Chapter 18 Luminoso
Luminoso
Panic surged through me like a raging storm the deeper we went in the tunnel. Even though I could see because of my sharp immortal eyesight and the dim flicker of a few sparse torches, my palms grew slick at the thought of getting trapped down here.
It was so dark.
Too dark.
It reminded me of the tower, of the perpetual darkness I had lived in.
“Just a little further.” The king’s voice echoed through the cave, distracting me from the panic attack readying to consume me.
I forced myself to breathe through the tightness pressing on my chest. “Where are you taking me?”
He chuckled darkly. “Still impatient as ever, I see.”
I grumbled a slew of curses to myself but kept following after the behemoth.
The pathway forked into three routes, and he confidently walked down one.
After a few more moments, he abruptly stopped, moving to face one of the walls surrounding us.
With a simple touch against the stone, it creaked open to reveal a secret door.
Morotis was full of hidden passageways—a reminder at how dangerous this place truly was. This deep into the caves, it would be a wonder if Landon could find me. I swallowed the worry and forced myself onward as the king disappeared into the hidden room.
At least I knew how to fight, and I held on to that thought as I continued to focus on steadying my breathing.
If this was a trap, I would not hesitate to break the Serpent King’s nose for a third time.
My anxiety dissipated like a plume of smoke as I took in what laid beyond the door.
Warm light twinkled above, portraying a sea of stars drifting across the onyx ceiling.
They drifted across the space, as if there was a phantom wind blowing them, yet it wasn’t one I could feel.
The only reasonable answer to how this was possible this far into the caves was magic.
Sure enough, I caught a glimpse of the subtle glow of golden particles dancing between the stars.
I felt a tug toward those shimmering flecks, my hand subconsciously reaching for the stars overhead.
As pieces of the sparkling magic wrapped around my fingertips, I had the same hypnotic trance come over me, just like when I gazed at the golden pond.
Your magic sings to me.
I quickly snapped my hand down, shaking off the warmth spreading within the void in my chest. My skin prickled as the sensation of being watched crept over me.
I turned, catching those piercing green eyes curiously peering at me through the darkness.
The Serpent King’s lips twitched upward, as if he saw how his magic affected me, how it intertwined around me with ease, how it sang to me.
“What is so amusing?” I challenged.
“Well, you, of course.”
I scoffed. “You may be the only person who’s ever found me amusing.”
His brows pinched and silence filled the air as he waited to see if I’d elaborate.
His stare was so intense, taking me right back to the moment he first laid those haunting eyes on me . . .
His gaze was calculating. I felt like I was stripped for all to see simply by the way his eyes roamed over my body. My bare feet shuffled in place against the cool stone as I awaited his judgment.
After what felt like an eternity, his tantalizing lips spread into a smile that made me want to run, yet also fall to my knees.
“Seera.” The king rolled my name off his tongue, almost like he was tasting if I was worthy to enter his lands. “You and I are about to know each other very well. Welcome to Morotis.”
The wicked man from my memory cleared his throat, rooting me back to the present, where I couldn’t be further from the mortal girl who balked before the immortal Serpent King.
A lot changed over the last seventy-five years—except those damn eyes.
Those were the same, especially in the way they assessed me like I was the most fascinating creature to ever exist.
Wait, what were we talking about again?
Think, Seera.
Oh, he thought me amusing.
“I don’t think my people would agree, considering they constantly rebel against me.”
The king’s brows rose toward the stars, curiosity racing through those probing eyes of his.
This was the opening I needed.
I came here not only for answers about my emotions, but to crush this newest rebel movement for good.
“The rebels think you will aid them in their pursuit to overthrow me. In fact, a group was on their way to see you earlier today, but their journey ended . . . abruptly.” A serpentine smile spread across my face as I remembered the sweet taste of the traitor’s blood I licked straight off the blade, the same one I slit his throat with.
What a bunch of boneheads for thinking they could best the Serpent Queen, but I had to admit they came closer to visiting the Serpent King than I’d like.
The king’s husky laugh rumbled through the cave, bringing my gaze to his.
“Why in all the realms would I help the mortals dethrone my Queen?”
I scowled, my lips tightening into a thin line at his casual use of my title. His eyes trailed down to my sides, where my hands started to curl into tight fists.
“Apologies, bad habit.” He rubbed his neck, looking slightly uncomfortable as his gaze floated up to the stars still drifting above us.
I followed his gaze, letting my anger float away with the stars.
As I watched them drift by, my thoughts drew back to Landon—to the other night underneath a similar view.
From the way he softly kissed my tears, to how I rode him with the stars winking down at us, to how he apparently carried me all the way down the dune and safely settled me into bed.
In all my rule as the Serpent Queen, I’ve never let anyone that close to me. It was a foreign feeling to have someone care, worry, or even want to protect me. Warmth flooded my chest as I thought of my kind bodyguard, who I most definitely didn’t deserve.
I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing away my increasingly confusing feelings for Landon.
After all, the Serpent Queen did not feel, and I preferred to keep it that way.
That was one thing I appreciated about the Serpent King: he never pressed me about my feelings for him while I lived in Morotis .
. . I used to hate that fact, but I was grateful for it now.
It also spared me from sounding like a complete and utter dunce when he didn’t return my fond feelings for him.
Slamming my emotions deep down into a steel box, I opened my eyes to find the king not staring at the stars anymore.
He was staring at me.
I had to say something to distract him from looking at me like—like he could see straight through the mask I wore everyday.
“Is this the part where you tell me what is wrong with me, or should we settle this with another fight?” I held up one finger. “I suggest option one, since you didn’t fare well earlier against my wrath.”
His laugh was deep and rich, and the bright stars above illuminated the twinkle of amusement dancing in his eyes.
“You can unleash your wrath on me any time, any place, Serpent Queen,” he purred, his gravelly voice nearly making me shiver. “By the way, I meant to tell you earlier”—a ghost of a smile still graced the Serpent King’s lips—“but you were too busy pressing your dagger to my throat.”
I rolled my eyes, but curiosity crept through me at what he would reveal next.
“This gown . . .” He dragged a finger along the golden trim detail wrapping around my flared sleeves. “This one was always my personal favorite. The trim brings out the gold in your eyes.”
His fingers skimmed over the serpent embroidery, lingering when they brushed an exposed sliver of my skin. But then, as if he hadn’t just given me a surprisingly kind compliment, the king turned on his heel, leaving me only a moment to release a discreet breath.
He still had an effect on me, even after all these years.
The infuriating menace moved to the center of the room, and my breath hitched as he dropped to his knees.
I hated myself for immediately thinking what a beautiful sight it was to see the Serpent King kneeling before me.
Get yourself together, Seera.
He slammed his hands against the stone ground, closing his eyes as he started to chant in a foreign language—whatever language it was, it was beautiful.
After another moment, the king rose, stepping back as the floor split open.
White light blinded me as it speared from the crack in the ground, causing me to quickly shield my burning eyes.
I blinked rapidly, willing away the spots swimming in my vision.
“Ah, yes. I should have warned you about the light.” The Serpent King said over his shoulder in a nonchalant tone.
Asshole.
When I glanced toward the newly formed crevice, I blinked a few more times to make sure I was seeing things correctly.
A giant crystal orb floated in the center of the cave, my mouth parting as I slowly approached it.
I’d never seen anything of this sort, and I jumped back when light illuminated from the ball.
Moving images flashed by, of what looked like lands I’d only read about in books.
Foreign creatures prowled across the orb, some sporting horns while others had tentacles instead of legs.
The most stunning woman flashed across the device, but my gaze snagged on the side of the crystal, where it was projecting a black stone castle shooting high into a sheet of grey clouds.
My castle.
“What the fuck is this?” I glanced at the king, my face draining of blood.
He looked at the orb, the colors flashing across it making his hair appear dark green.
“This is a Luminoso, which basically is a fancy name for an all-seeing crystal ball.” He pinched the smooth surface showcasing my queendom, making it larger.
My servants came into view as they walked across the bridge, which connected my castle to the city and overlooked a daunting gorge of dark mist. I glanced at my training grounds, even spotting the coliseum off in the distance.
“You’ve been spying on me?” Rage flickered in my gut at the violation of privacy.
“Believe it or not, I have much better things to do with my time than watch you execute your people in that Pit of yours.” Yet he couldn’t meet my probing eyes.
“So you have been keeping tabs on me?” I arched a brow, and I grinned as his cheeks grew rosy.
“No, I—I’ve heard some things about you over the years.” He glanced sideways at me, ruffling a hand through his hair. “I don’t spy on you.”
It was a rare day to see the Serpent King flustered, and the smug smile I cast at him only made him blow out another frustrated breath.
“I simply showed you your kingdom so you would understand how this device worked. That is all.”
“Queendom.”
“Excuse me?” His lips curled down.
“You called my home a kingdom. Yet, there hasn’t been a king ruling over Phantamos in nearly eight decades. So, you shall address my lands correctly—it is a queendom.” I stared down my nose at the king, whose brows were rising toward the stars.
“Apologies, Your Majesty. I will not make that mistake again out of fear of being your little Pit’s next victim . . . ”
I could tell the menace was trying to rile me up by the way the corner of his lips twitched upward, but I would not give him the satisfaction of knowing he indeed spiked my blood pressure.
“Mhmmm,” I hummed, as my gaze danced over the beaming images.
My curiosity rose as I studied the fantasy lands and creatures.
“What exactly am I looking at here?”
He spread his arms wide as he stared at the Luminoso. “These are the realms of the gods.”
Time stilled as my mind refused to accept his words, but the flashing images of my queendom proved this crystal ball did indeed show real places.
Yet, it was impossible, for the gods weren’t real.
I must have spoken my last thought aloud, because the Serpent King whispered something back that made my cold heart nearly stop.
“Oh, the gods are very real, and one of them is messing with your emotions.”