Chapter Twenty-two

E verything in Liana froze, her breath, her heart, her thoughts.

Blinking to adjust to the sudden brightness, she found the source of that voice. Standing in front of the statue was the goddess Juno. Her skin shone with that ethereal glow, but it was her golden magic floating in orbs above their heads that lit the space. Temple was the accurate depiction now that she could see all of it. This was a temple to Juno, her likeness standing taller than the wall surrounding Sancta Valles castle and etched in marble.

"Juno," Liana greeted, less than cordial.

The goddess's brows furrowed for a few moments; her head canted to the side until she went abruptly blank. Turning her back to Liana, she sighed and looked up at her own statue. "So, you have learned of my past," she said, already guessing at her change in attitude.

"Ranville told me what he believes the past to be, but things don't add up."

Juno walked at the base of her shrine with lazy steps. "What things?"

Liana huffed at her uncaring tone. "Ranville didn't mention you at all in his retelling of the first Trieadian, yet this entire palace is dedicated to you. Why is that? Why are no other gods or goddesses represented here if this was supposed to be the King's seat? What is the real history of the first Triaedian?"

"The first Triaedians worshiped only me. They shunned the other gods."

Liana waited for an explanation that didn't come. "But why? And how did this dagger end up here when it was supposed to be embedded in the chest of the Original?"

Juno turned, gold eyes fixing on Liana. She did her best to not be intimidated but the sheer devotion she felt for the goddess before had been replaced with uncertainty and fear.

"There is much about the past that you don't know. That most will never know. For now, all you need to know is that Ranville's account of the past is mostly fabricated."

"Fabricated by who?" Liana erupted without thought.

"By me, of course. The details don't matter right now. All that matters is that you get out of here safely and back to your mate."

Liana blinked and Juno stood before her. Jolting backward, Liana held the dagger out to defend herself. Juno merely pushed it down with a finger. "You don't need to fear me. I am here to help you. I am here to correct the mistakes of my past. The only way I can do that is with your help." She reached for Liana's injured arm, a golden glow and the euphoric sensation of magic erupted over the wound.

Liana bathed in the sensation of magic after feeling so helpless without her own.

"There is a tunnel under the temple that will lead you halfway back to the village you came from. Make it to the village and find a way back home."

Juno brushed her fingers against Liana's cheek, a flare of magic sealing a wound she hadn't realized was there. Her hand cupped Liana's cheek, guilt and longing flickering in the goddess's eyes.

"What am I supposed to do? What is this all about? What am I supposed to be the savior of?" Liana asked, nearly pleading.

"Get yourself back to Sancta Valles. Read the Book of Kings , then it will all become clear."

Rage instantly filled her. That damned book. If Damien withheld information from her all this time, she was seriously going to rethink their relationship, even if she loved him more than was logical.

"What does the book hold?"

Juno retreated; her face morphed into anguish. Her eyes glittered even more as tears threatened to spill. "The truth. A truth so painful I cannot retell it."

Liana wanted to ask more. She wanted to hold down the goddess and demand answers. If the truth really was held in the King's book, she could wait a little while longer if it meant she'd be home safe.

"How do I make it safely home? Ranville and the rebels are still after me."

"Only Ranville and one other mage made it out of the collapse. Every path into this palace caved in except for your escape route. They cannot get back in and while they are searching around the mountain, they will never find you. You've got the dagger which you can never let out of your sight. Get to the village and you'll find a secure way home."

Juno turned back to her statue gazing up at it.

"What about my sister? I can't leave Charlotte under Ranville's control."

"You will not be able to get to her alone, especially not while those cuffs are on you."

She glanced down at the offensive things. "Then take them off."

Juno didn't turn back around to face her. "I cannot. You must make it to the village, Liana. And never let go of that dagger. It is the key to all of this."

Before she could utter a sound, the goddess disappeared, taking all the light with her. Plunged back into darkness aside from the dagger, Liana let her eyes adjust for a few minutes.

Juno didn't offer much help, but she did give her some direction and peace of mind regarding Ranville. She'd at least be able to get out of this entombed palace. It took a day and a half by horse to get here and probably double that by foot. She'd need water at minimum. If she made it through the forest, she'd have to find help in the village.

Eyes mostly adjusted to the dark, Liana began searching for the tunnel out of here. The draft of air appeared to be coming from behind the statue, so she started there. Rounding the shrine to Juno, Liana found a small passageway. This led to smaller worship rooms then eventually what would have been living quarters.

It was in the kitchen that she found a waterfall had replaced one of the ovens. A thin pool of water filled the stone floor which now slanted back toward the waterfall after years of erosion. It all drained to a corner, keeping the rest of the kitchen dry. Liana stepped up to the falls. The water didn't smell, nor did it look muddied, not even where it pooled on the floor. She held her cupped hands out first to gather some water. She inspected it with her eyes, finding no dirt, then sniffed it. Finally, she stuck her tongue in for a taste. It tasted normal so she started gulping from her hands as much as she could stand. Then she filled up the ceramic vase, rinsing it out a few times first.

With that out of the way, she finagled the sword to stay held between her back and the armor then kept searching for the tunnel with the dagger lighting her way. She found it in the cellars, specifically the one which held all the glass bottles of wine. It was a shame that all the wine had gone to waste, and the tunnel now made more sense. Aside from an escape route, it was likely used to smuggle things into the palace, like the wine and likely far more elusive items.

Liana started down the dirt tunnel that was barely tall enough for her to stand upright. She often had to crouch and crawl at certain points where it narrowed far more than was comfortable. She could sense how far beneath the surface she was, the earth seeming to press in on her. There were stone columns and support beams along the roof, but it didn't make her feel much safer. The tunnel stood for however many years thus far. She just needed it to stand for another few hours.

Liana jogged and walked as fast as she could. It would have been faster if she didn't have to duck and dodge roots all the time or stop to crawl. She didn't know how they smuggled anything through this tunnel, or if that was what it was used for at all. Perhaps it was just a secret tunnel for people.

She didn't stop for hours. There were brief sips of water, otherwise, she didn't stop. Not only did she not want to be in this suffocating tunnel, but she also wanted to get back home as soon as possible. She had to get to Damien, to make sure he was okay. She had to get Charlotte away from Ranville, then she needed to read that damn King's book.

It felt like she'd never get out of there until a staircase suddenly appeared. Made of dark stone, Liana thanked the gods for its presence and began to climb. It was a short flight of stairs though then the tunnel continued. Her hope waned, another staircase nowhere in view. Shoving aside her fatigue and fear, Liana pushed on. She had no other option but to continue on. This tunnel would end eventually. All she had to do was walk. It was as simple as that. Just walk.

Ten more staircases later and Liana started talking to herself out loud. "Just walk. This tunnel will end. You'll be at the surface soon."

The next staircase was upon her and when it kept going, she looked up. There was an end in sight. She climbed faster, her head reaching a stone circle in the roof. Placing her hands on it, she pushed upward. The thing didn't budge. Climbing up another stair, she crouched down and put her back to the stone. Using her legs and entire body, she pushed up on the slab.

It still didn't budge. Taking a few breaths, she braced herself to try again. She pushed with all her might, a scream of frustration escaping her when it refused to move.

"No!" she screamed, tears instantly welling in her eyes. This couldn't be the end. She made it so far. There would be no going back. Juno said this was the only escape. "No! Let me out!" she screamed, hands punching the immovable stone. She halted for a moment, the dagger alighting something. Holding it closer, she tilted the light at different angles to see the faint outline of the symbol of Juno.

She looked at the dagger then the symbol, an idea forming in her mind. Placing the tip of the dagger to the symbol, she shielded her eyes when the glow brightened. Hope had her heart beating faster. Tracing the symbol, she hoped that the magic of the dagger would be enough to lift the stone. It was a simple enough locking spell that was often used on doors, more likely hidden passages though. She learned it when she was young, and hoped it was the same even a thousand years later.

Once completed, she took the dagger away, the symbol still glowing before the scraping of rock on rock filled her ears. She tumbled down a few stairs as sand began to fall. More debris fell, some dirt and leaves until she felt crisp, cold air fill the tunnel. She scurried up the stairs and out into the night.

The cold immediately struck her down to her bones, but she didn't care, she was free. The stone began sliding on its own back into position which had her whirling around at the noise. The top had been disguised as an old sundial which was now mostly covered in vines and dirt.

Not waiting around for Ranville or the other mage to find her, Liana charted her way north back to the village and ran as fast as she dared. When the sun rose, she kept going. It wasn't until midday when she had to stop. Her water was nearly empty, and she was exhausted. It wasn't as cold during the day either, so she found a secluded place to rest hidden at the base of a rocky outcropping.

She only slept for a few hours, her nerves on too high of alert to let her rest any longer. She scavenged for berries or anything edible along the way. There had been a few berry bushes at the end of their season but still with plenty of fruit for her to take. She snacked on those while walking and finished the last of her water.

Knowing time was of the essence, she walked and jogged through the night which also served to keep her warm in the near freezing temperatures. It wasn't until midday the next day that she found another water source. She didn't need it though because only an hour later she was back at the village.

Thankfully she ended up on the opposite end of Ranville's estate. She kept to the alleys and shadows, finding her way through the village. She had to find help. The only thing she couldn't decide on was who.

Who was in league with Ranville? Who could she trust?

It had been hours of scouting the villagers when she finally saw someone. The woman was familiar, but Liana couldn't place her exactly. So, she followed her. She followed her to the outskirts of the village and down a well-worn path.

The woman halted suddenly as someone new stepped out from the trees.

"You were followed," the newcomer said, glaring down the path to where Liana hid in some bushes.

With a gasp, Liana stood upright, revealing herself completely. "Sasha?"