Page 102 of Dark Captivation

“He has been making progress, Sunny. But it’s too early to say if his heart can ever go back to the way it was.” She shrugged before finishing her wine. “He was so trusting and innocent, the Malek I knew as a child. He wore his emotions on his sleeve, and you always knew what he was thinking. Now, most of his thoughts are hidden even from me.”

“He just needs to learn that it is okay to trust others. Then he’ll revert to the same old Malek he was,” I argued.

He was already softening, all I needed to do was encourage that, nudge him towards healing himself and making lasting peace with all his demons, even the ones who tortured him. Then the world would have nothing to fear.

Ferina and I finished up dinner and a second bottle of wine before calling it a night. Our paths forked at the hallway that connected the dining room to the west wing. She went left waving goodnight, and I went right.

The castle was even more quiet than normal, with most of the staff gone on annual leave. So it was odd, that as I made the final turn that led to my room, I heard a bone chilling scream. It came from all the way on the other side of the palace.

Why did I keep hearing random screams? This was the third time now.

Curiosity turned me around and I followed the sound. It was faint, but just loud enough for my keen hearing to detect in the mostly empty palace. My journey took me down to the first floor, in the hidden back, near to the laundry.

I traced the same strip of hallway five times and still it led nowhere. I was stuck, with no doors to enter. I was sure this was where the scream originated but all that was here was an old bookcase, a few paintings and an aged mirror with a huge crack on it.

Sleepiness encouraged me to just forget about the search and go to my room. But then, right as I was about to go, I heard a voice calling out for help.

I followed the source, and it led me to the bookcase. I slid my finger on the crease where the shelf touched the wall and I noticed a faint light peaking through from behind. There was an opening.

Taking the shelf with both hands, I yanked it toward me. It moved like a heavy door, rotating on its hinges.

A stone staircase came into view on the other side, leading down into some kind of basement. Wailing and screams sailed up from its depths prompting my stomach to churn.

Something told me not to go down there before making sure with Malek or Ferina that it was safe to enter.

The voice called out again, this time joined by two more voices.

I delved inside, the screams growing stronger as I went down the dim staircase. I entered a dungeon with wall-to-wall cells. Dozens of dirty faces stared at me through metal bars.

I immediately recognized one of them. It was one of the mages who attacked us in the library. Half the cells were filled with mages from the library attack, the other half were members of Varcus’s resistance group.

“Thank god! Can you help me? My water hose is blocked. I haven’t drunk in days.” A young mage begged and dozens of voices started begging for me to set them free.

Everyone here was covered in dirt. The stench made it clear no one had bathed or changed clothes since they were arrested.

The young mage pointed me to a jug of water on the table near the bottom of the stairs. I handed him the jug.

Wedging his face between the bars, pushing his lips out as far as they could go, he drank it all.

“Thank you.” He set the jug down outside his cell, wiping his mouth. “Please, can you get me out of here?”

“You chose to break into someone else’s home and try to kill them. Did you think you wouldn’t be arrested?” I asked.

A large part of me did want to do something. Even if they needed to be punished, their conditions were deplorable.

“Listen. Maybe I can talk to Malek, see if he can get this place cleaned up.”

“No!” He shrieked, visibly afraid, “Not the Monster King. Don’t call him down here!”

“Please don’t tell him I asked to go.” Huddling in the fetal position in the corner, he went quiet.

“Listen to him, girly. If you bring that monster down here you’re just as bad as he is.” The old mage in the adjacent cell said.

“Malek is not a monster.” I crouched down in front of the old timer’s cell.

“Of course he is!” He waved me off. “Who but Malek the Murderer would invade the Mage Kingdom and kill the Grand High Mage? He even murdered her eldest son.”

“Malek wouldn’t do that.” I Insisted. “That would be a declaration of war.”

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