The Consort

Chapter 32: Answers

I watch Heloix come to a halt in the middle of the corridor, his head tilting towards as his hand reaches out to graze the brick wall. Copying his movements, I look upwards, eyes tracing the designs that cover the entire ceiling.

"I lived here for a summer when I was younger." He murmurs.

It's hard to tell whether he's speaking to himself or me, but I hum quietly either way, distracted by the beauty of the vaulted ceilings.

It's breathtaking, with intricate etches carved into the wood to create abstract circular shapes that span down the entire hallway. If it weren't for Heloix's interest I likely never would have noticed, and I wonder if the ceilings back home have the same design.

"This castle was built back when humans still ruled the planet." Heloix comments, dropping his head back down and focusing on where his hand touches the wall.

I watch in confusion as he brings up his other hand and begins poking around with them both, seemingly searching for something within the bricks as his long fingers prod at the cracks.

While he works, I bring my attention back to the ceiling, imagining what it was like when the humans built this place. It's no secret that most of the homes and technology that the Beasts use originated with us, but it's always surprising to hear it confirmed. Unfortunately, the Beasts often choose not to give us any credit.

Over the years, they've successfully managed to remove most of human history from our knowledge, the only truths we know now having been passed down from the older generations.

The sound of scraping rock as me focusing in once more on Heloix, my eyes widening as I watch him pull one of the bricks out from the wall. I open my mouth to ask what he's doing but quickly close it, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to his actions.

The brick slides out quietly, and Heloix sticks his hand in the newly created hole with no hesitation, the appendage disappearing to the wrist as he searches for something inside. I nervously glance around, making sure that nobody is in the corridor to see his actions.

I suppose that answers why Heloix dismissed his guards earlier.

As quickly as he put his hand in the hole he pulls it out, hand tightly fisted around a small object. I try to spot what he has removed from the socket but Heloix moves too fast for me to catch it, shoving it immediately into his pocket.

"What's that?" I inquire, tilting my head to the side in question.

Heloix doesn't immediately respond, too busy sticking the brick back into place before somebody comes walking around the corner. His secretive actions have me a bit worried, and knowing that he's probably doing something that he shouldn't, I decide not to push for an answer.

"Let's go." He murmurs, turning and glancing down the hall before continuing our journey as if this brief pause never happened. I wish for him to say more but a couple of servants come walking around the corner just as I go to ask, effectively killing any chance I had to get more words out of him.

The servants pause as they see Heloix standing in the hallway, visibly wary of his intentions, before moving to walk along the edge of the corridor. Heloix doesn't seem to notice or care, as he turns abruptly on his heel and returns to his quick walking, leaving me with no choice but to scramble behind.

Despite my unfamiliarity with the castle, I recognize that we are heading back to the room we are staying in, the corridor long and narrow with large, unique paintings hung up along the wall. The guards can be heard from inside their rooms as we pass, loud shouts coming out through the wood as they take pleasure in their free time.