Page 130 of A Kingdom of Shadows

He lifts the blanket, and I squint my eyes, raising a hand to shield the light from my face. I push the cell door open, and Darius helps me down onto the ground. As I am dusting the sides of my cloak that is when I spot what is around me. Granite shards fill the cave entrance everywhere I look, and vines as dark as coal slink along the single pathway.

To each side of me, obsidian marble pillars shield us from falling into the sea's crashing waves. I sigh at the thought of having to go through it. "Shall we?" I say, not looking forward to anything as Darius stays silent, taking me in with him.

The ceilings drip substance I'm unsure of as we head into the cave. My boots squelch against the ground, yet it's too dark to notice what I might be stepping on. I stay quiet in case anyone is around or another creature might pop out. When I see an opening, I creep toward it and release a deep breath, braving for whatever lies ahead.

We exit the cave into daylight and surprised, I blink at what I see.

The castle is grand, a fortress much larger than Aurum's palace. Each tower and building are built of varying stones. They shimmer against certain lighting, and from here, sable mosaic rocks decorate the landscape. I glance at the bridge in the center of the castle walls. Below there's a river too ethereal for this world. It glows the color of midnight among stars, and I wonder if it's laced with dark magic and if it contains any Galgr’s ready to feast on your memories.

I'm pulled by Darius as enormous stone doors of the castle begin opening. He dips behind the archways, and I follow him before any guard can spot us. We wait until they enter the cave and sneak past a group of who, I presume, are servants wearing black gowns buttoned up to their necks. A level of uncertainty lies to rest in my stomach. It must be because we are so close to completing the tasks, and nothing can fail us now if we want to obtain access to the Isle of Elements.

When I slow down, Darius looks over his shoulder and stares softly into my eyes. He holds out his hand, and a weak smile flutters over my lips as my hand envelopes his. After another arched hallway, we turn the corner into a torched-lit area. From my left sits the courtyard, and a female turned away from us laughs with another elf.

"In here," Darius says, guiding me through an opened doorway.

We stumble inside a dim chamber made of marble and ancient pillars sustaining the carved ceiling. My eyes wander to the artwork of each creature, Elves, and more etched into the roof as if it is telling a story.

"Where do you think the stone is?" I ask, still staring at the artwork. Could it be a puzzle within this room? Must we solve what these carvings mean?

"Perhaps there is none at all," Darius's words have my head drop to look at him. He's running his fingers along a pillar before glancing at me. "I do not trust this place."

My mouth opens to answer, but the voice that comes out is not mine.

"I'm not sure whether I should congratulate you on breaking into my palace or... discuss it with the guards who were so inept at their jobs that they failed to see two intruders."

Solaris...

Kirian Tryskalyn.

Chapter Fifty

I swivel, aiming my dagger toward where I'd heard Kirian's voice come from, but the response I get is a rugged chuckle. It's hard to see where he is lurking.

"Please, there is no need to draw out weapons. I won't bite." There's a sultry essence in the way he pronounces his words. "Unless I'm asked to."

Darius comes to my side and teases a smile into the darkness of the chambers. "Say, why don't you show us your face? It's been a dreadfully long day, and I wouldn't mind a bite from an elf, a dark one no less."

"Darius," I hiss. I'm too stressed to deal with his capability of flirting his way out of danger. He shoots me a sideward glance and smiles, but slow footsteps echo, and there, in front of us, walking out from the shadows, is Kirian.

I almost drop the blade.

He is far from what I had pictured and nothing like the Dark Elves. Though intimidating in how the side of his lip kicks up, as if he knows all my secrets, he is still as beautiful as any Elven I have met in Olcar. His light brown eyes are the kind that can fascinate and bring chaos in their wake, and his ebony hair falls like untamed feathers across his ivory cheekbones and at the nape of his neck.

"I assume this is your first time here." He gestures to his empty surroundings, sarcasm emanating from his voice. He is wearing a black and gold waistcoat over a same-colored shirt. His sleeves are rolled up, showing tattoos that look to be of ancient description and symbols wrapping around muscular arms.

"We didn't come to stay," I say.

"Obviously," he drawls, and I wonder why—why does he lack the color red in his eyes? "You came for something."

My back turns rigid.

"You are also no elf of ours," he surveys, striding around the chamber. "But you do wear the attire of someone from Olcar." He stops and presses a finger to his lips before twisting on his heel. "Clothing that belongs to royalty."

"Your point?" Darius responds with a tight smile.

Kirian slowly grins, showing a flash of white perfect straight teeth as he deduces, "You're here for the last Elemental stone."

Grinding my teeth, I step forward. Darius notices my impatience but lets me go on. "We don't want to cause any trouble; we are here to solve whatever riddle or fucked up task we must do to get the last stone. So, if you could—"

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