Child of Vanris by McCormack Nikki

Author:McCormack, Nikki
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Elysium Books
Published: 2024-01-13T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

How had Adnar found out?

Kasiel considered trying to claim innocence, but he had cheated. He could try to argue that his inexperience with Vanrian culture made him a victim in this, but he had understood enough when Jethan and Kenna discussed familiarizing him with the young tethdraks to know better. Besides, if the two of them were facing punishment for this, could he do any less? He tried not to think too hard on what this might mean for his tenuous place in Vanris or his future as a Feral. Had he destroyed his chance to prove that he could belong here? For now, it was enough to dread what the next twelve hours would hold.

The stern manner of the guards discouraged questions, so he went with them quietly, accepting that this punishment was earned. Maybe the deeps wouldn’t prove to be as ominous as it sounded. The route they took descended into corridors beneath the main level of the palace and to a much less welcoming section of the structure. It was darker down here, with periodic wall sconces to light the way along unpolished black stone halls, which Kasiel didn’t find at all comforting.

They turned down a long corridor lined with barred cells, several of them occupied, and through a door at the end. To his surprise, it opened into a large circular tower with a patch of grass and flowers in the center, the fading light of late afternoon reaching down from the open top high above them. A statue in the center depicted a female Vanrian soldier holding a spear upright in front of her. She had her head bowed, forehead almost touching the haft of the spear, and eyes closed, sorrow forever etched in her features. Steel doors were set into the wall at intervals along a paved path that circled the perimeter of the space. It was to one of these doors that they took Kasiel, a sense of shame falling over him as they passed in front of the statue. One guard opened the door. Another unceremoniously pushed him through, and they shut it behind him, slamming a bolt home.

The second the door closed, blackness swallowed Kasiel. A cold sweat broke out across his skin. He stumbled back until he hit the solid barrier behind him, then turned and pounded on the door.

“No! You can’t leave me here! I need light! Please!”

As he continued to shout, fists hitting the cold, unyielding steel, he could hear whispers in the darkness enveloping him. He yelled louder and punched the door harder, his hands protesting the abuse. The whispers escalated to wails and screams that quickly drowned out his own futile shouting.

He flinched away from the burning eyes of shadows sweeping in at the edges of his vision and continued to yell, slamming his fists against the metal until the warm wetness of blood coated his knuckles. His throat already felt raw, his voice cracking. No one was going to help.

He sank to the floor, pressing his back to the cold steel door, and curled his legs into his chest.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.