The Lost Prince of Cadira (Shadowland Saga Book 1)

by Stephanie Anne

  It had been easy enough to stow their horses with an old couple—though Eliza had the sneaking suspicion they might sell the horses, but she hadn’t said anything aloud—and while they’d managed to find a trading store with rope and dried and cured meats, Eliza couldn’t quite stamp out the feeling that something bad would happen.

  The town had been desolate; barely a living soul there. By chance, drifters and a few farmers had been around and they’d been able to buy any supplies they needed, but it hadn’t been much.

  Thorne shook his head and didn’t reply, though a smile tugged at his lips. Instead, he checked his weapons again, then his packs, before gesturing for Eliza to turn around so that he could make sure she was secure with her own bags and limited weapons.

  “When we return,” Thorne said, meeting her stare from the corner of his eye, “I will teach you how to use a sword.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I know enough to get by.”

  “You cannot always rely on magic,” he said. “It won’t always be there.”

  Instead of responding, Eliza looked away.

  The pair walked slowly towards the far tunnel, taking their time to step over the remains of those who had once inhabited the large city. Eliza kept her gaze directed at the tunnel and the enormous arches with grand carvings so that she wouldn’t see the bodies of the children huddled together. Their remains reminded her too much of the Winter Palace.

  “I wonder what happened down here,” she said finally, gazing up to the ceiling. Bile rose in her throat.

  Thorne shook his head, at a loss for answers. “I’ve never heard of underground cities—never heard a mention to any that were built for Azula. There could be a number of reasons why.” There was a stiffness to his voice, one Eliza barely noted. What was he hiding?

  “Do you think the king ever knew?” she asked as they passed through the arch, entering the cavernous tunnel. Darkness spread around them, thick and tangible. Eliza could taste the staleness of the air on her tongue, could feel the shadows wrap around her, stifling.

  Thorne barely spared her a look over his shoulder. “I can’t say.” He stopped when the darkness did not give way. Eliza raised her hand and a ball of light appeared. She threw it up towards the ceiling, lighting the way. “But I don’t think so. He would have sent trackers down here otherwise, just in case.”

  Eliza didn’t respond, too busy glaring at the depth of the tunnel. She wondered how an entire civilisation had managed to survive underground without being noticed—or missed. Why were there bodies everywhere? And how, she wondered, did Kay know about it at all?

  ~

  The warmth that surrounded Eliza pulled her into its loving embrace. There was a familiarity to the feeling she couldn’t escape. But she knew the warmth couldn’t last.

  Eliza peeled her eyes open and yawned. The haze of sleep slowly disappeared, slipping away from her as she finally came to consciousness. But not all the darkness was gone. It still clung to the edges of her vision, a reminder of where she was.

  However, the pain in her butt and back was enough of a reminder of her less-than-comfortable sleep. She couldn’t help but ask herself how she’d managed to even fall asleep.

  The tunnel was dark, save for their dim torch, which had rolled to the end of their feet. It flickered occasionally but remained steady.

  But the warmth never left here.

  Something heavy slowly shifted from her shoulders. “You’re awake?”

  Eliza frowned and straightened. Now, the warmth was gone. Oh Lord. The warmth had originated from the commander. His arm had been wrapped around her shoulder, her cheek against his shoulder.

  Heat rose in her cheeks as mortification settled upon her. She’d fallen asleep on the commander.

  Eliza grimaced as she sat up. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” Thorne asked, frowning. “For sleeping?”

  “For sleeping on you.” She shook her head as a smile twitched across his lips. “It won’t happen again, I promise.”

  Thorne chuckled and stood, stretching his long limbs. His shirt rose, untucked from his pants, revealing a line of bronze skin marred by pale scars. What had happened to him to earn those scars? Even as he lowered his arms and hid them from her view, she could still see them, branded across her vision.

  “What?” he asked, frowning at her.

  Eliza shook her head. “Nothing, sorry.”

  “We should keep moving.” Thorne reached for a pack but didn’t shoulder it. Instead, he pulled out a water skin and drank. “Walk for a couple of hours, then rest.”

  Nodding, Eliza said nothing as he sat across from her and rifled through her pack. She watched mutely as he produced their rations and set the bread and cured meat between them.

  It reminded her of a picnic, like the ones she, her grandfather, and Kay had gone on when she was a child. Eliza sometimes took her elderly neighbour, Miss Constance, to the park for a picnic. Used to, Eliza thought bitterly.

  A lump formed in her throat as she picked up a slice of bread. “Why are you helping me?”

  Thorne’s eyes flickered from hers to the shared bread between them. If the question took him by surprise, he didn’t show it. “It’s a long story,” he said. His hands tightened into fists.

  “We have time.” Eliza cocked her head. “Something, anything. Give me an actual reason as to why you’re helping me.”

  “Can’t you just trust that I’m here to help?” he asked quietly.

  She eyed him for a moment, then shook her head. “I need to know, especially now.”

  “Why?”

  For a moment, the tunnel grew cold, frigid under the weight of what he wasn’t telling her. Something deep within her told her not to push, and yet she couldn’t stop herself. She didn’t understand why he wanted to help her, not really. She wondered if it had anything to do with power, with wanting to prove himself to the king, but one look at the commander told her that wasn’t the case.

  Perhaps he saw those questions warring in her eyes because he finally sighed. “I once knew someone who was taken by the same soldiers who attacked you and kidnapped Prince Alicsar.” He cast his gaze downwards, where his fingers touched a silver chain.

  A flash of familiarity struck Eliza as she stared at the chain. Her dream… she’d seen the same one in her dream. She’d seen it again when she’d first met the commander, but it hadn’t struck her as odd until now.

  “She died protecting the people she loved,” Thorne murmured, eyes glassy. “I refuse to let her sacrifice be in vain.”

  Eliza swallowed thickly. “That’s why you decided to join me. To avenge her.”

  His eyes flickered to hers. “Among other things.”

  She didn’t know how to respond, and instead sat back against the stone. The weight of her mission settled on her shoulders as she watched the commander from the corner of her eye. She’d thought it would be a simple explanation, but there was nothing simple about him.

  ~

  They walked for hours before stopping at a decline in the tunnel.

  “We can stop here, rest for a bit. Eat,” Thorne said.

  Eliza nodded her agreement and pulled off her pack, which was giving her serious back pains. She dropped it to the ground, which had gone from sandy dirt to hard rock after a while, meaning they’d lost all the footprints from the soldiers.

  But the prints had been enough for Eliza to catch a trace—old, but still useful—and they used that to find their way, even though the tunnel hadn’t branched… yet.

  Groaning, Eliza fell to the ground and rested her head against the stone. Her cheeks were hot and sweat dripped from her brow. Thorne grumbled but sat beside her, the rope still holding them together.

  “I’m dying,” she said, wiping her brow. “It’s so hot down here. How is it so hot down here?” She fanned herself, wishing she had access to her clothing back in New Orleans. It was still autumn, winter slowly taking over Cadira. Not summer in hell.

  Thorne shrugg
ed off his cloak and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, stretching his arms over his head. Eliza noticed sweat coating his face as well.

  “We must be going deeper underground,” he muttered, closing his eyes. He pulled out his water skin and took a long swig of it before wiping his mouth. “Have you still got the trace?”

  She felt for the strange tug of magic, the remnants of what had once been the assassins over twenty years ago. It shone like liquid silver in her mind, ever dimming but ever present. She let her magic slide over it and follow it farther into the darkness of the tunnel.

  Slowly, she nodded, taking a swig of her own water. “Yeah. It’s weak, but it’s enough. I don’t sense any forks in the tunnel.” She furrowed her brow and closed her eyes. In fact, she didn’t sense anything. Just darkness and a deep abiding fear that something was going to happen.

  “Good. We don’t need any surprises.”

  She grunted in agreement and rubbed her eyes, growing more worried than she thought she should be. If she didn’t sense anything, was there a chance that there was no portal and it was just an endless tunnel, its only way out being the direction they had come through? She shook her head. It made no sense, and she knew the shadow soldiers wouldn’t have gone down that road, only to turn back. No, there had to be a way out.

  If she doubted herself, she knew she’d lose the trace, lose any courage or pride she had. Eliza hadn’t sensed the portal back at the manor, so there was a chance that they’d just happen upon it without really knowing it was there. At least, Eliza hoped that would be the case.

  Opening her eyes, Eliza sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly, concentrating on the hope she harboured that it wouldn’t all be for nothing.

  Beside her, Thorne tensed; she could feel the coiling of his muscles as his arm slid over her chest, keeping her back. “Do you hear that?” he asked quietly, head cocked.

  For a moment, she heard nothing, but then… scuttling, like claws on stone. Eliza leaned forward and searched the darkness at either end of the tunnel… but saw nothing. She couldn’t even sense another presence, whether it be dangerous or not, and there were no spirits in the tunnels to guide the way.

  “What do you think it is?” she whispered, leaning in closer to Thorne. His arm tightened around her.

  He shook his head, and through the dimness of the light, she could see his jaw clench. “It could be anything.”

  Eliza’s heart sped up, thundering in her chest. The hairs on the back of her neck rose, and she dropped the orb of light that had been guiding them, submerging them in thick darkness.

  They continued listening, noting how the scuttling grew louder—and closer.

  When it was directly over them, Eliza summoned the light source and yelped. Beside her, Thorne growled.

  Above them, a demon screeched; either at the suddenness of the light, or at seeing them, she wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like the creatures that attacked the temple or the Winter Palace; this one was larger—and hungry. Eliza only caught a flash of its teeth before Thorne aimed a dagger at its skull.

  The demon fell with a wet thump, dead upon impact.

  The commander uncoiled himself, though he did not remove his arm from around her. He held her back as he inspected the body, his other hand rubbing tiredly at his chin.

  “The hell is that?” Eliza asked. It was human in size, skin pulled taught over thick, long bones. Its skull resembled that of a goat, but with teeth like a sharks. The demons palid skin was marred by burns and swollen cuts, like it had been tortured before descending into the tunnels.

  “It’s an Igiulon demon, very rare and very dangerous. I didn’t think they dwelled this deep underground.”

  “Do they travel in packs?” Eliza asked. She watched as the body turned to ash, stomach roiling.

  Thorne shook his head. “No. Usually alone. They’re also supposed to be incredibly smart. But this one… this one wasn’t right.”

  “Are you sure it was an Igiulon then?”

  He was quiet for a moment, running his hand through his hair. Eliza watched as he gnawed on his bottom lip, dark hair falling over his forehead. In the dim light, his skin took on a bronze colour, making him look otherworldly as his eyes darted over every piece of evidence.

  Snap out of it! Eliza shook herself and averted her eyes, pursing her lips. He doesn’t think about you like that, so you don’t think about him. When had she started noticing the little things? They had been together all of a week, searching for the prince. They had nothing in common other than that. Crushing on the commander will do me no good. If I find the prince, then I’ll be gone the next day, back to New Orleans.

  Eliza cleared her throat. “So? Was it an Igiulon?” Their eyes met, and he quickly looked away.

  “Yes,” he replied. “I’m positive. I’ve seen them before. They’re intelligent, humanoid, but this one… this one looked as if…”

  “Like it had been brought back from the dead?” Eliza quipped, crossing her arms.

  Thorne shook his head and smirked. “No, more like it had been starved into insanity.”

  Eliza cringed and swallowed thickly, taking a step back. “You’re right. But if they’re so smart, how do you think it got trapped down here?”

  Shrugging, Thorne picked up his pack, and she did the same. “I’m not sure. But did you see which direction it came from?”

  Wide-eyed, Eliza looked down the tunnel, where the trace still pulsed from where the demon had sprung from. “It could have come through a portal without realising it.”

  Thorne nodded his agreement. “It might also mean that we aren’t the only ones to come down here. Those demons are like you and me, they need to eat regularly, which means it’s been down here for at least a couple of weeks, and it definitely didn’t come down here on its own. From the sounds of it, someone with magic needs to open those portals.”

  “How can you tell?” Eliza asked softly.

  “Too thin,” Thorne replied. “Usually they’re much larger, muscled. That’s why it’s advised you be careful if you face one.”

  Eliza’s heart sank. “So that could mean that someone else made those footprints in the city.”

  “There is only one way to find out.” He tugged on his end of the rope, forcing Eliza to follow him. “We need to find the end of this tunnel and get out of here.”

  ~

  A dead end. Eliza stared at the looming wall before them, studying the intricately carved images etched into the stone; Azula wielding her dagger, the Faery Knight at her side. The raven in flight, its beak open as if laughing at them. She could almost imagine its gold eyes glimmering at her.

  “Can you sense the portal?” Thorne asked, touching the wall. “Can you get us out?”

  They’d travelled what had to be four days below ground before finding the dead end and what had to be a portal. But when Eliza reached her magic out towards the ancient doorway, she felt… nothing.

  Shaking her head, Eliza narrowed her eyes and concentrated her magic back to the portal—back to the exit. Her magic reared its head in response, searching. “Nothing,” she said, incredulous. Dread settled over her. “It’s closed.”

  Brows furrowed, Thorne turned to her. “And you can’t open it?”

  Eliza looked up towards the ceiling. “It’s not that easy.” She focused again, pushing against the magic that had closed the portal. “Someone with really powerful magic forced this closed, and my magic isn’t enough to open it.”

  “Impossible.” He cursed foully under his breath. He punched the wall in frustration, swearing again and again, irritation and anger evident on his face.

  Eliza’s heart sunk, and her stomach turned. “I can’t open it.”

  The silence that surrounded them was deafening. She wished Thorne would shout again, or curse, but he didn’t. He merely stood in front of her, completely still, and stared down at her with a look of utter calmness that freaked her out.

  “Thorne?” she whispered, stepping back. He shook hi
s head and closed his eyes.

  “Let’s turn around and go back.”

  But she didn’t move. “Which direction did we walk? South?”

  “I don’t think so,” he said, voice rough. “I think… I think we walked north.”

  Frowning, Eliza shook her head. “In the opposite direction to what Amitel and everyone else believed.”

  Something caught her eye; Eliza knelt down and ran her hand over the stone. Her fingers came back dusted red. The dirt they had walked through in the city had been brown.

  “It would make sense,” Thorne mused, “because the Mesah desert is in the north, and no one who enters the desert makes it out—not usually. It would be the smartest place to hide royalty, especially if you become untraceable.” There was a note of awe in his voice.

  She asked, “Why did no one look there before?” It made sense.

  “They did,” he said carefully, “but the traces led south. The king wanted to focus his assets on the evidence. And the desert meant the prince couldn’t survive.”

  She met his stare and showed him her fingers. “The shadow soldiers could have easily had a boat and travelled north. This is sand. Red sand.”

  Eliza closed her eyes and spoke quietly under her breath until a cold, hard object appeared in her hands. The small vial was only as long as her pinky, but big enough for her to take a sample of the sand. She stared at it for a moment, thoughts a flurry of questions. But she slipped it into her bag.

  Thorne released a breath and touched his fingers to hers. “Like in Mesah.”

  Eliza stood, wiping her hands on her pants, and began walking again, back down the tunnel towards the ancient, sweeping city.

  I know where you are, she thought, a smile twitching on her lips, and I’m going to find you.

  14

  KEEPERS OF KNOWLEDGE

  Along with the ache in her legs and the hunger pangs deep in her belly, Eliza felt empty. A week. They’d wasted a week travelling through the tunnel. The feeling of failure wrapped itself around her gut.