Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

I jolt awake, my body still on the floor of the cell but now in a curled position. I should be aching from the awkward angle alone, but with the smooth healing stone still tightly encased in my hand, I'm completely painless, my injuries fully healed and my body well rested.

Unfurling from my spot, I place the healing stone in my pocket and sit up, testing my upper body before moving to a stand to inspect my injured foot.

No shooting pain begins when I put full pressure on it, and everything seems to have mended well and back to normal.

Untying the tape from my wrist, I twist it to ensure the tape wasn't the thing that was making it feel better. But just like everything else, it is thoroughly healed.

Removing the rest of the tape from my ankle and upper stomach, I check my body over and find not one bruise, the only evidence of my previous injuries, the dry blood now caked all over my clothes and skin. That and the large hole in my shirt.

Oryn's face flashes before me, his look of horror reminding me of our last match. I hope he knows that I take none of this personally, and it was only through my own foolish mistake that I managed to get hurt.

Pushing it to the side of my mind, I unlock my cell with my shadows and slip from it, heading straight for the small enclosed cell on the right side of the room. I listen for any other sound before pushing the door forward and pausing, my stomach dropping.

It is just a normal cell. There is no other door or way out. Just a simple dirty space similar to my own. I mentally curse myself for blindly trusting in Veles.

Moving into the cell room, I glance around it, making sure I thoroughly search everywhere before I assume my last piece of hope has completely gone.

I turn to check the side of the cell when my foot catches on something. Bending down, I wipe some of the dirt away, only to find a line of dark steel about an inch in width.

Swiping away more dirt, I follow it and it leads me to the back of the cell, where it meets the wall before disappearing.

Reaching out, I search the brick wall for any other steel lines or clues to what it is, when one of the bricks loosens and begins to move on its own.

A rumble sounds out as the bricks on the floor beneath it shudder and slightly shake. I jump back a step as they gather together and roll under to reveal a tight small passageway downward.

Relief seeps through me as I glance down into the passage and spot what looks to be the start of a tunnel.

But before I make my way down it, I need to ensure that the guards are not going to find me missing from my cell or figure out that I am aware of this secret tunnel.

I glance around, trying to figure out how to reseal it first. I start pressing random bricks across the back wall before moving to another until eventually something clicks and a brick in the corner moves. The soft rumbling starts again, and the passageway quickly closes up.

Slipping out of the cell room and up into the palace, I spot a mirror and freeze, shocked to find the person staring back at me. I have fully healed, but my pallor and blood-streaked face make me look like I have been to battle and back.

I need to clean off this blood, but I can't afford the luxury of a bath now or the time it would take to have one.

Heading toward Visha's quarters, hoping to ask for some wet cloths and a jug of water, I run into the girl who braided my hair. She stops in her tracks, her mouth dropping open when she spots me.

"Oh my," she whispers as she makes her way over to me before walking around me.

"Are you badly injured? Should I call a healer?" she asks with alarm in her voice.

"No. No, I'm fine. I have been healed already; this is just…" I glance down at myself, frowning when I do not know what else to say to her that would not reveal the situation I'm in without wasting more time. "If you have a change of clothes I could borrow, I would very much appreciate it."

With a sad look in her eyes, she nods and takes my hand, pulling me into a room down at the end of the hall. There is a small bed to the side, a chest of drawers, and a long mirror, but nothing else inside.

"Let me run you a bath," she pleads.

"I'm afraid I don't have the time for one," I tell her and hope she understands with the look I give her.

She nods at me before turning and leaving. A couple of minutes pass, and I decide that it is better to have the time I do than worry about how I look. I still need to check on the guards.

I head for the door when she rushes in with a steaming hot basin of water in her hands, small white cloths draped across her arms, and dark clothing thrown over her shoulder.

"Here. Wash and change out of those. Whatever it is you must do, I can see it is important. I will make sure your clothes are cleaned for you."

Emotion clogs my throat, burning my eyes at her kindness. "How can I—I have no way to pay you. But if there is something I can do to thank you?—"

She shakes her head, stopping me, and places the basin and cloths on the chest of drawers before coming over to me. She starts sizing the dark clothing up against me, nodding when it looks like they will fit.

"No payment is necessary. I know the guards do not treat you well because of what you are. I want you to know that not all of us are like that. My name is Isolde. Come to me whenever you need anything, me or Visha, and do not be a stranger."

Warmth expands in my chest. "Thank you, Isolde."

She gives me a soft smile before leaving me to it. Stripping out of my clothes, I place the stone beside me as I quickly scrub my body of all the blood and use the floral-smelling soap she left for me, smiling at her thoughtfulness. I change into the new clothes, slipping the healing stone into my pocket, noting how they fit my body like they were made for me, before placing the dirty pile on the chest of drawers.

Slipping out of the room, I head to the guards' normal spots but eventually find them passed out in Haddon's quarters once more, the entire room stinking of ale.

Haddon still made it to the top three, with Oryn coming out the winner and me second. Even though it wasn't a fair fight, I managed to stay in the top three, hopefully ensuring my place in the next trial.

I grab a discarded cloak on the back of one of the chairs and make my way back to my cell, hoping that the guards think I am too injured to move and that a visit is the last thing on their minds, especially in their drunken state. I should be able to leave for a few hours before anyone notices my missing presence.

Using the dark cloak as my decoy, I stuff it with dirt and place it at the back of my cell, hoping anyone sent to check on me would not bother to get too close to see what it is.

Locking my cell behind me, I head for the secret tunnel. Pushing the bricks reveals the passageway, and I quickly enter it, following it down to the tunnel, which opens up into a cavern entranceway, the ceiling a deathtrap of large spiked structures ready to fall on any unsuspecting visitors.

My steps are soft and mindful as I move through it to another smaller opening that leads into a wide oval chamber, the ceiling high enough to fit a dozen giants.

A glint of gold hits my eye, and I move toward it, finding a line of it carved into the wall. I follow the line with my fingers and around a large rock, coming to a stop at the sight before me.

Nine large crumbling statues stand in large hollow spaces in the walls of a huge chamber. Each one looks as if it is carved from the wall itself.

I don't know many stories of the old gods, but if I were to take a guess, I would say I am in the presence of them now. Or at least their statues.

At the center of the statues, raised higher than the rest, is a female goddess. She holds a basin in her hands, filled with water. It overflows out to the gods and goddesses around her before falling into a hole in the center of them all.

To her left is another goddess, her beauty something that radiates out around her. To her right, a god that looks more like a warrior ready for battle but with kind eyes.

The others are spread out around the room. A god with an oval eye above his head, a female with a crow on her shoulder, a horned god that looks more beast than man, a goddess with three great birds surrounding her, a god with a flaming sword that sits upon a huge horse, and the last, a god with an instrument of some kind in one hand and a book in the other.

With one last glance around, I make my way past them, but it is as if their eyes follow me, and a chill slides down my back as I move on.

The room next to it opens up to another cavern large enough to hold an entire army. There are no statues with eyes that follow me, but there is a circular carving of a tree with deep roots. The branches reach upward and twist and turn, forming a knot.

With one last look, I move past the cavern, coming to a small path and bridge. And that is when I feel it. My connection to the void and the rush of cool ice as it floods my veins. As easy as breathing, I let my shadows envelop me. The familiar depths to my Caligo powers awaken and brush against my skin like an icy breeze that quickly rushes over me.

With ease, I jump through the void and come out to the edges of the Sidus town.

The town is quiet, too quiet. It is late enough that the curfew has long been enforced, but there is a stillness that feels wrong.

Without thought and needing to see my mother for at least a moment, I jump through the shadows and head for home.

Arriving outside, I see no light is on, and any hopes of seeing her slowly start to disappear. I move into the shadows once more and slip inside, my shoulders dropping when I realize no one is home.

With a sigh, I double-check all the rooms before moving back through the shadows to the other side of the town, to where I am sure to find a dark creature.

After an hour wasted of finding nothing but the odd bird, I give up and shadow to the river, hoping I will find one there. But just like the town, all is eerily quiet.

I move closer to the river and freeze. It looks like a mirror of the night sky above, but with no glimmering stars. The entire river is black, as if someone has dyed it.

I reach toward it when something rustles behind me.

"Don't touch it," a familiar voice shouts out as I whip around.

Jarek stands as if ready to move toward me, but his eyes widen when he realizes it's me.

"Ren." He rushes forward and pulls me into a hug. One I didn't realize I desperately needed. He holds me a bit longer before pulling back and checking me over.

"You are unharmed? I heard only too late what happened, and before I knew it, you were gone, swept away into the palace where I could not reach you."

"I'm well and it was all planned," I tell him with a smile.

He gives me a hesitant look before frowning. "I heard whispers of a certain Sidus making it to the top three in the first two trials. So how is it that you are here?"

"My entire plan is heavily weighted on retrieving what I need tonight. I'm going to need your help," I tell him.

"Anything, Ren, you know that."

I give him a smile with thanks.

"How is everyone?" I ask before turning to the black river and pointing to it. "And what is that?"

Jarek sighs, giving me a sad smile. "A lot has happened in the time you've been gone. Come on, I'll explain everything soon."

Jarek brings me back through the forest to the base of the mountains and through the hidden passageway to the rebels' base.

Bustling noise hits my ears as we move into the large carved-out stone room. No one notices us as we enter, with more people spanning out across the room, all tending to different things. Some are injured and taping their wounds, while others strap on weapons as if preparing for battle.

I turn to Jarek as my stomach drops. "Has something happened?"

" Seren ."

My head whips toward the sound of my mother's voice just as she rushes toward me, enveloping me in a hug that has every muscle in my body relaxing.

Pulling back, she checks me over just like Jarek did, her eyes panicked and full of worry.

"As you can see, I'm perfectly fine. Not a mark on me," I tell her, attempting to ease some of her worries.

But she continues to stare at me, and despair shadows her face. "But your eyes tell me a different tale."

I swallow hard, giving her a brittle smile. I never was able to conceal my true emotions from her.

She pulls me back into a hug meant to heal. I hold her tighter for a moment before releasing her.

"I hear congratulations are in order." Ryuu steps up beside us, a small unsure expression on his face.

I glance around at the rebels in the room before looking back at Ryuu and then to Jarek.

"The captain is here," I say to him, more in shock than anything else. I never thought I would see the day when he would be in the same room as them, no matter how much they proved how helpful they could be.

Jarek attempts to cut off his rumbling laugh at my facial expression, but his entire face transforms to one of amusement.

"We tied him up and dragged him here under duress, of course."

Ryuu gives us both an exasperated look, shaking his head before focusing back on what he was saying. "You made it through the first two trials."

"I plan to do the same for the last one." The lieutenant and his guards will have to do a lot more than beat me to try to force me to give up. There are too many people depending on this.

I glance around the cold room, the heavy despair thickening over. It makes me pause.

"Why are all these people here? The entire town is quiet."

I spot the look of reluctance Ryuu and my mother share with Jarek and realize they are keeping something from me. Most likely thinking they are protecting me.

"Tell me," I demand. I need to know they will be safe down here when I go back to the palace, or I will not be leaving.

"I will not ask how you have come to be here when no competitor is supposed to be able to leave the palace while the competition is taking place," Ryuu says. "So instead, I will ask why you are here."

"I was planning to go back soon. I came with hopes to get what I need for the last of my plan," I tell them truthfully, hoping they will do the same.

"What is it you need?" my mother asks, the look on her face telling me she is ready to get me anything I want.

"A dark creature."