.Chapter 33-1
Simone
The moment the clock hit eleven, I was already moving toward the hidden passage to Kane’s room. He’d left a note on my pillow with a makeshift map, even though I’d already memorized every detail from his drawings. The man was nothing if not thorough.
Dining with Kellan tonight. Follow the plan. Be safe and remember your promise. – O
The last part made my chest tight with emotion, but I ignored it. I couldn’t think about it now. His
room was empty when I slipped through the hidden door, just as expected. I wasted no time
moving the carpet and pressing on the stone that would open the trap door. According to Kane’s
notes, it led to a servant hallway that would take me straight to the dungeons.
The stone shifted under my hand with a grinding sound that made me wince, revealing a narrow passage that disappeared into darkness. I dropped down carefully, using my phone’s flashlight to navigate the cramped space. The tunnel was older than the rest of the castle, probably built for emergencies or secret escapes. Kane had mentioned it was one of many that honeycombed the
foundation.
Every few steps I stopped to listen for footsteps, but the calculations had been right. No one was down here. The servant corridors were deserted, exactly as Kane had predicted they would be.
Dinner had been served at ten, and according to Kane, everything would be cleaned by ten-thirty. By eleven, no one should remain except the occasional servant tasked with serving wine to the
diners.
“Bring the vulter wine. Bring the vulter wine.”
I pressed myself against the wall just in time to avoid crashing into a man hurrying past the
hallway. He moved with jerky, unnatural movements, his eyes glazed and unfocused. His clothes
were disheveled, and there was something deeply unsettling about the way he moved.
“Bring the vulter wine,” he repeated, his voice monotone and empty.
I knew that was Kellan’s work. The man’s entire being had been reduced to a single command,
repeated endlessly until it was the only thing left in his mind. I took a deep breath and focused, letting my null abilities extend outward to see the magical threads surrounding his brain. They
were everywhere, going in and out in an intricate web of control that made my stomach turn. Kellan’s influence ran deep.
The servant continued past me, still muttering his mantra, and I waited until his footsteps faded completely before moving again. My heart was pounding so loudly I was sure someone would
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Chapter 33 1
hear it, but I forced myself to stay calm and focused.
Claim
The tunnel system was more complex than Kane’s map had indicated. There were branching passages and false turns that could easily trap someone who didn’t know where they were going. I was grateful for his detailed instructions, even if I’d memorized the layout already.
It wasn’t long until I reached the hallway I’d been searching for. There was a storage closet just around the corner from the dungeon entrance, and I stepped inside quietly to wait for the first shouts. The space was cramped and filled with cleaning supplies, mops and buckets that had seen better days. The smell of lye and old water made my nose wrinkle.
I checked my phone: 10:59 PM. Any second now-
A loud boom shook the stone above my head, dust raining down from the ceiling as the entire castle seemed to vibrate. Alarms started sounding at the same time shouts of “Intruders!” echoed through the corridors. Heavy boots ran past my hiding spot, the sound growing fainter as the guards rushed toward whatever chaos my family was creating above.
Another explosion followed, this one closer, and I could hear shouting and the clash of weapons. Good. My brother’s distraction was working perfectly.
When the last of the footsteps had faded, I finally opened the door and ran toward the dungeon
entrance.
There was one guard remaining outside the heavy wooden door, and he turned just as I
approached. He was young, maybe early twenties, with the kind of soft face that suggested he hadn’t seen much real combat. Poor bastard probably drew the short straw for dungeon duty.
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