.
I backpedal, completely terrified of what’s in front of me and what lurks in the dark hallways of the castle.
At this moment, I’d rather confront the invisible creatures than whatever protects these books.
I glance down at the old leather book that has fallen to the ground.
The text is faded, and I squint my eyes to read what I can before fleeing.
A shock rushes through me, and I do everything I can to focus.
I bring the trembling candle closer to the text as the growls grow louder and closer with each passing second, and a heat fills the space, making my skin slick with sweat.
A single word catches my eye, and my stomach drops, and my whole body freezes. I’m unable to move.
Kalix.
Another gust of wind blows through the room, shocking me out of my frozen state.
Without thought, I rush toward the wall I came through, the single sconce serving as the only landmark for my exit.
The wall begins to shimmer as I approach, welcoming me back.
Looking behind me one last time, I see a solitary hand wrap around the end of the bookshelf nearest the table I stood at moments ago.
Long black claws dig into the wood, and a deep growl reaches my ears, invading my senses with a surge of fear.
I close my eyes and move through the wall.
The darkness envelops me as I seem to travel back in time to my world, amidst the deep hallways of the castle.
The hallway is dark and silent, and thankfully, the overwhelming sensation caused by the presence of the invisible guards has disappeared.
I sprint down the winding halls, doing my best to recall each turn I took only an hour ago.
My heart pounds in time with my footsteps on the smooth floor, my hair whips behind me, and my lungs burn from running for so long.
The air starts to lighten, and I know I’m getting closer to our rooms. A rush of adrenaline hits me, and I push even faster around the last corner. I never thought I’d be grateful to see the bright, jeweled-eyed snakes staring back at me from the bedrooms.
I catch my breath outside the onyx-jeweled room and slump against the opposite wall. I lower my hand, resting it on my knee, and take the deepest breaths I can to slow my racing heart. I still feel the snakes slithering around me, causing me to shiver.
I hear a voice from down the dim hallway, and I jerk my head up.
“For fucks sake,” I mumble.
Larkin stomps in my direction, light and anger radiating off his large body.
“Are you fucking insane?” He grabs my arms and pulls me upright in a single motion. “Do you have a death wish?”
“Don’t fucking touch me like that,” I clap back, ripping myself from his grip. “What is wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me? You’re the one who went off alone in this castle.” He furrows his brow. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that is for you? The moment I slammed the door, I knew I shouldn’t leave you alone, but by the time I opened the door, you were gone.”
“Well, I’m sorry I didn’t stay to continue being humiliated by your closed door.” I cross my arms and stand a bit taller. “If you weren’t such an asshole…”
Larkin leans closer. “You’re lucky I didn’t shift straight to Silas’s house and explain your vanishing act.”
“Oh, please.” I square my shoulders. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but he’s used to this.”
“Do you know what he would have done to me for losing you?
“Killed you?” I move my face toward his. “Scared of your boss?”
“This whole kingdom would be in flames right now, with my body being the torch.”
“Silas wouldn’t kill you, Larkin.” I roll my eyes. “Stop being dramatic.”
Larkin gives me a look of incredulity. “You clearly don’t understand how angry Silas can get. Especially when it comes to finding or protecting you.”
“And you do?”
“Yes.” His eyes shift into something I don’t recognize from him.
Fear.
He continues, “Sorry for wanting to save my own ass and avoid being murdered.”
“You wouldn’t be killed. And you don’t get to threaten me with him,” I snarl, refusing to back down. “Especially if you are only looking out for yourself.”
“I’ve worked too hard for my position here to let you ruin everything because you have a curiosity that will get you killed.”
I feel the anger rising in my chest, and I grind my teeth in his face.
“Give it a rest, will you?” I snap.
I can’t stand this guy.
“Just like your fucking brother,” he mutters. “Always getting into shit.”
I glare at him.
“Then maybe you should have better manners than to slam doors in people’s faces.”
“You are impossible.” Larkin rolls his eyes. “That sarcastic mouth is going to get you killed.”
“And slamming doors will do the same for you.”
We stare at one another, neither letting the other have the last word, and for a split second, the corners of his mouth twitch alongside mine. Larkin creates distance and rubs his hands over his eyes and into his disheveled hair.
“So, you’ve been looking for me for the past hour?” I ask.
“An hour?” He angles his head. “I haven’t seen you in almost three hours. Do you have any idea what fucking time it is?”
“No. That’s impossible.”
He shakes his head. “Apparently, it isn’t. I was about to call in backup when I found you outside Silas’s door.”
“I don’t understand,” I say, baffled.
“I don’t either.” He scratches his head. “Where have you been?”
My mind drifts to the stone wall, the shimmering light, and the magic emanating from the nearly invisible entrance.
I felt an overwhelming sense of power as I entered the neglected library.
I know I haven’t been here long, but I can’t help but think that the library isn’t common knowledge—like the darkness only allows you inside if you’re invited.
“I just went on a walk,” I say, shrugging.
“Now who’s withholding information, Briar?”
Larkin refuses to talk about Barlowe, so until I can trust him, I’ll withhold any information I see fit. Plus, I may sound insane telling him I walked through a wall moments ago.
“I don’t owe you an explanation.”
Larkin sighs. “You should shift to Silas’s house. It’s late, and I’m exhausted, to be honest. Looking for you is a task, and I didn’t sign up as a fucking babysitter.”
I huff. “No one asked you to look for me.”
“I’m aware of that, but I can’t let anything happen to you on my watch.” He rubs his sagging eyes. “Please go so I can get some sleep.”
“Are you always this angry?”
“Pretty much.”
“Good to know,” I reply.