Chapter 11 #2
“I will go first.” Siobhan stepped forward, head high, but Meera was already prancing down the stairs ahead of her.
“I can see better than any of you in the dark,” the cat said over her shoulder, disappearing.
“Hey!” Siobhan shouted. “I’m coming too!” She followed Meera while the rest of us sent each other unsure looks before following behind, one by one.
“Uh, Clio is the one with fire on her head!” Marsten shouted. “Shouldn’t she be the one to lead?”
No response came, the two faeries already swallowed by the dark.
The uneven stairs were jagged under my feet, and it was too dark to see anything in front of me. I stretched out a hand and braced it against the curved wall, taking careful steps and feeling out each stair as I went with my slippered foot.
“How much farther?” Lila called from somewhere behind me, her voice sounding weak and tired.
Her question echoed until fading into the silence, no one able to answer since none of us knew.
“Siobhan? Meera?” I called out, wondering the same thing.
“If I had an update, don’t you think I’d let you know?” Meera’s response echoed back to us from somewhere far below.
“Actually, no, I don’t think you would,” Marsten yelled, his voice coming from right behind me.
“Can everyone stop talking?” Clio asked. “I’m trying to concentrate on not falling down these feckin’ stairs to my death.”
“And setting the rest of us on fire in the process,” Marsten mumbled.
We kept marching down the stairs, quiet and focused. I had no idea where the castle was leading us, and I really hoped it was to the exit and not to another puzzle. My legs ached from all the stairs I’d descended, sweat matting my curls to my face.
I thought about calling out to Siobhan and Meera again, but Meera had already said she’d tell us when she got to the bottom, so I didn’t think yelling would help. In fact, I suspected the more I bothered her, the less inclined she’d be to let us know when we were close.
“I’m seeing spots,” Lila said, her voice so faint I almost couldn’t hear her.
“Really?” Marsten asked. “I still can’t see anything.”
“No, I think she means she’s not feeling well,” Liadan said.
“I think”—Lila panted—“I think I’m going to pass out.”
I didn’t have a chance to react before a scream rang out and Lila yelled, “I’m going down!”
A second later, someone’s weight slammed into me, and I toppled forward. My body crashed into the jagged rock as I continued to tumble, rolling so fast I couldn’t grab on to anything or stop myself. All I could do was curl into a ball and hope I somehow survived this.
Sharp rock stabbed my ribs, scraped my hands, and caught at my dress, and a rip tore through the sounds echoing in the chamber.
Screams filled the air, along with quite a few expletives from Marsten.
The heat of Clio’s hair blazed past me, singeing my dress, and the smell of burnt skin and fabric filled my nose.
Air whooshed past me, and even though it was dark, the world sped by in a dizzying blur while I was at the mercy of these stairs.
“This. Is. The. Wooorst.” Marsten’s voice echoed, bouncing around amidst the yells of terror.
I flew off the bottom step and smashed into the hard ground. Thuds and oomphs filled the space around me, and I blinked a few times, my vision clearing.
“Finally,” Meera said. “Took you all long enough.”
I groaned, rolling onto my back, entire body in pain as I took slow, steady breaths and placed my hands on my stomach.
“Sarcasm not appreciated right now.” Marsten’s words came out in painful gasps.
“Am I dead?” Clio asked, on her back and staring up at the ceiling.
“Is Lila okay?” I asked, blinking a few times. It took me a moment to realize I could see everyone.
We were no longer surrounded by darkness and stood in what looked like a dungeon with dingy, chipped stone, flickering sconces .
. . and windows with iron bars over them.
I could see through the bars to the castle gardens.
We’d gotten to the bottom floor, and that had to mean we were close to escaping.
Lila grabbed her head and sat up. “I’m okay. Sorry, everyone. I was feeling a little weak and lost my balance.”
“It’s all right. We’re just glad you’re okay.” Liadan got up and stretched out her hand, helping Lila to her feet.
We had to be close to the end. That motivating thought pushed me to a stand, and I winced at the pain that shot through my hands, knees, and, well, everywhere. Meera and Siobhan looked just fine, while the rest of us sported bruises, cuts, burns, and torn clothing.
Gashes slashed through Marsten’s trousers, blood seeping through, as he looked around. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but where are we now?”
“I think the better question is what is that lantern?” Meera pointed a claw at it.
Siobhan crouched in front of it, studying the object as it glowed from where it sat on the floor.
Everyone else got to their feet, crowding around it and staring at the glowing orb with golden swirls dancing around it.
“Magic,” Clio said, an ember popping from her head. I jumped back so it wouldn’t land on my dress.
All I needed was to be set on fire after the day I’d had.
“From the godwitch of fire,” Siobhan said. “Which means this is everlasting light.”
I tilted my head. I’d read about these lanterns in stories and mythology, but no one had ever seen one. This was a very valuable piece of magic. Light that could never burn out or be doused.
Siobhan slowly reached out to touch it when Meera shoved her way between my legs and slid her tail through the brass handle at the top.
“What are you doing?” Siobhan said. “I was going to pick that up.”
“You’re taking too long.” Meera curled the end of her tail around the handle, beginning to drag the lantern behind her. “I’m ready to get out of this place. So let’s take the lantern and find the exit.”
No one had time to make a move, because right at that moment, the room started shaking.