Page 22 of Lethal Souls

Brown and deep. It takes me only a second to remember who they belong to.

When it clicks, I frown and add a double layer of protection around my thoughts so Willow won’t hear me.

Fuck me. That’s her brother in that cage.

“Caspian,” a voice calls, stealing my attention away. I survey the grand room adorned with wood and gold until my gaze settles on the throne occupied by Hassha.

Her sister Korah sits next to her, both of them donning impressive gold armor. Their eyes are sharp and determined, their flawless faces framed by snow-white hair.

Standing nearby are a handful of armed Kessel warriors, clad in full armor and tightly gripping the handles of their weapons.

“Come,” Milandra says, already marching forward.

I cut a glance at Warren again before making my way toward the throne.

“I’m glad you could make it,” Hassha says, but her voice is far from welcoming. It lacks emotion, like I’m the last person she wants to speak to. It’s a complete contrast to the warmth it held the last time I saw her near Ruby Falls.

“I wasn’t aware that I had a choice,” I return, pressing my lips.

“Always with the snark.” Korah folds her arms with a quirked brow.

I jerk my thumb back at the creature in the cage. “Please tell me that’s not who I think it is.”

Korah glances at Hassha, who tips her chin and peers out a glassless window. “It is exactly who you think it is, and it is why we sent for you only.” Hassha’s fiery blue eyes drop to mine, and I feel a prickling inside my head. She’s reading me, searching for something. “Are your thoughts protected?”

“Yes.” No way am I letting Willow hear any of this.

I glance back at Warren again. He hisses louder now.

“Good. Make sure they remain protected until you return to Blackwater.” Hassha presses a gentle hand on her sister’s arm before rising to a graceful stand. “Let’s move to a quieter space.”

Korah follows her lead, and both Regals make their way down the steps beneath the throne in a steady gait. When they walk past me and cross the room, Korah peers over her shoulder and says, “Come along.”

Sighing, I give Warren one more look. He thrusts an arm through a gap in the cage, hissing at me. Spittle flies off his slimy tongue as he snarls, and I turn away, doing my best to ward off the throb of guilt building in my chest. If I feel anything negative, so will Willow, and the last thing I want is for her to know something has gone terribly wrong.

What even happened to him? Did they turn him into that thing? I knew The Regals couldn’t be trusted. Now I’m the fool because I’m walking into what is likely a trap.

The guards push thick, towering wooden doors apart, and The Regals saunter in. As I enter, I’m momentarily taken aback by the sight of trees beneath my feet. The space between them is occupied by a stream of glowing blue water.

For a moment, I wonder if it’s magic that’s keeping me suspended above the ground, that is until I notice the fluttering lights above. Looking closer, I realize the floor is made entirely of glass.

We’re in calmer quarters.

As Hassha and Korah stop on the wooden landing ahead, I tilt my head up to take in the sight before me. An open roof reveals a dark, velvety indigo sky splattered with blinking stars.

In the distance, the ocean reflects silvery moonlight. Several boats are docked along the shore, their hulls capturing the moon’s glow, while smaller boats gently bob on the peaceful surface.

“Caspian, please sit.” Hassha gestures to one of the chairs near the dark, empty hearth. I don’t want to, but I know better than to make a fuss with her.

I sit with reluctance.

She glances at Korah, who has her back turned to us and is staring past the banister of the landing. She seems bothered. Worried.

“There are things you must know. Things that my sister and I can no longer keep to ourselves,” Hassha says after a long sigh.

“So you were hiding something? When I asked you at Ruby Falls?”

She ignores my statement and proceeds. “There is something in the air, Caspian. Something dangerous lurking around us. Korah and I tried holding on to hope for as long as we could. We hoped matters would settle and that Vakeeli would stand strong a bit longer, but we were wrong. I know you sense these changes. There is a new feeling inside you, one that tells you something will go wrong. You feel it right now, don’t you? The energy that hums in your veins? The power you cannot control?”

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