Page 55 of Hell-Bound

“On three,” she mouthed. “One…two…”

Jester pushed hard against the bars.

“I saidthree,” Ren blurted, trying to maintain a whisper while pushing her weight up.

The metal made a high-pitched scraping sound that echoed down the halls.

“Iwenton three,” he hissed back.

They stood underground, motionless, listening for guards.

“I think we are in the clear,” Jester said, way too soon for Ren’s taste, and pulled himself up before offering her a hand.

Emerging from the hole, a putrid scent hit her nose, sharp and stale. She slapped a hand over her mouth, struggling not to wretch.

The chamber itself was large and rectangular. Sharp instruments–hooks, shackles, and knives–lined the walls. In the center of the room were a table and a chair still coated in fresh blood.

“This is a fucking torture chamber!”

She gasped.

Jester gave a blasé shrug.

“Yeah, well. It’s the easiest way in, and if anyone were here, we’d know it! They’d be screeeeeeaming. If you work for Azur long enough, I’m sure you’ll see a few tortures yourself, maybe even perform one!”

Jester quietly skipped to the door, pleased with Ren’s discomfort.

The door was large and metal but wasn’t closed.

Makes sense—why bother locking an empty torture chamber?

They sidled out of the chamber into a long hallway with various cell doors on each side, ending with a spiral stone staircase.

Before they could move closer, they simultaneously saw black boots appear on the stairs.

A guard.

Jester grabbed Ren roughly and blinked away. Both landed hard on the floor of a nearby cell. It, like the chamber, was filthy and stained with blood. There was no cot or chair, only shackles, and a soiled bucket. Between the teleport and the smell, Ren felt like her insides were going to spill out.

Jester, who must have spotted the open door, climbed to his feet and peeked out, Ren close at his heels.

The smacking of boots against stone still echoed, but it was calm, unhurried, and getting further away each second.

Agreeing silently that the guard was far enough away, the pair slipped out of the cell and crept to the staircase. Jester surged to the top in a second to check the next level while Ren’s silent feet scampered up.

Appearing at the top, Ren almost choked. The halls were decorated with the most incredible collection of curios imaginable. While several aligned display cases were filled with antiques, gems, and trinkets of all types, she couldn’t take her eyes off the most glorious. A stunning array of musical instruments framed by paintings with colors, mixes, and blends of pigments that crashed together.

This was it. The perfect visual for how Ren felt when she played her piccolo. It was completely breathtaking. If Jester hadn’t grabbed her arm, she would have likely stood there, captivated, for hours.

“Speed it up, Elfy!” he said, yanking her forcefully.

The castle was asleep. It was easy to avoid anyone in the halls since most people’s footsteps echoed on the marbled tiles, and it was more than easy to conceal oneself behind the giant cabinets of trinkets. It was only when Jester almost got his tail stuck in a door, letting out a shocked squeal, that Ren thought they’d be discovered.

After making their way up several stories and around six or seven endless hallways, Jester materialized once more several feet in front of her at an ornate wooden door, making ata-daflourish.

With silent footsteps, Ren slunk over to him.

Unlike the rest of the castle, the door was glittering with vurmite and gold. Ren found it irritatingly distracting as she tried to concentrate on checking the door for traps.