The Last Daughter of Elysia

Chapter 23

 Morgana waited in her bedroom for Aelys to arrive with supplies. Aelys opened the door and handed Morgana a pale linen dress and cloak like the one she'd just changed into. "No one will look twice at us because we'll blend in with the servants."

Morgana peeled off her charred gown and changed into the dress and cloak.

"Leave your gown here. It'll serve as evidence for your burns if we get caught." Aelys gave Morgana a few tablespoons of healing tonic. "This should take the edge off. I want to leave some of your burns behind in case Matthias catches us, then we can say we were looking for a healing salve."

"Good thinking." Morgana took the tonic and the burns healed into pale pink patches that were as painful as a bad sunburn.

They opened Morgana's door and made sure the coast was clear. Most of the guards were down in the ballroom with only a small amount to patrol the castle. Aelys and Morgana set off, peeking around corners, and racing down halls. They were almost caught, near the South Wing, when the familiar march of armored boots clanked around the corner from two guards on patrol. Aelys grabbed Morgana's arm and dragged her into an empty room filled with portraits of King Erik. Hearts thundering, they hid under an enormous table and prayed that the guards hadn't seen them. Dust tickled Morgana's nose and she almost broke a rib from holding in a sneeze. After the footsteps receded, they got up and dusted their dresses.

"That was close," Morgana murmured.

They snuck through empty corridors and down flights of stairs until they reached a large wooden door that was near the West Wing. Aelys slipped through the door and Morgana followed her down a dark stone staircase that was dimly lit by flickering torches. The air tasted damp and moldy like the bottom of an old well. The further they descended, the colder it got, as if they were walking into a deep cave. Trickling water and the sound of their shuffling footsteps filled the silence.

"Why isn't this place made of quartz like the rest of the castle?" Morgana eyed a mossy patch of wall.

"Because it's part of the old castle that used to be here. It was father's home before the Aeperians defected, now it's an underground part of the castle where the healer works."

"Was it always underground?"

"No. Father used his earth magic to form a hill around the old castle, then he had the new castle built on top of it."

They reached the bottom of the staircase and came out into a dark corridor. On one side of it was a row of wooden doors. "Where do all these lead to?" Morgana's breath misted.

"I'm not sure, the dungeons are nearby though. Father used them to imprison witches when they were still around. The bars are made of iron to stifle magic."

Ice trailed down Morgana's spine at the thought of witches being imprisoned beneath this castle. She didn't know that iron stopped a witch's magic, but she had known that it stopped a fae's elemental abilities. Morgana's eyes went to the doors, wondering which one led to the dungeons and if there were any curses lingering from the long dead witches.

She hoped not.

They walked down the corridor till they reached the last door. Aelys turned the black steel latch, but the door was stuck. "Dammit."

"Of course he'd lock it."

"That's okay, I can break in with my earth magic."

"Then he'll know that someone broke in because the door will be in splinters." Morgana raised a brow.

"Got any better ideas?"

Morgana pulled out two of her hair pins. Being human in a land full of magical creatures had taught her how to survive in a world full of disadvantages. She bent the pins and placed them inside the lock.