Chapter 25
Chapter
Twenty-Five
We raced through a dark hallway, my heart pounding in my ears. My wolf's supernatural eyesight guided me through the shadows, her senses heightened with every step I took.
"It must be this way," Torin murmured.
Heavy iron gates loomed to our side, their surfaces emblazoned with ancient fairy symbols. I couldn't help but shiver as we approached them. A sense of something bad was about to happen crept up my spine.
The three of us pushed the doors open, revealing another corridor, dank and dimly lit, its walls made of cold, rough stone.
“Oh, c’mon,” I said in a low voice and then sighed. “Castle hallways are the worst.”
As we continued to move forward, intricate arrays of enchanted crystals lined the walls. They pulsated with energy, releasing disorienting illusions that seemingly danced around us, making it difficult to tell which way the corridor led.
The light from the crystals couldn’t dispel the darkness that seeped into every crevice and corner. The shades of purple, pink, and orange barely illuminated our path, leaving much of the hallway shrouded in obscurity.
“The former King secured the way to Willa’s prison, but he didn’t care about his throne room as much,” I murmured. “He had his priorities all messed up.”
“Sick bastard,” Robert added.
We still must have been inside the main part of the castle. The hardwood floor beneath our boots creaked with each step. We ran one way, only to find ourselves at a dead end. Robert cursed under his breath, and we turned back.
I ran in the dim light in the opposite direction, following Torin, but suddenly, I could no longer see his muscular back. Looking backward, I found myself separated from Torin and his brother. Panic welled within me as I searched for them, desperate to find them in this labyrinth.
I kept taking turns in hopes of catching up with them. The corridors appeared all the same, and I grew confused and dizzy, unsure if I wasn’t running in a circle.
When the first door appeared at my side, I halted. I hadn’t seen the door before, so I waited there, studying it.
The high door was made of polished wood, carved with elaborate patterns that looked like the same ancient fairy symbols I saw throughout the castle but weren’t anything I knew.
Delicate gold with precious gemstones formed embellishments of vines, leaves, and fairy wings. In the center of the door, a gold handle beckoned me to grasp it.
I couldn't shake the feeling of magic emanating from behind it, reminiscent of the pulsing energy I'd felt before when discovering the witch books. Deep down, I knew this door was a gateway to a special place that I wanted to know more about.
After the stomping of feet echoed close by, I spotted Torin and Robert catching up to me.
I let out a heavy sigh, thanking my lucky stars.
“I don’t think this door will lead to the prison. It’s way too beautifully crafted for a dungeon,” I said when the men reached me.
Taking a deep breath, I grasped the smooth handle. Torin immediately placed his large hand over mine, and we both opened the door. I stepped inside first, finding myself in the most extraordinary place—a fairy library.
Shelves upon shelves filled the vast space, the book spines glinting with enchantment.
“This must be my dream library,” I mumbled, more to myself. “Was the former King a book lover, or did he collect the books over the years while searching for The Book of Thoradis?”
“Maybe he saw the value in knowledge, in the books,” Robert whispered like library patrons would normally do, causing me to smile.
Comfortable reading nooks made out of old wood scattered throughout the space with plush cushions and cozy chairs, inviting me to lose myself in the pages.
Glancing around, I couldn’t spot any windows, as if they were hidden on purpose to hide this precious space from the outside world. Despite the lack of natural light, a soft, radiant glow emanating from above bathed the library.
Crystals of different sizes hung from the ceiling on golden chains. They looked like meteor showers, like those I’d seen in my college science books.
Although these crystals radiated orange light, the ones in the hallways reminded me of the Lunarimar Lucy and I had found in the human realm. Could the Lunarimar originate from the fairy realm?
“It’d be a dream come true to stay here and read a book,” I said, smiling.
Robert scoffed. “Sounds boring,” he said and then grunted. “Tor!”
Torin had smacked him. Hard. Ignoring the brothers’ antics, I moved closer to the door, glad Torin had family around him. The thought made me think about my biological mother. Did the former King let her wonder and read books in his library?
I slightly shook my head. I had no idea why I thought about her finding solace here. Perhaps I hoped the dead King had been at least somewhat nice to Willa.
Before leaving the library, I took one last long look at the threshold. These fairy books could bridge the gap between the supernatural and human realms, letting the supernaturals learn about the fairy world.
But there was no time to dwell on that now. Reluctantly, I left the library behind and stepped back into the dim corridor. We walked for another long moment. Frustration bubbled up within me, and I clenched my fists, determined not to let this maze defeat us.
I lifted my arm to my chest. "Fire," I muttered under my breath, and my bracelet blazed with a bright, white-yellow flame.
As we walked, the corridor began to shift around us, taking unusually sharp turns and looping back upon itself. My jaw hurt from clenching it so hard.
I usually had a plan of sorts, but no one could tell me more about the prison Willa was held in. I’d come to free her without an army of allies, extra weapons, or a way out of this labyrinth.
I shivered as my fingers touched the damp wall. It seemed that we were walking closer to the dungeon because the walls and floor had become uneven and stony.
“Maybe we’re heading in the right direction,” I whispered.
Torin grunted his agreement, and we kept walking cautiously. The gray stone corridor stretched endlessly before us, the shadows clinging to the walls as if they were alive. A cold chill crawled through my veins.
Or maybe we were heading to our doom.
As we continued down the seemingly endless passages, I couldn't shake the unsettling feeling forming in my gut. My heart raced with each step, and my breathing grew shallow. Every minute was precious, and we couldn't afford to waste any.
"Wait," Torin said in a low voice.
He came to a sudden halt, causing me to stumble into him. My chest tightened as I stared at our surroundings. Did he see something?
I called on my wolf’s extra sensitive hearing and listened. A tiny rustling noise sounded from around the corner.
Torin pressed a finger to his lips as his eyes darted around the corridor. He crouched down, hiding behind a corner, and then abruptly jumped out, waving his hand in the air so quickly that I couldn't even see what he captured.
Robert and I dashed to him. He opened his palm to reveal…
“A butterfly?” Robert said.
The three of us leaned in over Torin’s massive hand to study the creature. His delicate features made him look magical. His golden blond hair adorning his head looked like a tiny crown. His eyes were like sparkling gems that twinkled with mischief.
The creature’s delicate wings resembled those of a dragonfly, shimmering with hues of blue and green. He was my oversized butterfly boy who had previously helped me find all those books. The boy was a tiny fairy.
The boy stood, dusted his pants, and tapped his foot on Torin’s palm.
“This little fellow looks spirited,” Robert said and chuckled.
The fairy boy looked at him, crossing his arms over his chest. His golden hair looked disheveled, and he wore wrinkled woodland-green garments.
I brought my head closer to the boy and blinked repeatedly. I wondered whether my heightened wolf senses improved my ability to recognize the boy's physical features compared to when we’d first met before I gained my wolf spirit.
The butterfly boy didn't speak but pointed ahead, his delicate wings fluttering nervously.
"Can you show us the way?" I asked him, and he nodded, his bright eyes never leaving mine.
"Sorry about that," Torin said, letting the fairy boy fly off his hand.
He fluttered before me as if he urged me to start walking again.
“You helped me find all the witch books?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Willa asked you to help me with finding the books?”
He nodded again.
"Did Willa send you now?" I asked the boy, and he nodded again.
"Can you talk?" Torin asked.
The tiny fairy flew in a circle and then fluttered his wings in one place like a hummingbird. He shook his tiny head and pointed to his mouth. I wondered what must have happened to him.
"All right, we'll follow your lead," I told him, and he finally smiled, fluttering around us like a firefly.
We kept close behind as we navigated the hallways, sometimes having to sprint to keep up with his quick movements.
As we followed the butterfly boy through the hallways, I marveled at his ease in navigating the labyrinthine corridors. His size and familiarity with this maze would allow him to hide from the guards.
Right before we turned another corner, the fairy boy's sudden halt made me stumble, catching myself just in time. His wide eyes and frantic hand gestures indicated something big lurked up ahead.
Torin stepped forward cautiously, his muscular frame tense. "Let me take a look," he whispered as he peered around the corner.
He did a double take, staring at something. The expression on his face shifted from curiosity to something like disbelief.
"I can't even describe it," Torin said, shaking his head.