ATLANTION - LAYLA BOOK1

Part 61 Layla

The Pointy Tooth ran her clawed fingers along the wall, producing a haunting clacking sound that sent shivers down Layla's spine. The maid had been tapping each wall in the room for several minutes now, but Layla was certain there were no secret doors.

"I think you're barking up the wrong tree," Layla said with a smile. "I've inspected this room inside and out, and there's no secret passage in these walls."

The Pointy Tooth sighed, clearly frustrated. "Every room used by the blue bloods has a secret door. I'm new to the palace cleaning crew, so I'm not familiar with the secret passages in the uninhabited rooms that belong to the royal family."

"Wait, this room used to belong to a member of the royal family?" Layla asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Yes, Princess Diolanda used to reside here," The Pointy Tooth said. "Most servants used to avoid this room. They made up stories about the bloody princess haunting it and threatening to eat your heart if you entered her domain."

Layla's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her mother's name. She looked at the room with new eyes, wondering what secrets it held.

"I was pretty scared of you when I first entered the room," The Pointy Tooth admitted. "I almost started to believe in ghosts, but then you smiled at me, and I tried to smile back. I almost felt sorry for having to drug you with sleeping pills."

Layla couldn't help but think that The Pointy Tooth's needle-sharp teeth didn't look very friendly, even when she smiled. She held back a comment and watched as a panel clicked and a door screeched open.

"I guess the hinges were rusty," The Pointy Tooth said, smiling with her lips closed this time.

The dark corridor beyond the door smelled of mold and other unpleasant things, and the air was stale and almost unbreathable. Layla felt light-headed, wondering if the sounds she heard were just her imagination. Suddenly, she heard a giggle, and Nimiane's voice echoed through the corridor.

"Here you are! I see you! I will catch you right now!" Nimiane taunted, and Layla's heart raced as she tried to move away from the sound. But it seemed to follow her, getting closer and closer until she heard another scream in the background.

"I got you! I will eat you, you small bitch!" Nimiane screamed, and Layla braced herself for an attack. Suddenly, there was a loud thump against a nearby wall, and Layla heard a middle-aged woman begging for mercy.

"No, my queen, please! I just wanted some food for my children!" the woman pleaded.

"Your children eat diamonds?" Asked Nimiane and banged the maid against the wall. 

"Diamonds you want, diamonds you will have..." Nimiane growled.

Layla jumped away from the wall, her heart pounding, and ran down the dark corridor after The Pointy Tooth. She didn't care about the darkness or the sounds around her; all she wanted was to escape the pitiful screams that filled the corridor.