Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

Zane

We're led down flights of stairs underground. The air turns damp and chilly as we descend further, and each step feels oppressive, like we're entering the bowels of the earth. Tree roots jut out from the ground like fingers reaching out for us, making us duck to get past them so we can continue down the stairs. The occasional candle lights the way, but a lot of the journey is in near complete darkness–a suffocating darkness that puts all of us on edge.

"Would you rather stay above ground?" Sulien asks, coming to a sudden stop.

"We understand the cost," I tell him. "And we're all here by choice."

The others nod. Logic might say that it's better to sacrifice Sulien so the rest of us can keep going, but Sulien is our friend, and Cassia is our woman. I would never let a friend take a blow for me, nor would I let another man protect my woman .

"We're all her mates," Forrest reminds him, with only a slight possessive edge to his words. "We're all here for her."

Sulien nods. "I just pray I'm not leading us all to our doom."

He and I both.

Dripping water echoes through the passage, and as we approach a landing, we see bones and skulls lining the walls on both our sides. It's as if body after body had been placed to make up the walls, and the sight is more than a little unsettling. This is not how the dead were meant to rest, but then, nothing in the House of Death makes sense to me.

As we continue on, there are some places where the candles barely make a dent in the darkness, and we have to touch the skull-lined walls to find our way on the narrowing path. Wherever we're going, I hope it's not a trick by Lady Grave. I wouldn't put it past her. But if she pulls such a thing, she'll experience the rarely seen fury of a Winter Fae.

When we emerge, our relief is short-lived, for we've entered a beautifully haunting room full of catacombs. The catacombs are ornate, with crystals and jewels signifying that they belong to royal fae. I gaze up, and the glass ceiling overhead feels like it's hundreds of feet above us. The moon shines through, and I wonder where we are beneath the House of Death.

None of us says a word. Cobar wanders off a bit and explores the room, taking a closer look at a column of skulls with green jewels in the eyes. Some jewels catch the moonlight and send reflections throughout the room. It's an oddly beautiful sight. But it's also terrifying. The rest of us continue walking, and Cobar follows not too far behind.

We finally enter a throne room. Silver lights shine out of the maze of tree roots behind the throne, where a breathtakingly lovely older fae woman sits. It's the Keeper of Death. Her skin is an unsettling shade of gray, as if she's been touched by death himself. She has long, pitch black hair that cascades down her back. It's thick and shines in the light in a way that's almost normal, but her eyes are all white without any pupils. They're unnerving, like she has no sight and no soul, and her dark green dress looks like it's made from rotted flesh.

Fuck. Is it too late to get the hell out of here?

"What brings four fae princes down here to my dark realm? Could it be your missing bride?" she asks with a smile. Her blood-colored lips part and reveal black, rotted teeth.

"Yes, my lady," Sulien answers her, with peak politeness. "We need a favor from you. We need your help to find her." He bows, putting his rank to the side. He's practically begging.

The Keeper of Death tilts her head to the left so far that she's looking at us sideways and taps her fingers on the arm of her throne. Cobar flinches. I maintain my composure, but it's tough.

"You must be desperate. Completely out of sorts. No one comes to me for a favor unless they have no other choice." She's smiling again.

My fists clench–a reflex. I take a deep breath and loosen them.

"Are you really prepared to pay the price?" she asks, glaring at each of us for a few seconds .

"We are," Sulien says without hesitation, bowing yet again.

I follow him, bowing myself. Cobar and Forrest only hesitate a moment before doing the same. It's true that the princes of the courts need never bow to anyone, but we need this favor more than we need to hold on to our pride. She already knows that; pretending otherwise would be a fool's game.

"Why are you so desperate? Do you miss this bride of yours? Have you been tortured being away from her?" She looks excited, like she can't wait to hear about how much it's hurting us to not be with our mate. "The horrors she's going through. Can you feel them? No. You feel her death, but not her hell."

If I could feel the hell she's going through…my body tenses. It would burn a hole through me, if she's experiencing pain. The tightness around my chest makes it hard to breathe.

"Between our four courts, we have everything you can think of," Cobar tells her, offers her.

"You don't have your mate though, do you?" she asks, cackling so loudly that it echoes through the room.

Everyone's so revering and honorable. We have no choice. But if I was a different man, I'd go to war with the House of Death over this conversation. I'd make this woman feel every bit of wrath and anger I have inside of me over what's happened to Cassia.

Fuck, I would burn this place to the ground.

"We won't forget this help. You would be doing the four courts the greatest of services. You, lovely and honorable Lady of Death, would be serving your kingdom in a way no one else can," Cobar gushes, trying to soften her, but I suspect his charm is moot here .

"You won't forget my help, because the payment will be lifelong." Her voice is soft, amused, and mysterious all at once.

She removes the necklace from her throat. The mark it's left on her throat indicates it's made of iron and has been slowly burning into her flesh for the gods only know how long. A pulsing, dark green stone hangs from it, as sinister as the woman it belongs to.

"I can make this stone lead you to her, and I could give it to you, but you must agree to my price." She speaks with a smoothness, an ease, like this means nothing to her, yet I suspect she's savoring every moment of torment she's inflicting upon us.

I'm growing impatient. I dig my nails into my leg. She's playing games with us for no reason. She wants us to be afraid, to be filled with dread, but we're not because we'll agree to whatever she offers. We came in here knowing that.

"Your brave little mate… are you certain this woman holds affection for you?" Her smile is wry, and her white eyes glint with evil.

We glance at each other, but none of us say a word. We aren't sure, but she doesn't need to know that. The less information she has from us, the better.

She leans closer and whispers, "Was there doubt in her eyes when she looked at you? Did she hesitate at the thought of marrying you? Do you even know if she wants to be found? Perhaps she did run away from the four of you."

How does she know all of our greatest fears? She's trying to make us question everything, but I won't let her. Cassia may need time, but we all feel the connection with her. It has to be enough to eventually win her heart .

"Oh!" She laughs. "Your silence tells me everything I need to know. What a sad, sad truth."

I shift my weight from one foot to the other, avoiding the men to my left and right.

"Our mate will be ours one day," I tell her simply. It's the truth. I think.

She leans back. "I'll do you this favor, but when you get your little bride back, you must ask her to marry you." She pauses, hoping for a reaction from us. We stare in anticipation for the rest of her sentence. "If she doesn't agree to it, you will return here and be my slaves forever… and you can't tell her about our deal." She rests her wiry hands in her lap, cupping the necklace, and turns her head in that strange way of hers again. "But if she already loves you, this should be no problem at all."

Without a discussion or a single thought, we all agree. There's no choice. Whether Cassia wants us or not, we have to find her and make sure she's safe. It's what we must do for the woman we love.

The Keeper of Death asks for our word, sealing this deal, making it impossible to escape from.

"You have my word," I say, and the words vibrate through me, laced with magic.

"You have my word," Sulien agrees with a nod, but I can see it in his eyes: he thinks we're doomed.

"You have my word," Cobar whispers, but there's no doubt in his voice.

"You have my word." Forrest's promise is tinged with anger.

I step forward to take the necklace, and she places it in my hand with a smile. It burns me the moment it touches my skin. I accept the pain and focus on it. This necklace will bring us to Cassia. That's all that matters. To my surprise, the necklace shifts in my hand. Now, it's floating towards the stairs. So I start walking and the others follow.

We've struck a bargain with death, and there's no turning back now.