The Archer (A Tale Of Heroes & Demons Book 1)

Chapter 36

Ignition

Doused in darkness she had to wait for her eyes to adjust. Relief washed over when she realized that she could actually see and distinguish some of the shapes around her. A lantern sat in a holder bolted to the wall, the flickering light illuminating the space.

The room was fairly large, with barrels and crates lining the walls. The walls were rough and seemingly cut from the earth, with some small roots still protruding into the space.

Running her hands across the walls, she could not see where these men supposedly hid. There were no obvious doorways, but that did not stop her from searching for those not in plain sight.

Round and around she went, checking every crevice and protrusion until she finally needed a break. She returned to the steps and sat down, staring at the room before her. She had no idea how she was going to find Declan.

She didn't find any levers or ropes that could make a secret door swing open. Nor did she find anything else that may elude to the presence of some secret society.

Maybe they abducted him, and they sent me here because I would ask questions. The thoughts swirled in her mind, becoming larger and more outrageous the more time passed.

Tired of waiting she stood up and roamed the room again. Around and around she went until she had completely lost track of time. In frustration she leaned against the far wall and shook her head. "Why must this be so hard?"

She swung her foot back to kick the wall. The pain shot through her foot and up her leg, which only served to remind her about her isolation. There was nowhere for her to go, and she was certain that the cellar door would remain closed to her if she tried to open it.

Katherine stiffened when she heard a click. The sound seemed to echo through the room and sent ominous chills running up her spine. She stayed pressed against the wall, trying to blend in to the dark crevice.

The scream caught in her throat as she felt the wall give way behind her, disappearing into the sudden light that streamed into the room. Katherine fell backwards, landing hard on her back and jarring her bones.

"And who is this?"

Katherine scrambled up to see the owner to the voice, only to be grabbed roughly and hauled into the new room. The hands placed her roughly into a chair and continued to hold her strongly as her eyes adjusted to the sudden light.

"Speak, or we will make you."

"Stop! She means no harm."

"Declan?" Katherine shook her head now. She could now identify her surroundings but what she saw did not make sense.

Within the roughly carved room was a table and chairs with dark openings around the walls leading to other rooms or tunnels. There were four men that she counted within the room, including the one that held her in the chair. She did not recognize two of the men, but it was one of them that now spoke.

"How does she know your name, archer?"

"She's a friend."

"I thought the archer travelled alone."

"Makom, tell him to let her go. I will explain everything, just as I said before."

The man, Makom¸ now made a gesture to the man behind Katherine who released her and allowed her to stand up. Even though she was now free to move, she remained frozen to her spot.

He must be the Makom that Beatrice told me about. He seems so much rougher than she implied. Beside Makom stood Declan, completely unharmed to Katherine's surprise.