Song of Blood and Reign

Chapter 24

Because the dark magic within him was growing.

Corliss, from somewhere above them in the Keep, was feeding it, hoping it would take over to subdue both Lyv and Mik. Mik was struggling, his breaths coming in short gasps. Lyv tried everything she could, but nothing seemed to help.

They needed to get out. Now.

Without a word, Lyv turned back to the wall at the back of the dungeon, holding out her other hand toward it. With one thought, a glowing orb appeared above her palm, casting light into the shadows around them. Just seeing it had a thousand memories flooding back to her, making a lump form in her throat.

It took a moment, but she finally found the loose stone with three small slashes Dessa had told her about. Lyv hesitated as her fingers brushed over them, wondering what she would find on the other side once they were up the hidden stairway.

"Second floor," she said quietly, and then pressed against the stone.

A low rumble echoed through the dungeon, followed by more yelling from the guardsmen who were on their way. They were getting closer, but Lyv and Mik finally had their way out.

Just as Dessa said, it gave way to a doorway that formed from the spaces between the stones. Lyv shook her head in astonishment as it receded a few inches before swinging open, bring with it a rush of cool, stale air. Of course, Dessa would be the one to find this secret passageway. She was Lyv's daughter, after all. Who found all the hidden passageways at the palace in Escarral? Lyv had.

Mik's hand tightened around hers as they began climbing the damp stone staircase. The rumble sounded again as the doorway closed one more. The guardsmen's shouts were muffled as they yelled that their prisoners had escaped...they just didn't realize they didn't go up the stairs the guardsmen had come down.

"This leads us up to the second floor," Mik began as they raced up the stairs.

Ly nodded, focused on keeping her footing since her feet were bare. The cold stone beneath them made her whole body begin to shiver. "Once we're there...do you remember the way to the closest balcony? We need to get to the water. We're going to have to jump."

"With the mountains behind us, that's a good idea. Especially when we know what's in them," he agreed, trying to be optimistic. "We'll have to run to the far end of the west wing. That leads to my father's study. There's a balcony that overlooks the Whelm with a grassy area just below it. That way we won't have to jump directly into the water below."

"I was kind of hoping there would be a balcony like that. Then we could just jump and not have to worry..."

A barrier was suddenly before them, unlike the stone they'd met previously. This was wooden and metal with a non-descriptive knob that didn't look like it would be able to turn. But it did.

Open the doorway that was hidden by a bookshelf to a cozy room with plush carpets, a roaring fire, a table and plush chairs. A set of double doors was wide open, letting in a fresh sea breeze that brushed back the black gossamer curtains. Mik's father's study...this was it.

And there was Corliss, standing in the light of the flames, darkness swirling around her. Her black eyes were blazing, going back and forth between Lyv and Mik, seeing the cuffs gone from them both and the stones remaining.

"I love how you think it's going to be so easy for you to leave me," Corliss said calmly. Too calmly. "Guinevere has our army surrounding the Keep. She wasn't going to bring them all down to the dungeon only to find you'd escaped. How did you know about that secret passageway? I hadn't used it in over a hundred years myself. I'm surprised you knew about it."