Hated by her lineage, Iliya Dalaminai dwells in self isolation, awaiting the day her cousin marries so she might escape the Throne.
Feared by the Gods, Sorein Chakrine's crown is mainly a relic put on display at royal ceremonies to ward off evil.
Wh...
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Her back slipped across the metallic surface for only a moment before she found herself landing against a hard collection of dirt and dust.
Iliya coughed until her throat burned, pushing herself up on hands and knees with wisps of hair falling in front of her eyes. The darkness left a lot to the imagination, but from what she could tell, she'd landed in a tunnel.
A loud thud landed beside her, forcing more debris to erupt into the air as Sorein landed next to her.
"Brilliant idea, Irie," he groaned, rolling onto his back. Iliya could only manage to make out those silver eyes in the dark. "Why don't we simply throw ourselves down?"
She grunted her response, still coughing out dust.
"From here on out, it was your decision to follow me," she rasped, stumbling to her feet.
Iliya reached out a glowing hand, offering to help Sorein stand. He only considered it for a moment before his eyes widened.
Taking a deep breath, Sorein slowly looked away from her and to the cavern beyond. "Iliya," he whispered in warning. "Whatever you do, don't move."
Her body tensed. "Why..."
Slowly kneeling, Sorein's blade materialized in his hand. "When I say duck," he said calmly, staring her dead in the eyes. "You duck. Do you understand me?"
Iliya barely tipped her head in answer.
"Duck!" He yelled.
She obeyed, scrunching down to her knees as Sorein slashed above her and carved through the head of a giant demon. Black sludge sprayed everywhere, spattering against both the floor and their backs.
Bile coated her tongue as the scent of sulfur swept through the air.
"That's disgusting," she muttered, clenching her teeth. Iliya winced at the stains on her jacket. "Gods, if this is in my hair..."
Sorein was silent, staring at the black tar on the ground. Iliya watched his hands clench before he carefully tucked them behind his back and focused on her. His face was still haunted despite his best effort.
Standing up, Iliya fought another groan when she stepped straight into a pool of what she could only assume was blood.
"Come on," she said, golden light cascading off her body now. "Let's go."
Still, the Prince glanced from her down to the network of tunnels. Iliya didn't want to see the amalgamation of fear and realization warping over his features, but she knew. She watched as those bitter jokes he'd made morphed into reality.
Just as she needed the truth, he'd needed this to be an illusion.
Wiping her hands off on her pants, Iliya reached out and grabbed his elbow. Without tugging or forcing him forward, she would still need to get him out of here.
