Page 130 of A Rising Hope

“I am surprised these are not talked about more often. They seem to be in good shape, considering the age of these ancient walls.” Cori’s voice was soft and curious as she lifted her torchcloser to the walls, observing the scratches of what one would’ve guessed was an animal, or perhaps an elf. I, too, found myself wondering who had walked these tunnels for thousands of years.

“My family has been taking care of them for a long time, though there isn’t much left of the vast network of tunnels that it used to be. And they are not frequently talked about, because my family ensures their secrecy,” Florian answered.

“That’s one way of saying your grandfather kills off anyone who knows about them,” Priya grumbled near me.

“And what would your grandfather say if he knew you just brought a group of Rebel Destroyers through them? Would he, also, harm you for divulging the family secret to us?” Tori asked.

“I am sure it’d be quite the speech, but my grandfather is a pragmatic man. He knows I am of no use to him dead. You, on the other hand, he’d put a bounty on each one of your heads for an amount of money that would leave the Emperor speechless. Then you’d be hunted for the rest of your lives until your heads would be delivered to him,” Florian spoke casually, but there was a pinch of somber in his voice, like he spoke about something he’d already experienced.

We spent the rest of the walk mostly silent. Only occasional sentences would rattle the eerie darkness around us. My mind was scrambling on the edge of a frantic abyss, and I dedicated every passing thought to keeping my feet moving, my lungs expanding.

Time became irrelevant here and though I knew it couldn’t have been that long, it felt like days had gone by and we were lost far underneath the ground in the never-ending labyrinth of tunnels. My fingers turned cold and numb, and I balled my hands into a fist, fighting the growing urge to explode with fire to fight the choking dread within.

We took another turn. The ground sloped higher and the stale air warmed.

My heart thumped louder against my chest in anticipation as we took another turn.

“We are here, lovelies.” Florian pointed to the exit. I would’ve missed it in the dark; it was only a crawl space near the ground, with what looked like carved in stone wall steps. I swallowed hard.

“Relax, Freckles. If you get stuck, I’ll visit you.” Priya rolled her eyes, following Florian into the darkness.

“Jokes on you because if I panic, all of you go up in flames,” I teased, hoping my sarcastic tone would hide the half-truth in my words. I took a deep breath, immediately regretting it as the walls felt closer to my expanding lungs as we crawled higher. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. Priya’s feet were just above mine; Zora was behind me as we came to a stop in the tunnel. Breath from my nose and mouth turned into small drops of condensation at the cold stone next to my face. I held on to the dug out steps.

“Move it, Casteol. She is about to explode,” Priya growled above me, irritated at the sudden pause.

“We are clear,” Florian shouted down the tunnel and our convoy moved. The daggers at my hips scraped the last bits of stone before much needed rays of light bathed my skin.

One by one, we crawled out of the tight opening hidden underneath a wooden floor of a shut-down pub. Based on the empty liquor shelves covered in layers of dust it had been closed for some time. Claw-footed chairs were up on the round tables, coverings were on the loungers and sofas. To anyone passing by, the pub looked like nothing more than a temporarily closed building, but to anyone standing inside, it was far from that. Florian fixed the wooden panel, moving the perfectly clean carpet on top of it.

“Welcome to Svitar, the City of Light, my ladies.” Florian adjusted the collar of his shirt, dusting off his matching burgundy jacket and pants.

There was a certain thrill seeing the grand peaks of the white buildings outside. It was as if nothing had changed. Flowers still bloomed in their flowerpots decorating the perfectly painted windows, glass had been washed and door were without a single chip of paint, roads polished without a speck of dirt.

“Five minutes out,” Zora mentioned, as the Ten adjusted their weapons, ensuring they were hidden and easily accessible.

Zora peeked through the long wooden shutters outside. The sun was high above the ground now.

“You set?” She looked back at Xentar.

“Waiting for the first ring of the bell.” Xentar nodded, pulling off a chair from the tabletop and taking a seat. A few golden rays from the sun sneaked past the blinds, landing on his magnificent face as he leaned back and welcomed the warmth.

“And just like that, the plan is in motion.” Florian picked up the roaming cat, scratching behind his ear. “Aren’t we cute little rebels?” he sweet-talked the cat before high-fiving his large paw.

“Let’s go.” Zora motioned to the door, and Florian nodded. “Let’s hope your charm works on these streets as well as those two say.” Zora added a bit more face paint on her cheek, hiding her tattoo.

“Just be careful, Commander, by the end of the day I might charm you too.” Florian winked in Zora’s direction.

“Stay safe, Florian.” I gave him a goodbye hug. “And goodbye to you too, my little sunshine,” I cooed to the purring cat in his arms.

“What about a goodbye kiss for me, gorgeous?” Florian winked, the large scar on his face scrunched with his smile. “It’d only be fair.”

“Keep walking, Florian. She’s fucking married now,” Priya snarled at him, impatient to get home. Her words somehow made me fight a childish smile that wanted to creep up at her sudden recognition of my marriage.

“Oh, but married women are my specialty.” Florian grinned, and I found myself laughing.

“And cutting off dicks is mine. Go!” Priya grumped.

“Touché.” He looked at me, as if we were back at the Queen’s Palace. Just two friends free of their titles, free of their duties, simply eager to enjoy the world. “Come visit me, sweet cheeks, when you are done taking over the world. I like to get my gossip firsthand,” Florian requested.

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