Page 98 of A World of Ruins

Behind me, Ruvyn says, ‘I should warn you; this isn’t a place that’s safe for you after what just occurred—’

I pause and spin on my heel. He accompanied me to the dungeons, and as much as I am glad, he is taking this role as protector too seriously after the events with Aurum. I need to do this on my own. ‘Ruvyn, I’m more than familiar with how the dungeon works and what safety measures to take if this place comes crashing down on me.’ I cock an eyebrow as he shuts his mouth. He knows not to argue with me. ‘I won’t be long.’

He nods, straightening his back and standing tall.

I leave him there and walk quite a distance until I reach Sarilyn’s cell. It stands opposite the cell which used to be inhabited by the shifter who fed me information long ago. Now it is long abandoned, with the remains of bones and blood scattering the cobbled ground.

Darius never did kill that shifter when they fought. And I never saw him again. I can only imagine he was shortly after killed by Sarilyn, or even Aurum.

‘Naralía.’

My head snaps forward at the sound of Sarilyn’s voice.

She appears behind the bars, smiling, though she seems to lack the cunning edge. Her usually luscious long hair is now matted, and dirt and grime cake her dress. Regardless, she still has an ethereal beauty to her.

‘Have you finally come to check if I am alive or not?’ She grins before falling into a fit of coughs as if she hadn’t spoken in weeks, since we locked her in here.

I step towards the bars separating us, the sconces on the wall outside her cell illuminating me enough for her to see me better. ‘The day I trapped Aurum inside the Isle of Elements, you helped me. Why?’

Sarilyn leans her head to the side. ‘Shouldn’t you be out there, protecting your thief and his people?’

I turn away from her. This was a stupid idea, so, so—

‘I felt the ground shake down here.’

She doesn’t wait for me to look at her. She can likely tell from how still my body is that I’m panicking on the inside.

‘It’s getting worse, isn’t it?’

I drag back an audible breath.

She chuckles. ‘Sooner or later, this world will be forgotten, left at the bottom of the ocean to rot.’

I whirl around, angry words on the tip of my tongue that are quickly cut off by someone else’s voice.

‘Nara,’ Darius says firmly. I look over my shoulder as his eyes flit from Sarilyn to me, contemplating whether to drag me away from her or stay.

Sarilyn gasps humorously. ‘Oh, look, if it isn’t the dashing prince – or should I say “king”?’

He ignores her, looking at me now. ‘We shouldn’t be down here.’

‘Why not?’ Sarilyn gets the words out before I can. ‘Does it bring back memories?’ She pouts mockingly.

I step back, watching Sarilyn and Darius interact. Their tension clouds the dungeons, masking the must already in the air.

Darius’s jaw works back and forth as he glares at her. ‘Don’t.’

When I look at Sarilyn, she is no longer smiling. Her gaze thins and I’m suddenly back to feeling angry over her having witnessed Darius’s torture for months.

‘Why did you save us?’ I ask once again, and this time, the demand in my voice makes her coil back from the bars. Her face hollows, her lips forming into a pout as she sucks on the inside of her cheek. ‘Like I told you once, I’m on whichever side I see winning.’

I shake my head, taking a step towards her. ‘No, that’s not it. You told me once that you saw something in me, enough to believe the words once spoken from a seer, so don’t lie to me, Sarilyn. Don’t be like Aurum; tell me why.’

There’s a poignant pause that lasts a lifetime.

Then, her lips tremble as she smiles. ‘Because you’re me.’ She looks past me to where Darius is. ‘It is only that you got the better Rivernorth.’

I steal a glance over my shoulder. Darius watches me thoughtfully from beside one of the lit sconces.

---