Arija and the Burning City by Zachary Chopchinski

Author:Zachary Chopchinski
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Books and Bow Ties Publishing
Published: 2019-01-08T00:00:00+00:00

Part 3

Deeper Into The Void

12|The Many Mouths of Fear

Arija’s breaths came in gasping waves as she continued to sprint down the never-ending expanse of identical halls. She didn’t know how long it had been since she’d killed the two demons. Hours? Days?

As she passed another marble statue of a woman looking longingly down the hall, she wondered if, at some point, the statue had been alive.

Were every one of these statues David's women?

Arija had tried every door when she first escaped. All locked. She wasn’t sure when but, some time ago, she’d stopped trying doors and just kept moving forward.

Every hallway looked the same and, for all she knew, she’d been running down the same corridor for hours. A trick by David to watch her squirm like the little mouse in his maze. If she could get back to Kip, maybe she could use the knife to get him out of his cage. Then, at least, there would be two minds working on an escape plan.

She still couldn’t wrap her head around this place, but she kept trying to figure it out as she ran. David said he was an angel, and she’d seen men with wings flying outside the window.

He’s not an angel, he’s a psychopath. None of it made any sense.

The shuffling of footsteps pulled her from her thoughts and Arija crouched, pressing herself against the wall as she closed in on the sound. After a moment, the muffled sound turned to voices. She clutched the knife and readied herself for whatever fight awaited.

Her stolen weapon was beautiful. It was similar to the weapons Webley had created in the World Machine: stronger and sharper than Earth metals, and the blade was almost weightless. It was balanced at the hilt.

The closer she drew to the end of the hallway, the louder the voices became. Whoever it was must be right around the corner.

“... not necessary to spill the tray, sir. I respect your frustration, but...” Hedgewart argued.

“You are not to feed, nor tend to, that creature until you find her!” David barked at his servant. “It can starve for all I care. I only want Arija.”

Arija took a step forward, ready to charge as anger tore through her body. But she forced herself to stay still. She couldn’t beat David. She’d already tried and failed. To get out of this alive, she needed to be smart. To make a plan and force David onto her playing field.

“No more excuses. Clean this mess and then find her. Don’t forget, Hedgewart, I own you. I made you and I can destroy you just as easily,” David snarled.

The slamming of a door shook Arija to the core. She held her breath, listening for signs of life around the corner. The clanging and rustling of trays and dishes filled the silent void. Against her better instincts, Arija inched to the corner and peeked one eye around its edge.

Hedgewart scuttled on his hands and knees, cleaning up a tray of what looked like bowls of stew.

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