Page 22 of The Gods We Defy (All Gods Must Die #2)
CHAPTER 22
SEREN
“ M ore than you know.” Kestral’s whispered voice follows me out of the darkness as my eyes blink open. Light filters in around me and I try to figure out where I am.
A room similar to mine carved out from the very mountain spans out around me. But this one is twice the size, with a small kitchen and table to my right. The ceiling is high, with small orb lights hanging from a chain. The large bed beneath me is soft and warm, the covers and throws a mixture of black and gray.
I sit up and test my body but feel no pain. Glancing down at my wrists, I see no marks. Everything is healed.
The shed, and Kestral finding me, flash across my mind, reminding me of last night.
He came to me. He must have brought me here. Is this his room?
My eyes flicker up to the light and then to the left, a gasp slipping from my mouth at the scene before me.
A curved opening similar to the mouth of a cave and as large as the bed reveals an icy ocean and snowy mountains in the distance.
Pulling back the covers, I make a move toward it when a delicious smell finds my nose.
Glancing over to the other side of the bed, I spot a large plate of food and jug and on a small chair beside the bed is a new black mask speckled with gold and a pile of clean clothes and cloak.
Something warm fills my chest at the thought of Kestral finding them for me.
I move for the food first and take a bite, and it’s still warm. Either it was only left here a moment ago or there is some magic that keeps it that way. I pick up the clothes and inspect them, hoping they’ll fit. I raise them to my body and frown when I realize they look like they’ll fit me perfectly.
How did he know? My fingers run along the soft material of the top but catch on something hard on the outside. I look closer and spot the black armor that blends in seamlessly with the soft fabric.
I smile. No one would even know I was wearing armor.
I finish the food quickly and knock back the jug of water before moving over to the opening. There’s a wide path that leads to a small outdoor pool with a jutting lip from the mountain above that covers it all.
Steam rises from the water, attempting to lure me into its warmth. And with the incredible view around me, I’m almost tempted.
But I realize there’s still dried blood and sweat on me and I don’t want to ruin it.
With one last longing glance at the pool and beautiful view, I turn and look for a bathing room, finding one tucked behind a long wall in the kitchen.
A huge bath capable of fitting at least four people sits at the end of the room. There’s an opening like the one in the bedroom—though smaller—with the same tranquil view.
I move forward, wondering if there’s also a ledge that covers it, stopping anyone from seeing in, but I hit a translucent barrier, stopping me from moving any farther.
Reaching up, I place my hand on it and watch the small ripple that rushes across the opening.
Smiling to myself, I strip and get into the bath. My theory about warming magic must be true as I slide into the hot bubble bath.
Even though I stay far too long in the bath, the water stays as warm as it was when I got in.
I don my new clothes and mask, all fitting like they were made for me, and head out, hoping I can find the underground entrance from here.
To my luck, I quickly find the main hallway and make my way to the door that conceals the ruins. I move through the tunnels and passages and down into the old palace and library where the map is.
There’re dozens of hallways branching off in every direction, leading to smaller passages, stairways, and tunnels. Most of which I’m sure are already in ruins. The chamber of healing is near the top of the map, past a long hall that I can’t make out the name of because of the rest of the missing map.
Glancing around, I search the old library, hoping to find another map, one that isn’t faded or missing half of it. But each book I find is even worse off than the map, with every page filthy and illegible.
I’m about to give up and just start searching random passages once more when a piece of paper beneath a fallen shelf near the map catches my eye.
I move closer and tilt the shelf backwards, releasing the paper. I turn it over and a thrum of excitement rushes through me. It is another piece of the map.
I walk over to the wall and try to figure out where it might fit, quickly finding its spot near the end to the right. The hallways and passages line up exactly but it’s the three little letters that gain my attention.
THR
It has to be the throne room. And if that is where the throne is… I follow my finger up and across to the chamber of healing… then I should be able to find it down a long hallway past the library and farther down past one of the three corridors.
Taking note of the direction, I move quickly and head down through the passages and into the hallway, but freeze when I spot the dozens of large mirrors on either side. All are intact and whole but of different sizes.
How is that possible?
Some are large and rectangular and the length of my body, while others are oval or half the size. A long rectangular gold-framed mirror with an arching top draws me to it and its beautiful carvings around the intricate frame.
I reach out to touch it, my fingers barely brushing against the small design, when I’m jerked forward and yanked into the mirror.
A rush of cold slides through me as I pass through to the other side, a world full of dark smoke.
I whip around and try to return, but the mirror disappears, making my stomach drop. How am I going to get back? Where am I?
Black smoke unfurls, breaking off into smaller clouds before flying up and around me.
I back away from them as they join together and instead of a puff of dark smoke, the darkness ripples around me, changing, morphing into a world that is destroyed beyond recognition. Buildings in ruins, people lying dead amongst the devastation, and a massive, dark creature devouring it all.
A ripple slides through the scene, and it changes again, shifting to another world, one with humans, fae, and all manner of other beings, all held on long strings that disappear into the dark sky like hanging puppets.
An icy shiver ripples down my back as I watch them. Floating but unmoving.
The scene changes for a third time into a mass of black creatures flying through the dark sky.
“Where am I?” I whisper. And every one of the creatures turns toward me and shoots forward.
I turn and run, trying to get away from them when a sharp burn slices down my back. I keep running, only making it so far before I’m yanked out of the mirror and dragged straight into another.
This time the world is full of white smoke and a soft humming sound.
The smoke morphs and changes like last time, but the scene becomes a beautiful white room with gold and marble floors. There are people moving about, smiling and laughing.
A woman with long wavy red hair and a flowing green dress matching the shade of her eyes steps into the room. Everyone turns to bow as she makes her way through.
I follow her to the other side of the room, past the circular foundation to where a long white table and a chair sits upon a wide dais.
She stays standing and nods to a blonde-haired female beside her. The blonde moves down and helps a thin, sickly female who struggles to walk up to the dais. The red-haired woman guides her to the table where she helps her lie down before placing a hand over her body.
Everyone stays silent as a green glow flows from her hands, traveling around the sickly woman.
After a moment, the green light fades and the woman sits up, her face no longer pale, her body looking healthier, and her brown hair longer with a shine.
The woman bows to the red-haired female before moving off to the side. More and more of the sick move to the dais one at a time and are healed by the red-haired beauty. I watch them one by one as the green glow surrounds each of them and heals them.
Glancing around the room, a small glint of light catches my eye. I move closer to the wall and notice the dark patches aren’t black but a deep emerald-green stone.
Stone… green stone. I whip around to the woman in green as she heals the last of the crowd.
Could it be her? Could it be the Goddess Brigid?
The blonde female soon clears out the room, leaving just herself, and who I hope is Brigid. Sharing a few whispered words, the blonde female leaves the room. None of the crowd spared me a glance, so I can only assume I’ve been dragged into some vision of the past.
She stands from her seat and moves to her left. I prepare myself to be yanked into another scene when she stops and turns toward me, looking directly at me, as if she sees me.
I glance behind me, but no one is there. When I look back at her, she’s still staring at me, a small smile now on her face.
She tilts her head to the side and gives me a look to follow her.
Taking my chances, I follow her to the side of the dais where another room sits. She keeps moving toward a long mirror and passes through it, disappearing.
Taking a deep breath, I quickly follow her, hoping I’m not making a mistake. But instead of leading me into another strange vision, I step out into the hallway of mirrors I was in a few moments ago.
She stands there waiting as I glance around at the dust and dirt covering the floors and walls and every frame. It gives me hope that I’m no longer in the strange mirror vision. My only doubt is that the woman still in front of me is still looking as real as she was a moment ago.
“Am I free?” I ask and she nods before turning and pointing down the hall, tilting her head asking me to follow.
I nod and follow her as she brings me through the long hall, keeping my eyes on her and far away from the mirrors. I definitely do not want to be dragged into another one.
We come out onto steps and a wide path that leads to three hallways. She steps behind me, and I move to turn when she stops me, and warmth fills the sharp burn in my back before the pain disappears completely.
She healed it.
“Thank you,” I tell her, and she moves around me, giving me a warm smile.
I point toward the three hallways. “The stone is in one of them?” I ask and she nods before moving back. No, not moving, floating.
“Wait. Which one?” I shout as she floats away, her mouth unmoving as a voice chants around me.
“Beware the one who hides in the shadows . Beware the one who sees all.” She starts to disappear, her body almost transparent. “Beware the one who follows. For he will be the ruin of all,” she warns before disappearing completely.
I glance back at the three hallways; they all look long and dark with rooms to the sides of each of them. I could be searching all night.
My stomach rumbles, reminding me how long I’ve really been down here.
With one last look at the hallways, I move back through the hall of mirrors, keeping my eyes framed with my hands and directed to the ground. I quickly move though the old library and throne room and up to the main building, planning to come back tomorrow and search each hallway. Maybe luck is finally on my side, and I’ll find the stone before the trials and then it will be one less thing to worry about.
Feeling more hopeful than I have in a long time, I walk out of the hallway to one of the open corridors but freeze when I see how dark it is.
It was barely morning when I came down here, meaning I wasn’t just down in the ruins for hours. I was there all day.