Epilogue Liv
After searching for an entire day for an entrance to this grotto, I had expected it to be more.
More what I am not sure, just more. It was a large cave.
The walls were lined in bioluminescent algae, turning them a glowing blue.
I suppose that looked magical. But there was nothing else here.
There was sand, tons of it, like a beach.
But it just poured into the water and disappeared.
No mysterious riddles on the walls like the trials.
No guards or warnings. Just a beach and an entrance into the sea.
“Well, that was underwhelming,” Hell deadpanned. “If we leave now we could make it back to Forsgeth before the tavern closes.” I rolled my eyes at her.
“No, this cannot be it. There must be something we missed.” I sank into the sand and Ezra sat beside me, rubbing absentminded circles over my back.
“If you would like, I can send my shadows, have them check the caves below. Then we can know for sure if there is something down there or not,” he offered.
I nodded cautiously, already feeling a little defeated.
I did not know what our next path would be if we found nothing.
I suppose I was afraid of the certainty that I had built our last hope on a fairy tale.
Ezra stood and offered me his hand, pulling me to my feet.
He closed his eyes and shadows began to seep from his skin, pooling around his ankles.
They danced around my feet and twisted around my legs before climbing along the sand.
The shadows climbed from the sand to the walls of the cave, snuffing out the light of the algae. Then, they plunged into the sea and disappeared. We waited for a long moment. Then Ezra doubled over, and I released the breath I had been holding.
“What is it?” I asked, panic lacing my words.
He groaned but did not speak. His face had gone a sickly pale shade of green.
Helena gasped from behind me and fell to her knees, followed by Raf.
They all looked as though they were about to lose their breakfast.
I looked around but saw nothing. Felt nothing.
But then, a ringing sounded in my ears and my vision blurred.
The sea before us parted where the sand ended, revealing a path.
For a moment it stood empty, inviting, but it was not long until Ezra’s shadows came skittering from below.
We all looked at one another. Helena looked stunned, Raf looked terrified, and Ezra looked suspicious.
I took a deep breath and nodded. I was the first to step onto the path.
The others followed behind me cautiously.
None of us said a word. The path descended below the sea, and we could see through it like windows.
Fish swam behind the wall of water. Now this was what I expected.
The farther we descended, the worse I felt.
Nausea turned into twisting pain in my stomach, and the dizziness turned into nearly crippling throbbing behind my eyes.
Judging by the moans and groans sounding behind me, the others were feeling it too. But we did not stop.
We stepped into another cave, similar to the first, but without a beach.
There was a singular opening in the wall opposite us.
The wall of water closed behind us, sealing us in the room.
None of us moved, or dared to step closer to the opening.
There was no telling what could be waiting beyond in the darkness.
Suddenly, flames erupted and torches on the walls of the opening lit up, flooding it with light.
The light revealed a long tunnel and at the end of it stood a man.
I was not sure man was the correct term for him.
His skin shimmered like the water catching the fading evening sun.
His hair was an iridescent shade of black that danced with color like a pool of oil.
It hung at his waist. He wore nothing but trousers that fit tightly around his legs and his gaze was cold, calculating. He was a cantor.
His gaze traveled over Helena and Rafael before settling on Ezra. Then, finally, me. Something shifted in his expression.
“Lavinia Dawling.” His voice boomed through the cave.
My blood turned to ice. “We have been waiting for you.”
His eyes shifted back to Ezra, assessing.
“The Prevailing has finally come beneath the waves.”
A cold chuckle escaped him. “You should have heeded the tales.”
He shook his head and turned from us. With one final look over his shoulder, he said, “Come.”