In The Shadows of the Cavern of Death (Shadows of Death Book 1)

by Angelique Jones

  Grabbing the stick, Johnathon pulled it out of Victor’s hand, and set it down. “Unfortunately, that’s not the worst thing that they’re doing to their people.”

  “What worst thing could they be doing to those people? They have them trapped down there, keeping them as slaves. Killing them when they reach twenty-one. What more could they be doing to those people?” he demanded loudly enough that I think they heard him outside. Looking to me, he grabbed my arm, “What more are they doing to your people, girl?”

  Looking to Tristian as Victor shook me, I heard Tristian say, “Let her go now,” barely containing his anger.

  Shocked, Victor quickly released my arm before turning his attention to Tristian. “Well than boy, you had best be telling me what they are doing to your people,” he growled, his voice just as mean as Tristian’s.

  Going down on his haunches until he was eye level with Victor, he said, “First, my name is not boy, it’s Tristian. Second, her name is not girl, it’s Misty. Now you want to know what they do to my people during their twenty-first year? Well, I’ll tell you. They round us up for a lottery and we all have to journey to a place called the Cavern of Death. Once we’re there, one hundred lottery winners are chosen who won’t have to enter and are allowed to age though they rarely last into true old age. The unlucky ones who don’t win are sent into the Cavern of Death to die––or so we thought. What we learned before we escaped was at the beginning of our time within the caverns there was a disease that killed all the animals. Well, this put our government in a food-source shortage that they were able to rectify by saying that the Cavern of Death was a form of population control.” Watching the old man’s face as what Tristian was saying began to sink in, I put my hand on his arm, wanting to stop him. Shaking my hand off of his arm, he turned a hard look to me, telling me without words to remain silent before gluing his eyes back to Victor’s. “Once we reached the surface and heard shots coming from the direction of the city, we figured that all are not used for food for the Loyalist, but some are taken as slaves to work for them as well. Now, old man, do you understand what they do to our people?” He hissed, before rising and stepping back.

  Retching sounds and soft weeping could be heard in the aftermath of his speech. Even Johnathon, who already knew, looked green from Tristian’s telling. Standing up, I moved into Tristian’s side, letting my fingers graze his, the stiffness of his body telling me he would allow nothing else.

  “They need sanctuary. There are many within the government, both theirs and ours, that will not want their truths to be known,” Johnathon stated, looking at Victor’s still dazed face.

  “Yes,” he weakly said before clearing his throat. In a stronger voice, he continued. “Yes, they can have sanctuary among us. Cullen, call a meeting of the council for tonight,” he said, as, a man stepped from the shadows who I hadn’t noticed before.

  “Victor, Johnathon should get back, we don’t want there to be any suspicion that he helped them escape,” the shadow man said before leaving.

  “He’s right, Johnathon, go, we’ll take care of these two,” said Victor. Nodding his head, Johnathon turned and left without a word.

  Focusing his attention back on us, Victor said, “Would you like to rest or”––stopping a moment taking a breath––“or would you like to eat?” he asked, looking nauseas at the words.

  “I think it’s best if we rest,” Tristian answered, still tight with anger.

  With a wave of his hand, a middle-aged woman stepped forward. “Karen give them a room upstairs so they can rest. I have a feeling that they’ll need all that they can get,” he said.

  Following the woman through the room, I was careful to keep my gaze straight ahead, not wanting to see the looks the other people wore. The woman led us up through the stairs several floors before stopping and letting us into a large room. With a small bow of her head, she turned and left. Walking into the room I let my bags fall to the floor. Moving to the window, I stood to the side and looked out, everything seemed to be as it was when we arrived. There was no angry mob pointing to our window, screaming “monsters.” Turning to look at Tristian, I saw that he was sitting on the bed with his head bowed into his hands, his anger still showing through the rigidness of his body.

  Slipping off my shoes, I walked on silent feet until I was in front of him. Going to my knees, I sat in front of him, waiting patiently for him to acknowledge me. The tick of the clock sounded the minutes that passed and still he just sat there like stone. A darkness spread out from him that had never been there before. The past and every dark memory enveloped him. Leaning myself forward, I moved toward him, tentatively reaching out my hands. Like a snake, he struck, shackling my wrists, pulling me into him until our faces where inches apart. I didn’t recognize the person that looked at me from the face I had known all my life, instead of my friend, something dangerous stared at me. Hard lips crashed into mine, dominating me as I was pulled tighter into his body. Releasing my wrists that were now pressed between our bodies, his hand dug into my hair, tilting my head to his will. Circling my throat with his free hand, he squeezed, causing me to gasp, giving him access to plunder my mouth.

  In a single motion he lifted me up into his arms, never releasing my mouth as he turned and laid us across the bed, the weight of his body pressing me deep into the mattress. It seemed like hours had passed when he finally released my mouth. Taking his hands from my hair and neck, he framed my face as he stared down into it. Want, need, and pain raged through his eyes before he closed them and turned to his side, keeping me wrapped tightly in his arms as if he was afraid I would escape. The pounding of our hearts and harsh breathing were the only sounds in the room. A riot of feelings ached through my body. As I tried to free my hands, it only caused him to grip me tighter. Undeterred, I tilted my head up until my lips were at his throat. Darting my tongue out, I tasted the saltiness of his skin before placing light kisses. Shudders ran through his body. Trying again, I slowly moved my arms and this time he allowed it. Keeping my hands on his body, I made my way up until they framed his face. Leaning back so I could see his face, I watched a look of bliss pass over it as his eyes fluttered.

  I had never touched a boy like this or been touched like this until Tristian. With feather strokes, I moved my fingertips over his face to his lips. With a gentle motion, I ran one finger over his lips, drawn in by the softness. Inching up, I let my lips replace my finger with barely-there kisses before wrapping him in my arms and pulling him atop me. In silence, that’s how we laid, with his head upon my chest, as I stroked his hair and shoulders, feeling the tension slowly drain from him. I don’t think he had truly slept since the lottery and he learned the truth. Pushing everything from my mind except the feel of his body, I closed my eyes and with his scent surrounding me I drifted off, joining him in sleep. In his embrace was the only place that kept the nightmares away.

  Chapter 13

  A week has passed since we have arrived in our haven. The meeting of the council was basically us telling them of our life and the history of our people below the ground. Hour after hour we spoke, answering their questions. The hall that they held this meeting in was packed full of the residents of the village weeping, retching, and angry––cries echoed in the hall as we spoke. At the end I thought they would send us from the village, condemning us as monsters no different than those who imprisoned us. I was shocked when the people of the village spoke on our behalf and those of our people wanting to protect us and help them.

  We’ve learned that everything on the surface was not as it appeared and that as Johnathon had said their government had changed since they had begun to trade with the city and not for the better. A woman told us in tears that one of the things that the city sent in trade was meat and the shame she had in buying it almost broke my heart. Anger was like fire that spread with each telling, moving through village after village. Afraid of what their government might do, I went to Victor, but he told me that though it spread, it only did to th
e most loyal among them. He confided that he knew of the spies in each city, town, and village, so he was making sure that only the most loyal knew the truth. He also told me that we were being searched for. That they have been searching for us since the moment we disappeared. Terrified that we were putting these people in danger, I spoke to him of leaving, but he wouldn’t hear anything of the sort. He told us that what was to come had been long in coming and whether we were here or not would make no difference.

  Leaving Tristian in a meeting with the council speaking of plans, I walked through the village toward the forest, needing time to myself. Since the night Tristian had kissed me, again he had all but avoided me, only coming to bed after I was asleep and leaving before I awoke, making sure we were never alone if he could help it. Unsure why he regretted it so much that he avoided me and unsure of my feelings, I left the meeting not wanting to sit there while he ignored me. Moving deep within the woods until I could no longer hear the sounds of the village, I wandered aimlessly until I came across a river that reminded me of the one that we have found the day we crawled from the caverns. Slipping off my shoes and clothing, I waded in the cool water, allowing it to wash away my thoughts until nothing remained.

  I swam until the sun had begun to dip in the sky, turning the water cold. Climbing out, I sat on the bank, staring at the dark depths and letting the breeze dry me. Twilight had come when I heard the first shot, it echoed in the silence, scattering the birds. Looked in the direction of the village, I whispered, “Tristian,” pulling on my clothing. Terror gave me strength as I raced back the way I had come from. The continued fire of the guns was now quiet except for an occasional burst. Slamming myself to the ground at the edge of the forest, I looked in horror at the sight before me. The field was soaked in red, lifeless bodies of men, woman and children littering it. Their unseeing eyes stared at me just as accusingly as Rose’s and my sisters’ did in my dreams. Large amounts of people were huddled together in groups as armed men searched house to house. Tensing, I saw two men drag Tristian from the council hall, hanging limply between them. Loading him in a vehicle, the rest of the soldiers waited until it was moving down the road before getting in their own vehicles and following.

  I stayed frozen in my spot long after they had left to make sure they were really gone before taking the blood-soaked walk through the field into the devastation below. Smoke filled the air from the smoldering fires as weeping woman wailed over their loved ones. Children wandered through the streets calling to mothers who would never answer. Moving toward the council hall that remained untouched, I saw Victor on its steps staring at the destruction visited upon his people. I felt the eyes that found me rising up and leaving their dead to follow behind as I went to stand before Victor. Standing at the base of the steps, I met his eyes, awaiting what was to come. Tristian and I had brought this upon these people; each death that had fallen on this day was mine to bear. These people had took us in and they had a right to their vengeance.

  Instead of the hate I deserved, relief flashed in his eyes as they met mine. “They didn’t get you!”

  “No, I was in the woods and by the time I made it back here, they were carrying Tristian out. I am prepared for my punishment,” I said loudly and clearly, wanting all who heard to know that I knew this was my fault.

  Instead of the rightful cries demanding vengeance, the woman who showed us to our room the first day walked toward me. Carrying her dead child, she moved up the steps until she stood directly in front of me. Red tear-soaked eyes pinned to me, she spoke in a loud, carrying voice. “Look at my child, dead by the soldiers’ hands. Innocent in this world, her life worth nothing to them. Our ancestors rebelled to end such tyranny, yet here we stand surrounded by our dead as a government tries to hide its sins. They think what they have done has broken us.” Squeezing the limp bundle in her arms tighter to her, her voice becoming harder. “But we are not broken, all they have done is to make us more determined to set right the injustices forced upon us. So as you dig the holes to lay these bodies in, I want you to take this night deep into your hearts as you bury your dead. Carry your rightful vengeance deep within as we spread the events of this night to every village, town, and city. Let all that you come across know of this night, let them know that if they don’t stand with us this may one day be their wife, husband, or child. Look to this girl in front of me. The government that did this, this night, has murdered all those that she has ever cared for, yet they could not crush her. Against insurmountable odds, she escaped and survived.” Breaking her blazing gaze from mine, she looked out to the crowd. “Tonight take the bravery of this girl within you. She was not a sheep to be led to the slaughter, but a lion who fought her way free. If we do not stand up now it will be us thrown into the darkness, us who are slaves and food to those who believe themselves our betters. Go now, bury your dead, help the injured, and prepare yourselves for the coming of a new dawn in which what our ancestors gave their life for is realized. The freedom of all our people below and above. War is upon us and though we may not have started it, it is we who shall stand in righteous victory at the end,” she finished, to the roar of the crowd.

  Turning to look out at the crowd, the hate that I deserved was not on their faces. In its place stood determination. Determination to avenge their loved ones. Moving away, they quietly went to gather their families and mourn their loss. Turning back to the woman, I saw that Victor now stood with her, his hand on the child’s still head as tears poured unchecked down his cheeks. The little girl must have been his granddaughter. Stepping forward, not wanting to intrude on their grief, but seeing no one else move to them, I said quietly, “I’ll help you bury her,” needing to do something to help the guilt that coursed through me that I knew would never go away.

  Not looking up at me, the woman nodded and our sad little party joined the others walking through their town toward the cemetery on its outskirts. After the night’s events, I was afraid that the fence that surrounded it would have to be brought down to fit all of its new occupants. The sound of shovels striking the ground was loud in the silent night; even the insects that could usually be heard filling the darkness were silent. Hours later, when the last body was placed in the ground, a man stepped forward that they called a priest. They had explained religion to me, but it was still a new concept, since it was forbidden in the caverns. He prayed for the fallen, then began to say something else, something that brought me to the thoughts that I had tried to block: “Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”

  As he spoke, his words brought the Cavern of Death to me, its endless darkness stretched before me, but instead of the unknown the truth of what that darkness held stared back at me. Instead of the fear that I usually felt at its thoughts, a cold darkness began to move through me. The darkness stopped my tears, it hardened my heart, as a feeling of nothingness moved through me. I was finally alone; they had taken everything from me. My hope for a new life swept away with Tristian. Standing separately from the others, I looked on. They were a group together in their grief, together in there vengeance. I thought was alone, separated from all those I held dear by death, separated by those that knew my sorrow by the tons of earth below my feet.

  Closing my eyes, I let the darkness surround me, seep into my very essence. I owed these people whether they saw it like that or not. I owed them for every life taken this night. I would not hide from my debt but embrace it, hold it deep within. It would give me strength for what I had to do. They would not take my life in payment, but they would have it anyway, just in a different form. No matter what I had to do or how long it took, I would help them, being whatever they needed until they got what they craved. Their cravings were my own and I would nurture them within me as a mother nurtures her babe within her womb. Vengeance, I am your instrument; do with me as you will.

  Chapter 14

  There was no sleep that night as I stood at my window watching the morning dawn. The night’s devastation was even harsher in
the light. Fires still smoldered all around, people walked aimlessly, as if unsure that last night had happened. The click of the door told me I was no longer alone.

  “You’re needed in the council chamber now,” Karen said quietly. Turning to her, I looked at the woman whose child I helped bury and followed her without a word. Stepping out into the light, the smell of death clung to the very air. As we moved toward the council’s domain those that had moved without purpose through the night spotted us, and it seemed to bring life back to their bleak eyes. No words were spoken as our group grew, each person we passed gathering with us until it seemed what was left of the town walked into the council’s chamber with us.

  Breaking away, I walked straight up to stand before the council. None of its members had been killed, but each lost members of his or her family in punishment for having dared to speak against their government and mine. Not waiting for them to speak, I commanded, “I need you to explain about Prey,” the unsure girl of yesterday gone.

  Startled, it was the Elder Gideon who found his voice first. “They are those that escaped the Hunters of the city and found their way to us before they could be captured or killed.”

  Nodding my head, I kept my voice firm. “We need to gather as many of the Prey that we can and interrogate them.”

  Sighing in sadness, Victor began, “Misty, I know that Tristian’s loss is hard for you…”

  Cutting him off, I said, “This has nothing to do with Tristian. Those that you call Prey knew about the caverns and never spoke out and we need to know why. We also need their information about the Loyalist city and how they were able to escape.”

  Murmurs moved through the crowd as they realized that I was right. Why were we the first to speak of the caverns when others had escaped the city long before us? “They are within the Stone City. They all live within the Stone City,” Victor said slowly, as realization of what I said moved through the council.