Page 42 of Eluvonia (Rift of Ages #1)

KAIDA

T he air grows heavier with each step down the spiraling stone staircase leading to the dungeons.

Torchlight flickers against damp walls, casting long, twisting shadows that seem to follow us like predators.

I keep my head high, shoulders squared, and strides purposeful, though the stench of mildew and despair turns my stomach.

Declan walks beside me, his jaw tight, eyes ahead.

He’s quieter than usual, which means he’s worried, though he’d never admit it—not until Aeris is safe. I didn’t realize how much she’s managed to worm her way into our hearts.

I spot her—in the last cell at the far end of the dimly lit corridor.

Even through the gloom, Aeris’s vibrant crimson hair, usually so full of life, is a tangled mess that clings to her face.

She’s pacing, arms wrapped around herself.

When she sees us, she rushes to the bars, gripping them with trembling hands.

Her cheeks are smudged with dirt, her clothes torn and stained.

But her eyes, despite everything, burn with a desperate kind of hope.

“Kaida! Declan!” she calls, her voice cracking.

“Aeris,” I say, my voice hard as steel. I march straight to her cell, scanning every inch of her as if I can piece her back together with just a look. “Guard!” My voice snaps through the air like a whip, making the young man stationed nearby jump.

He stiffens, his spear rattling against the stone floor as he turns to me. “Yes, sir?”

“Open the cell,” I demand, not even glancing at him. My focus stays on Aeris—the faint bruises on her wrists, the shadow of exhaustion under her eyes.

“I… I’m sorry, sir,” the guard stammers, transferring his weight. “I’m under strict orders not to open it for anyone but the commander or the king.”

I finally turn my gaze to him, slow and deliberate. His face goes pale as I take a step forward, my boots echoing ominously on the stone floor. Before I can do more than growl low in my throat, Aeris’s voice cuts through the tension.

“Kaida, stop!” she pleads, gripping the bars tighter. Her knuckles whiten as she presses her face against the cold iron. “It’s not his fault. He’s just following orders.”

I snarl under my breath but stop advancing. The guard exhales a shaky breath, relief plain on his face, but he doesn’t relax his grip on the spear.

Declan is already at the bars, his hands reaching through to clasp Aeris’s. His touch is gentle, but his worry is etched in every line of his face. “Aer, baby, what happened?” he asks softly, his voice breaking the fragile silence.

Aeris’s eyes flit between him and me, her lips trembling. “I didn’t do it. I swear,” she says, her voice cracking. Tears well up, threatening to spill over.

My chest tightens at the sight. The idea that she thinks we—that I—would doubt her loyalty hits me harder than I care to admit.

Declan squeezes her hands reassuringly. “Of course you didn’t,” he says, his tone firm, leaving no room for doubt.

She looks at him, then at me, as if searching for confirmation. The disbelief in her eyes twists the knife deeper. I nod once, curt and decisive. Her tears finally break free, trailing down her dirty cheeks.

“I was so worried you wouldn’t believe me,” she whispers, her voice barely audible. “I know our friendship is… tentative.”

I roll my eyes, groaning in frustration.

“Tentative, my ass,” I snap, crossing my arms. “You may be a Fae, but besides Declan, you’ve become a permanent fixture in my life.

My life would be… empty without you in it.

” The words spill out before I can stop them, raw and unpolished.

Honesty has never been my strong suit, but there’s no room for anything less now.

Declan glances at me, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips before he turns back to Aeris. “I already told my father I refuse to marry anyone but you,” he says with a wink, his voice lighter, trying to ease the tension.

Aeris’s lips twitch into a watery smile as she rolls her eyes. “Dragons,” she mutters, her voice trembling with both humor and emotion. “Always so dramatic.”

I let the corner of my mouth lift in a smirk. “Do you know how this happened, Aer?” I ask, my tone dropping back into seriousness.

Her expression hardens, and her fingers tighten around the bars. “Shura and Seraveille,” she spits, venom lacing her words. “I don’t know how they did it, but they’re behind this. I know it.”

Ice floods my veins at the names. My hands curl into fists at my sides. This is my fault. They did this because of me, because I embarrassed Seraveille and showed how important Aeris was to me. Dammit.

Declan’s voice pulls me back. “We’ll figure it out and free you from this place,” he promises, his words steady and confident. He brushes his thumbs over her knuckles through the bars.

Aeris nods, her expression softening. “I trust you. Both of you,” she says, her gaze meeting mine. For a moment, there’s something unspoken between us. I nod back, and she gives me a faint smile in return.

We linger, none of us truly ready to say goodbye. The air feels heavier, thick with unspoken words and the quiet ache of parting.

“I’ll be back soon,” I say, my voice softer than I intend. “We both will.”

A sad smile flickers across her face, one that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “You’d better,” she murmurs, though there’s no real bite to it.

As we step away, hesitation claws at my chest. The urge to stay, to push back against the inevitability of leaving, is almost overwhelming.

But I force myself to move, even as the unease settles deep in my bones.The guard’s nervous gaze follows us as we ascend the stairs.

Once we’re above ground, the air feels lighter, but not by much.

I veer to the right, my strides long and purposeful. Declan matches my pace easily, his brow furrowed. “Where are you going?” he asks, though I suspect he already knows.

“The wing Seraveille is staying in,” I reply, my tone clipped.

Declan sighs, running a hand through his hair. “She won’t admit to it.”

“I know,” I say, my jaw tightening. “But maybe she’ll accidentally say something that’ll give us a clue.”

His lips twitch into a small smile. “And if she doesn’t?”

I glance at him, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at my lips. “Then I’ll make her.”

The polished marble of Seraveille’s private wing gleams under the soft glow of chandeliers, As we make our way to her doors.

Declan is half a step behind me, matching my pace, his expression a mask of calm that doesn’t fool me.

His jaw is too tight, his eyes too sharp. He’s as ready for a fight as I am.

My shadows twist and coil around the room, creeping along the walls and pooling near my feet as if they sense my fury.

The air thickens with their presence, dark tendrils snaking toward Seraveille as I storm inside.

I don’t bother knocking. My hand slams against the ornate double doors, throwing them open with a resounding crack that echoes through the opulent sitting room.

Seraveille looks up from her chaise lounge, a goblet of something undoubtedly expensive dangling from her fingers. Her honeyed smile spreads instantly, too wide, too perfect.

“Kaida,” she purrs, setting the goblet down with deliberate slowness. “What a surprise. And Prince Declan, too. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Cut the theatrics,” I snap, striding into the room. Declan follows, his posture tense, eyes scanning every corner like a predator sizing up the battlefield. The shadow’s coil tighter, responding to my anger, licking at the edges of the room like living things. “We know you’re behind this.”

Her brows lift in feigned confusion, and she presses a hand to her chest. “Behind what? You’ll have to be more specific, darling.”

“Aeris,” Declan says, his voice low and sharp. “You had her thrown in the dungeon. Don’t bother denying it.”

Seraveille tilts her head, her brown hair cascading over one shoulder like a waterfall.

“Aeris? Oh, you mean your little Fae slave?” She sighs, her expression shifting to one of exaggerated sympathy.

“I was so sorry to hear about her… predicament. Such a shame. But you can’t possibly think I had anything to do with it. ”

I cross my arms, glaring at her. “Spare me the act. We know you and Shura are involved. Whatever you did, you’re going to undo it.”

She rises from the chaise with fluid grace, the fabric of her gown whispering against the floor as she moves closer. Too close. My shadows react instinctively, rising like a dark tide between us. She hesitates, her perfect smile faltering for a fraction of a second before it returns.

“Kaida, darling,” she says, her voice as smooth as silk. “You wound me. Why would I ever want to harm your… pet?”

Declan’s hand clenches into a fist at his side, but his voice remains steady. “You’re lying.”

Her laugh is light and musical, like bells on a spring breeze, but it grates on my nerves. “Lying? Me? I would never. Honestly, I think it’s admirable how attached you’ve become to her. Fae are such… delicate creatures. It must be exhausting keeping one alive for so long.”

“Enough,” I growl, my voice cutting through her sugary tone like a blade. The shadows surge, slithering closer to her feet, and her smile tightens, the edges brittle. “We’re not here to trade insults. We’re here to get answers.”

She takes another step toward me, her hand lifting as if to touch my arm again. Declan moves before I can, stepping between us with effortless grace. Her hand freezes mid-air before dropping, her gaze flicking to him.

“Enough?” she echoes, her tone suddenly sharp before softening again.

She lets out a dramatic sigh, placing a hand over her heart.

“You really think I’d waste my time on a little thing like her?

Though… I must admit, it’s a pity, really.

After all the trouble you went through teaching her to read and write, only for her to use it against you.

Betrayal is such an ugly thing, isn’t it?

” Her lips curve into a sly smile. “And to meet with another male slave in secret? Gods know what else she was doing behind your back. It’s a good thing that kitchen Fae saw her, or we never would have known about her… indiscretions.”

Declan and I exchange a brief glance, but neither of us let our expressions betray anything. She’s still talking, her words dripping with false concern and empty sweetness, but I’ve stopped listening. My shadows ripple and writhe, a mirror of my rising fury.

“If that’s all, then I think we’re done here,” I say abruptly, cutting her off mid-sentence. She blinks, surprised, but quickly recovers, her smile returning like a mask.

“Of course,” she says, inclining her head. “Do let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help. And Kaida…” Her voice lowers as I turn to leave, her gaze lingering on my back. “Don’t be a stranger.”

The door slams shut behind us, my shadows curling back into the recesses of the hallway like smoke dissipating in the wind. Let her keep her games. She has no idea what’s coming.

“She’s unbearable,” Declan mutters, running a hand through his hair as we stand outside her door.

“Tell me about it,” I reply dryly, my lips curling into a smirk. “But did you catch that bit about the kitchen Fae? My father never reveals witnesses out of fear of tampering. There’s no way she would know the witness is a kitchen Fae.”

He nods, his expression sharpening. “Looks like we’re heading to the kitchens.”