Chapter 46 Secrets
Secrets
For once, I was thankful Adalina’s door was made of solid gold and not wood, for it didn’t creak once as we snuck into her quarters.
As Alaric expected, she had not yet retired for the evening. Her rooms were massive and rather dim, but a sliver of warm light streamed through a small crack at the opposite side of the room. The god must still be working on our attire.
I would never admit it aloud, but Alaric was right . . . for once.
I glanced at the king, then gave a pointed look toward the other room, signaling where his mother was. He held a finger to his lips while grabbing ahold of my hand as he led me to a nearby door I failed to notice.
Luckily, it was already open, but, unluckily, that meant we couldn’t close it behind us. Should Adalina come out of her work chambers, she would notice the door was no longer open and grow suspicious. So, we crept through the dark corridor like two extremely well-dressed bandits.
The passage felt endless, and my feet quickly grew cold with each step across the smooth marble tiles.
I tightened my lips as the want to speak to Alaric burned on the tip of my tongue.
I wondered how much further until we got to wherever he was leading me, but I swallowed my irritation and continued to follow along before he completely disappeared into the dark shadows.
After a few agonizing moments in silence, I grew tired of staring at the darkness. I glanced sideways, trying to make out any indication of where we were.
An oof sounded as I ran into something solid. My gaze drew forward again, only to be scolded by bright green eyes cutting through the darkness and piercing straight into my own.
Well, at least our exceptional immortal eyesight was still intact, for I didn’t miss the way the behemoth rolled his eyes with a severe annoyance as I shrugged and mouthed ‘sorry.’
Alaric turned and proceeded sharply to the right, shoving his way through swaths of fabric. Sequins, satin, velvet, and silk materials danced around his broad shoulders as he pushed them to the sides. In that moment, understanding dawned on me that we were in Adalina’s closet.
My lips turned down as I extended my neck to glance down either side of the long passageway. I could barely see the light from the god’s main chambers anymore with how far we’d traveled through the darkness.
Adalina’s wardrobe was huge.
Jealousy slithered over my skin as I examined the swaths of fabric still swaying from Alaric roughly brushing past them. I made a mental note to demand someone make me a closet even grander than this one upon returning to my queendom.
I swiftly lost myself within the garments, in the pieces of fabric that had become my own personal armor throughout the years of being the Serpent Queen.
I skimmed my fingers over the various fabrics, even going as far as to yank a gorgeous silk robe off its solid gold hanger.
My eyes rolled so far back in my head at the fact Adalina was pretentious enough to have even her hangers made of gold, but my mood shifted as soon as the soft emerald material caressed my skin.
It was a rather stunning robe, completely spun from a butter-soft silk.
A large serpent design, made of golden sequins, extended up the entirety of the back of the garment.
Its head crept over my left shoulder and stopped right atop my heart.
With its tongue sticking out, it reminded me too much of Dante.
I nearly fell into another round of sobs, but, instead, I gripped tighter onto the reins of my anger for the Ice Goddess.
Crying made me feel weak and hopeless, but anger—anger made me feel like I could conquer kingdoms, destroy palaces, and even go as far as to kill a god.
I was tying the deep green sash around my waist when I heard a small clicking noise.
My attention swung to where Alaric pressed his palm against a dark stone wall.
The wall was hidden behind layers of Adalina’s clothes, and he glanced over his shoulder to look at me, a devious smile spreading onto his lips.
His hushed voice drifted through the shadows. “I discovered this secret passage when I was a kid, but I haven’t returned here since . . .”
I sniffed the air to see what emotion Alaric was feeling as he looked back to the wall, but I was met with nothing but the musty scent of the stuffy wardrobe around us.
Rage pulsed through my veins like a caged animal rattling its bars at the reminder my powers were gone, but the king’s voice brought me back to the present.
“If we have any chance at finding a relic to defeat a god, I could think of no better place to hide it than in there.” He gestured to the passage shrouded in a foreboding darkness.
I prowled toward the opening, only to be greeted by the soft sound of water dripping in the distance. I glanced into the seemingly endless dimness, seeing nothing but steep stone steps that descended further beneath the Emerald Palace.
I was peeking into what I believed to be Adalina’s lair, and there were no gilded walls hiding down here—only the dark sense of a looming evil that matched what I always saw buried deep within the god.
I smirked at the Serpent King, prepared to finally claim my vengeance. “Ready to follow me into the darkness?”
He leaned closer, placing his hands against the wall and caging me in.
When he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, I let my eyes flutter closed.
The intimate act was slowly becoming a habit of his, but I didn’t mind .
. . it steadied me, while also making me feel taken care of for once in my life.
“Wherever you go, I’ll follow, even if it is into the depths of where the wicked rest.” He gestured toward the stairs. “Lead the way, my Queen.”