Page 39 of Heir of Illusion

I blink innocently. “Then why are you here?”

“His Majesty trusts me more than you,” he boasts.

“Are you sure?” I pull Baylor’s note from my pocket. “Cause this little letter here says you’re supposed to open some door for me.”

Kaldar’s eyes settle on the royal seal embossed in the wax. Darting forward, he snatches it from my hand and rips it open. His face contorts with anger as he reads the king’s instructions.

“Youare being assigned to search for the sword?” he demands as the color drains from his face.

I nod. “By order of His Majesty the King, who trusts me to hunt down the sword while you…” I trail off, making of a show of looking around the empty cell. “Guard a door.”

He clenches his fists, crushing the letter. “His Highness relies on me for a reason. I have been given tremendously important responsibilities.”

“By your mother, perhaps,” I mutter.

He scowls. “No, that’s?—”

“You’re right,” I agree, waving him off. “I hear she prefers your brother anyway.”

His hands shake, and for a moment, I think he’s finally going to leap at me. Fates, I wish he would. My body braces, ready for an attack.

“As entertaining as this sparring match is,” Thorne interrupts, his tone bored, “we should be going.”

Rolling my eyes, I step back and give Kaldar room to do his job. He approaches the wall to our right and reaches into his pocket. My spine straightens when he pulls out a small knife, but instead of directing it at me, he uses it to slice open his own palm. I grimace, but before I can ask what he’s doing, Kaldar rubs his bloody hand over the wall. The red stain he leaves behind is quickly absorbed by the stones, as if it’s some sort of sick offering. A moment, later a hiss of air escapes from the rocks and a large portion of the wall swings out, revealing the entrance to the tunnels.

I hang back as Thorne moves closer. His brow furrows as he inspects the hidden door. “A blood spell?”

“Yes.” Kaldar lifts his chin proudly. “I am one of the few His Majesty trusts to be capable of accessing it.”

I roll my eyes as I move closer, noting the gentle breeze that dances through the air, carrying an earthy scent with it. Inside I find a damp stairwell, lit by generously spaced out gas lamps, giving the corridor a haunted atmosphere. Lovely.

“Were you familiar with the guard who stole the weapon?” Thorne asks as he turns back to Kaldar.

“Grell Darby.” He nods, tucking his hands behind his back. “I hired him.”

“I wouldn’t brag about that,” I mutter under my breath.

Thorne’s lips twitch momentarily before flattening out, erasing any hint of amusement.

“You two should be going,” Kaldar says flatly. “It’s a long way down.”

I bite my lip to stop myself from needling him any further today. I’ve probably provoked him enough. Thorne crosses the threshold first, his large frame appearing disproportionate in the narrow tunnel.

“Don’t mind the rodents.” Kaldar steps up to my side, flashing me a dark glare. “They only come out when they’re hungry.”

“Does that mean if I feed you, you’ll go away?” I ask as I step through the threshold, praying I make it out alive.

His only response is to slam the door behind us.

“Do you think he was lying about the rats?” I whisper, my gaze catching on the cobwebs that cling to the walls.

“Let’s hope so,” Thorne says grimly.

Half an hour passesas we silently navigate the steep stairs. They are narrow enough that I have to take calming breaths as I remind myself the walls aren’t closing in on us. Thorne walks several feet ahead, leaving me with nowhere to look except the back of his head.

“I got the impression the king’s adviser isn’t your biggest fan,” he says, breaking the silence.

“Trust me, the hatred is mutual.”

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