The Dark Between Dreams | ✔️

Chapter 13 🔻 The King's Keep

"Skye..." the other ghost said to me, hushed and urgent.

But I backed into the crowd. "Bye, Webb!"

"Shit. Alright!" I heard him cry behind me. "I'll come with you!"

I stopped dead in my tracks. The other hollow caught up to me. "Vale'll throw me down the Pit herself if I let you get killed."

There came the distant sound of cheering. Somewhere, more crows were being slaughtered.

Webb just rolled his eyes up at the starless sky before pulling his hood over his head. Together, we followed the queue of hollows through the iron gates.

The palace was so much more immaculate up close, and it was a stark contrast to the rest of After—like a ruby amongst rot. It would've been a breath-taking architectural feat even on Earth. Black Corinthian columns, thick and tall as redwoods, circled the building. Growing mountains of offerings lay at the base of the polished stone steps that lead up to the front wing. A pair of grotesque gargoyles, so huge that if they had been alive, a single beat of their wings could've leveled any of After's hovels, guarded the several stories tall double doors. At the apex of the building was the dome of stained glass, each intricate panel a different shade of red, much like the blades of the hollow men and women that observed the crowd.

Webb and I steered clear of the main wing, detaching from the crowd and slinking along the outside wall, searching for alternate entry. I held my hand along the curving wall we followed, unable to feel the metal reliefs of hollow armies battling valiantly against monstrous shadows.

"First things first," I whispered to my friend once we were out of earshot of anyone else. "How are we getting inside?"

The ghost beside me flubbed. "Wasn't this your idea? Oh! Over here!" He hurried ahead a few steps, then stopped just below a window too high for either of us to reach. He crouched and held out his hands—palms up with fingers locked together—offering me a boost. Webb flashed his characteristic grin at me.

I obliged and stepped into his hands. With an effortful "Hup!" he hoisted me up onto the window ledge. I returned the favor by pulling him up beside me.

I pressed my face to the window. The textured rouge glass made it difficult to see inside, but I didn't see any movement. I tried to pull open the window. It didn't budge. "Locked. Go figure," I huffed, taking notice—too late—of the aged padlock holding it shut. "I don't suppose we can brute force our way in? See any bricks lying around?"

Webb had been examining the lock with pursed lips. He prodded me in the ribs, saying, "Scoot," before shuffling up close to the lock when I made room for him. Then he selected a needle-thin piece of metal from amongst the array of debris scattered around us. I watched as he slid it into the keyhole. Webb's eyes were scrunched and his tongue slightly stuck out in concentration as he maneuvered his makeshift lock pick—more focused than I'd thought he could ever be capable of.

The lock clicked, and the window creaked open as if inviting us inside. I slowly pivoted my head from the window to gape at Webb, who seemed just as surprised as I was.

"Huh," he said. "Didn't know I could do that." He nonchalantly flicked the pick away over his shoulder. "Neat."

I elbowed him playfully. "Wow, Webb! Were you a world-class criminal in life or something?"

"I don't know."

"Right."

"Well, then." Webb used a single finger to push the window open all the way. "Ladies first." He shoved past me and slid inside, dropping to the floor below in a crouch, hand gripping the hilt of his sword. It was so easy to forget that the easygoing guy was a seasoned scavenger with years of monster-fighting experience behind him.