Chapter 47 Into The Darkness
Into The Darkness
It was charming when Alaric offered to follow me into the darkness. It wasn’t charming, however, to navigate myself down the treacherous steps.
The stairwell curved into a spiral configuration, almost like a tightly coiled serpent readying itself to strike. The king definitely should have taken the lead down this stairway to what felt like my very own Pit in my queendom.
The further we descended, the greater the sound of dripping water grew until it became like a steady stream. A sense of dread rolled over me like an eerie fog, and the stones grew slick beneath my bare feet.
“I appreciate you being chivalrous and all, but I have no fucking idea where I am going,” I tossed over my shoulder, but the words were quickly swallowed by the roar of the nearby water.
Alaric’s chuckle rumbled off the black stone walls that felt as if they were closing in on us.
“Just keep moving forward and watch where you’re going. I’d hate for you to miss a stair and lose a few of those pretty teeth of yours.”
The Serpent King’s laughter grew wheezy as he undoubtedly imagined me smiling at him with a few missing teeth, probably both of my front ones, knowing the menace he was.
Our talking ceased as I focused on making it down safely, growing even more grateful I opted for no shoes during such a dangerous trek. If it wasn’t for some of my immortal abilities remaining intact, I’d lose a toe or two from how cold the stones were beneath my feet.
A shiver trickled down my spine as I realized how confined I was in this moment.
The stairwell wasn’t vast, in fact it was only large enough for us to go down one at a time.
The stones felt like they were growing cooler the further we traveled down, but I let the frigid temperatures shock my body into remaining alert.
Yet, the battle of not getting lost within the darkness of my mind was slipping from my grasp as the jet black stone walls closed in on me—they looked too similar to where my mother kept me confined.
Once again, I was back in the tower that stripped me of a normal existence, of friendship, of sunlight and fresh air . . . of love.
Panic settled against my chest as the space around me shrunk, and I braced for the darkness to crush me once and for all.
But before it could consume me, a roaring gush of water broke my spell of terror.
The tight space looked like it would expand after only a few more steps, so I picked up my pace as fast as I could manage without slipping on the wet ground. As I rounded the final curve, I gasped at what laid before me.
My feet hesitantly shuffled across sharp, onyx stone, toward where a raging waterfall laid on my left.
It flowed down the side of the cliff I was standing on, the water crashing into a pool shaped like a giant serpent slithering through grass.
Instead of the typical blue hue though, the river was a deep green.
If it wasn’t for the streams of glittering emerald water falling into the pool, I’d think it was black with how dark it appeared.
“Alaric, now would be a great time to explain what the fuck this place is.”
I skimmed over the cavernous space, noting the torches sparsely lining the walls. The flicker of light illuminated another set of steps leading to what looked like a hidden grotto covered in tendrils of ivy.
It was a beautiful sight, one that should make me feel wonder and enchantment, but I couldn’t shake the dread tightly coiling around me.
What was Alaric’s mother hiding down here?
We both glanced over the cliff, watching the glittering viridian water sparkle as it crashed and flowed into the river.
“When I was younger, I followed my mother to her rooms. She was crying, and I was worried about her since my father recently—” He cleared his throat.
“My father just passed, and I was worried about my mother. I’d always been quiet on my feet, so she didn’t hear me as she sobbed and ran into her closet.
I didn’t want to bother her, but I wanted to make sure she knew I was there if she needed someone to talk to . . .”
“So, I followed her, quietly clinging to the shadows of her wardrobe. When she pressed her hand against a random wall and it sprung open, I nearly blew my cover with how in awe I was. Granted, I was ten-years-old, so a secret passageway was incredibly fucking cool, and I had every right to react that way to the revelation of one existing in my home this entire time.”
My lips tugged into a soft smile as I imagined Alaric as a kid, with uncombed and shaggy black hair flopping into his face, green eyes wide with wonder while he smothered a gasp with a small hand.
My heart physically hurt thinking of the younger version of him—it hurt to reminisce when life made us both lose our precious innocence long ago.
He waved his hand at the cavern. “So, that’s how I discovered this place.
Every time my mother grew sad, mostly after my father’s death, she disappeared down here for hours.
I don’t know what she came here for, but I started to frequently come here after Isa died .
. .” He stared off into the shimmering waters, swiftly growing lost in his memories.
I couldn’t stand the pain that tugged his brows together and made his lips quirk into a frown. As much as it would hurt to know these details, I was learning it wasn’t always about what I wanted.
Maybe, Alaric needed to remember Isa, to talk about her with someone.
“What was she like?”
His eyes snapped to mine, his sadness quickly turning to shock. “I—do you truly want to know about the woman I used to love?”
A pang of jealousy pinched my heart, but I nodded nonetheless.
He continued to stare at me with a bewildered expression, but he took a steadying breath then told me about the most intimate part of his past.
“She was . . . she was enchanting. Her laugh was contagious, and she was fierce, yet soft. She forced me to train her, to make her a better fighter.” A smile full of sorrow spread across his face as he glanced at me. “She, too, hated swordplay.”
I scoffed, but remained silent to allow him a safe space to honor Isa.
“She was always doing things she shouldn’t, and I often shouldered the blame when she was undoubtedly caught in the end.
” The sorrow on his face melted, turning into a more peaceful expression.
“Above all, she never balked. She never hid. She was resilient, but she never lost her kindness . . . she was—she was my best friend.”
A silver tear clung to the corner of the Serpent King’s eye, prompting me to reach for him.
“She sounds wonderful.” I laced my fingers through his, the gesture stealing his attention from the flowing water and back to me.
My heart shattered when I saw the utter devastation painted across his face.
“You don’t have to suffer alone anymore, Alaric. I’m here for you, just as you promised to be for me. If you want to talk about Isa, I will always listen.”
The tear finally slipped free, leaving a streak of silver to stream down his pale face. Softly, I brushed it away. His eyes fluttered closed while he grasped my hand, rooting it against his cold face.
I held him as long as he needed, as he sat in the confinement of the grief he carried alone for decades. His tears splashed against my hand, and, for the first time, I marveled at the beauty of the small, silver droplets coating my fingertips.
It was an honor to see the Serpent King unravel before me.
Thus, I stood there, holding his hand while I stroked my thumb across his cheek and swiped away his abnormally beautiful silver tears. Maybe it was a magical ability only gods possessed—to shed colored tears—and Alaric did mention how he could technically be a god one day . . .
Finally, he gently blinked, revealing glassy, bright green eyes, which locked onto mine.
“Thank you,” he whispered against my hand, tenderly planting a soft kiss against my palm.
I released our conjoined hands that remained by our sides, moving to wrap my hand around the nape of his neck and rub soothing circles against his skin.
He shuddered from my soft touch, and I leaned on the balls of my feet.
Alaric braced his hand against my lower back, anchoring me firmly against him as I brought our faces closer together.
“I want you to listen to me very carefully. Can you listen for once in your life?” I mimicked the words he said to me at the night market.
Warmth spread through my chest when Alaric’s frown tipped into a smile.
He dipped his chin in response, then I grabbed his hair gently and forced our eyes to meet.
“I know what it feels like to live with guilt, Alaric, and I know what it’s like to live with the fact you lost someone you once deeply cared for, maybe even loved.”
His lips thinned as he processed my words, putting the pieces together of who I could be talking about.
“Wait, did you just say, lo—” I pressed a finger against his mouth, stopping him from saying the four-lettered word I was terrified of.
For Serpent’s Sake, I was trying to relate to him, yet I exposed myself at the same time. I spoke in a rush, quickly trying to cover my vulnerable slip-up.
“My point is, eventually, we need to let go of our guilt. The same applies for me. If I keep allowing my guilt and sorrow to fester, I fear there will be nothing left of me. As it was, before you came back into my life, I was a husk of who I used to be.” I tightened my grasp around his neck.
“Alaric, you might have lost someone incredibly special to you, but you have people who will accompany you through the darkness. As you offered to me, I will gladly sit with you while you cry, yell, or rage through whatever emotions that trouble you.”
Another silver tear spilled down his cheek, absorbing into my hand that was still lingering against his face.