by Olivia Ash
“Andreas and I have watch,” Edric said.
“That means you should get some rest,” Andreas said and followed Edric out of the hut.
Though she didn’t feel tired, she knew she needed all the rest she could get. She lay down and closed her eyes and waited for sleep to take her.
Chapter Ten
Ezekiel
Ezekiel paused in his notes. He couldn’t believe what he saw. After double checking his work, he had discovered he was wrong. So very, very wrong.
After trying his best to copy the runes in his notebook, he found a pattern. Most spells were cryptic to a point, but never with a pattern like this. It was subtle but stood out to him. Any other regular sorcerer would’ve paid the nonsense no mind and tossed the scroll into a fire. But not him.
The scroll wasn’t a spell. It was a page quickly scrawled in code to appear like a spell so that whoever was protecting the heirs could do so without anyone else finding out.
For example, instead of a rune that looked like an upward pointed arrow, it was a wide “W”. There were even instances with a rune in the shape of an “F” with the arms pointed downward instead of bending upward in the middle. Those subtle little changes would escape a less skilled sorcerer. He took those instances and rewrote them in his notebook. It spelled out Ripthorn.
Excitement burst inside him. He could hardly contain himself. His new findings were epic and definitely helpful. Replacing his items into his satchel, he stood and rushed to Edric and Andreas.
“You won’t believe what I just discovered,” Ezekiel said.
Andreas made a jab about something to do with some bookish spell to change his hair color, but Ezekiel ignored him.
“It’s a coded note for whoever was charged with protecting the heirs. The map points to a secret passage within the castle walls that was designed for the heirs to leave. That was the location where the protector was supposed to meet the heirs and take them to safety.”
Edric crossed his arms over his chest and said, “But something went wrong. One heir died.”
“Exactly! And the other is still missing… you were there. You know what the nymphs said. But the clue they gave us was to return to the heirs’ beginning.” He held up the map and the scroll. “That means Nighthelm. And the last place we have a chance to look is within the archives.”
Edric nodded. “During my time as commander, I was privy to certain passages and backways for emergency purposes. I know where guards would be located. With this map, we can avoid those locations. We get in using that location, find the archives, get the information—especially the heirs’ names, and figure out which one is still alive.”
Andreas moved in closer and said, “We can find the heir, restore him to the throne, and get the pardon we so very much need.”
Ezekiel nodded. “With this scroll and map at our side, we can find out what happened to the last heir.”
“Excellent,” Edric said, slapping a hand over Ezekiel’s shoulders. “We have a plan.”
“When do we tell Sophia?” Andreas asked.
“When she wakes up,” Edric said. “She needs the rest.”
The men agreed. Ezekiel returned to the hut and decided to get some rest himself. If he could stave off the excitement long enough to get tired.
Chapter Eleven
Sophia
Sophia couldn’t sleep.
She wasn’t alone though. Andreas kept her company, and made her feel stronger, but her worry kept sleep at bay. Edric and Ezekiel were finalizing plans for the run into Nighthelm later that evening.
His strong arms helped to ease the chaos within her, but her mind was flooded with finding the last heir before the next full moon, and she also couldn’t get that test from the nymphs out of her mind. It was so tempting to say “yes” to their offer of peace, to blissfully stay in that other world. However, the more she thought on it, the more she realized that they were testing whether she was the type of person to choose what was right over what was easy.
She chose what was right. And she wanted to keep her men safe. She refused to let anything happen to them.
Regardless of her feelings toward the test, she still needed to find the last heir. She thought over the riddle the oracles gave her, what the nymphs told her, and how the grimms called her a thief. All the while, that girl in the crystal coffin they found in the mountain stayed at the forefront of her mind. The image of her was as though Sophia stood next to the coffin even though she was far from the mountain cave they had found her in.
“Can’t sleep?” Andreas asked.
She shook her head and let out a heavy sigh.
“Wanna talk about it?” He pulled her in closer.
She curled into his embrace and relished in the warmth of his body pressed against hers. “I just can’t stop thinking of the girl in the coffin. I know she is somehow tied into this. The how is what eludes me.”
“What makes you think she is related to you finding the heir?” he asked, warm breath tracing down her neck.
The sensation created a bit of pressure between her thighs, and she tried her best to clench them to ease the ache a little. “That’s just it. I’m not sure.”
“If it makes you feel any better, the archives hold the secrets of the royals. We are bound to find something solid there. And then we can worry about the girl. One step at a time, love.” He rubbed his hand along her arm, and he pressed a kiss on her temple. “For now, you should rest.”
She appreciated his attempt to comfort her, but it was doing little else than awakening need within her body.
“You have the sword of the kings to help you. You have us men to stand behind you. Nothing is going to stand in your way. I won’t allow it.” His lips gently brushed her ear lobes and warm tingles rippled through her nerves. That pressure between her thighs increased and was accompanied by a delicious warmth.
She smiled at his words and said, “I still don’t like the idea of using a weapon meant for the heir. But if it is the only way I can find the heir, then so be it.”
Still, there was a connection between it all that she wasn’t able to make, and that threatened to send her mind reeling once more. She knew she needed the rest, but she also desperately needed to make that connection.
“Sleep on it, love. We’ll tackle this once you’ve gotten some rest.” His voice was so alluring. And convincing.
He was right though. She wouldn’t be useful to anyone sleep-deprived. She rolled to face him, wrapping her arms around him and hitching a leg over his. She closed her eyes and waited for sleep to claim her, but damn it if her body didn’t hum with Andreas’s nearness.
Angling her head, she pressed her lips to his, kissing him deeply. She needed his comfort and his touch. She wanted more of that feeling he gave her that made her stronger and more powerful. Never mind the release of her built up tension would be an added benefit.
Andreas responded with fiercer kissing, his arms fumbling with the lace of her shirt. She felt his need building through his pants against hers. She softly moaned as she worked his shirt over his head.
Once they were freed of the constricting clothing, Sophia’s back lay against the fur blanket, the tiny hairs tickling her skin, creating goosebumps along her arms as Andreas kissed along her belly up to her chest and her neck, finally ending with her lips. He slowly entered her, thrusting in a gentle rhythm. Giving her comfort and further relaxing her.
She loved that he was being selfless in his lovemaking, even appreciated that he wanted to help comfort her as well as please her, and that made her happy. It was freeing, especially since she had lived most of her life relatively alone. She never thought she would be given the chance to share a moment like this with him or anyone else. To have this was a gift that she would forever appreciate.
His gentle movements were filled with passion. He was very attentive, which she adored. She moved with him, aiding in the crest of her release. And as she reached the apex of her climax, she felt relaxed, and her
nerves were eased.
He laid next to her, scooping her into his arms and holding her as sleep came. A gentle kiss on her forehead was the last thing she was aware of before a deep, dreamless slumber.
SOPHIA
As the last light of day trickled away, Sophia peeled her eyes open. She left the bed and stretched, feeling renewed and refreshed. After quickly dressing, she joined her men finishing up the preparations to leave for another attempt at getting into Nighthelm.
Her body buzzed with energy and her mind went full-tilt on the possibilities of finding another clue. She hoped that clue wouldn’t lead to a dead end, but she had to try.
The men greeted her with a smile and a nod as they packed up supplies. Ezekiel approached her with an impish smile. “I have some news for you.”
“I hope it is good news, judging by that smile of yours,” she said, a trace of a chuckle vibrated through her words.
He nodded. “I’ve decoded the scroll. It’s directions to a secret location intended to get the heirs to safety. Though it didn’t work out exactly according to plan, Edric and I correlated it with the map and we found a way into the archives with hopefully little resistance.”
“Excellent,” she said. That gave her hope that they weren’t following a dead end.
“We will likely need the sword to unlock the door,” he said.
She nodded, hoping the sword would do the trick.
She was ready more than ever to finally find a solid lead that would help her restore the heir to the throne. She just hoped it wouldn’t be too late.
Everything was set. The men were ready. She led them back into the Witch Woods.
The trek seemed too quiet. It was a type of quiet that caused Sophia’s nerves to be set on alert. Her gaze darted between shadows, and she knew there was something within the dark recesses that watched them.
Her men were silent as they walked with her, moving as quietly as ghosts. None of them seemed to want to make a sound for fear that whatever watched them would stalk them to the castle and lurch forward and attack.
But maybe that was better than leading some horrific monster into the castle’s walls. Sophia didn’t know. Many of the creatures in Witch Woods were dangerous, sure. But most of them were very much so misunderstood.
A creak and pop sounded off to the left while crunching leaves echoed from the right. Sophia pulled on her sword. She knew from the sounds around them that they weren’t just being watched, they were being stalked. Only a few creatures did this. Minotaurs and grimms. Neither were particularly on her list of things to bump into, much less fight.
She looked to her men and saw that they each held weapons of their own, aimed and ready. She nodded at them. They did the same, signaling that they were ready for whatever came for them.
She waited for several breaths before she took another step forward. “I know you are there. Come out now!”
“Sophia,” Edric said, hissing her name under his breath.
She didn’t respond. Instead, she kept her eyes trained on the moving shadows. These were definitely grimms. Her voice would’ve startled the minotaurs into attacking. The grimms were more tactful, stealthy, predatory. They hunted their prey. And that’s what they were doing now.
She paused and considered that thought. Four grimms, fine. Six? Maybe. But any more than that, and at least one of them was bound to die. Though the nymphs never divulged just how her men died. If she wasn’t careful, she’d lose one of them in the Witch Woods tonight. But that wasn’t something she was willing to accept. Not now, and possibly not ever. She had to even the odds of the fight just in case there was more than six.
Unwilling to let them die at the hands of ravenous beasts, she rushed into the shadows where she had seen the last movement. A grimm met her. Just as it opened its miasma filled mouth, she ran her sword deep into its throat. A gurgling sound came from the beast as it fell limp, and she pulled her sword from the creature as the others attacked.
Her men rushed forward, and she shouted, “No!”
She would kill them all on her own if she had to. But of course, her men wouldn’t listen.
One by one, they fought off the grimms in a nasty, magic-filled fight. Andreas in his wraith form, swooping in and taking on a grimm or two, and Ezekiel with his staff, taking out another. Edric cut a few of them down with his sword.
Sophia landed the final blow in the last grimm and pulled her sword free from the creature’s body. When she faced the men, they scowled at her.
“Don’t. Ever. Do that again,” Edric said. His voice was even, but thick with warning.
“You could’ve gotten hurt,” Andreas said, worry sounded clear in his words.
“Or killed,” Ezekiel said.
She took a shuddering breath and said, “I’ve spent my life training and fighting these creatures. I knew what I was doing. I’m fine. Thankfully, so are you. Now, let’s get going.”
She swallowed the lump of guilt that threatened to choke her as she turned and headed toward the castle that refused to let her in. This time, she would succeed. She wouldn’t accept any other option.
Chapter Twelve
Sophia
Standing with her sword at the secret entrance on the back side of the castle, Sophia stared at the faint outline of a door with a slot to the left and center. She mused over what exactly to do with the sword, eventually deciding on holding the tip of the blade to the slot. The blade glowed and responded to her touch in an instant. Touching the tip of the blade to the slot, she gently guided it in.
Nothing.
Her eyebrows knitted together as a pinch formed in her forehead.
“Perhaps,” Ezekiel said, “giving it a little twist to the left will work?”
She did that. Still, nothing.
“Try the right,” Andreas suggested.
She nodded and did that. Beyond a few clicks, the door still didn’t open. “Now what?”
“Push a little of your magic into the sword, then repeat the turns in opposite order,” Edric suggested.
But that didn’t work either.
Frustrated, Sophia took a deep breath and announced firmly, “Let me in. I bear the sword of the kings!”
A click resounded from the lock, and grinding stone and gears followed. The door opened, revealing a dark tunnel. She gawked at the opening and shifted her gaze to her men who stood looking just as surprised as she was.
“That wasn’t in the scroll,” Ezekiel said. There was a hint of awe in his voice.
Edric said, “Indeed. You are quite the woman, Sophia.” The adoration in his voice made her heart flutter.
“Thank you,” she said. “Zeke, a little light?”
He nodded and produced a ball of yellow-white light. Her gaze lingered on the color since normally the witchlight was green. She caught his gaze and he winked. She smiled and shook her head, taking the lead as she and her men stepped into the tunnel.
The door sealed behind them. She stopped and watched as the outside world disappeared. “Well, not that it was an option, but there certainly is no turning back now.”
“Something feels off about this tunnel,” Edric said.
Ezekiel nodded, “I feel it too.”
“It is possible a hidden entrance like this is riddled with traps,” Andreas said. “Proceed with caution.”
Sophia nodded and returned her attention to the tunnel ahead of them. Despite Ezekiel’s light, the darkness was thick, nearly impenetrable. Finding traps would be difficult. But it wasn’t long before they came to a fork dividing the tunnel.
“Edric,” Sophia said. “You know these tunnels, right?”
“Most of them. This one I can’t be sure of,” he said. “Zeke, what does the map say?”
Ezekiel handed the ball of light to Sophia and pulled out the map from his satchel. As he studied it, his lips pulled down and he shook his head. “This intersection isn’t on the map.”
“Great,” Sophia said. Of course, this wouldn’t be easy. Nothing
about this journey was. And with time rapidly running out, she didn’t have the convenience of standing by and waiting for the right turn to reveal itself.
Andreas said, “I’ll shift and check out each tunnel.”
Sophia nodded. “Thank you.”
He shifted, and Sophia thought she could never get enough of the awe she felt each time she watched him do so. It was magical, alluring, and she loved that he enjoyed that form so much around her. It was part of who he was, and she loved him even more for that.
Andreas returned and said, “This way is clear.”
She nodded. “Thank you. That’s where we will go then.”
As they headed through the tunnel, Ezekiel was on alert for traps and magical wards, and Sophia kept her eyes opened for any sign of movement while Andreas and Edric covered their backs, making sure no one and nothing followed them.
Close to the end of the tunnel, Edric said, “I recognize where we are.”
He took the lead, making his way to a doorway. He held up his hand to signal everyone to stop before cracking open the door. After poking his head around, he stepped into the room. As Sophia entered, she realized it was a room under the stairs, intended for some sort of storage, but appeared to be in disuse.
Edric led them out of the room and around the stairs, each of them looking for signs of trouble. Sophia saw that they were in the castle foyer, and everything was dark, and not a guard was in sight. Not even moonlight filtered in through the towering windows along the front walls. Something about that unnerved Sophia. It seemed too easy to traverse through the castle.
After stepping through another hidden door within the wall of the castle, the door sealed, and a resounding click echoed around them. Gears started turning and it seemed like the walls were narrowing.
They were narrowing!
“Run!” Edric said, and the group dashed forward as fast as they could.