THE UNBREAKABLE PIECE (FIRST BOOK OF THE HIDDEN WORLD) English version

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: HERE AND NOW

I clung to the railing as we descended into the basement of the grand mansion of the Wards. The warm air from the rooms began to chill as we went down the stairs. Ekaitz walked behind my heels; his skin smelled of soap, the fresh wood scent of his cologne, and the mandarin aroma lingering on his hands after lunch reminded me of his constant presence. The rest of my guard had tried to interrogate the gnome upon our arrival while Gemma was tending to my wounds in one of the guest rooms—unfortunately next to Ekaitz's room. Still, they hadn't obtained many answers from my little attacker. This left me, along with my new companion, in search of an explanation as to why he was after my mother's ring.

Rainer had explained that gnomes were usually hired by other beings from the hidden world to find valuable gold or silver objects and return them to their owners or the highest bidder. This meant, in simple terms, that someone had hired him to find my mother's onyx ring. However, I still didn't understand how she was connected to Alice. Maybe they were friends. All this new confusion filled corners of my mind, making thinking hurt a little more.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you after your bath," I said with cheeks blushing, barely visible under the basement lamp.

The basement had two parts. The first had a wooden table with various weapons, which, judging by their appearance, needed repairs. This small room had the potential to be the Wards' workshop. The second part, connected by a poorly lit corridor, housed the dungeons. Rainer had mentioned they hadn't been used in years.

"Don't worry, Amy. It's not the first time a girl has barged into my room while I'm changing."

The sound of my saliva going down my throat must have been loud enough for Ekaitz to burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry, I'm joking. Sometimes I forget that I spend too much time alone in this place with my father, which leads me to make jokes that aren't funny at all."

I offered a smile to those captivating blue eyes; even in the darkness, they seemed to shine, much like Eamon's. I brought my hands to my mouth and blew some warm air into them, trying to combat the cold that now surrounded me.

"Doesn't anyone else live in this incredibly spacious place?"

Ekaitz broke the air with a shake of his head, warming the wind that swept through the corridor. He could control the weather, and, of course, he would use it to keep me comfortable.

"We have visits from Onpixes constantly, but no permanent residents."

"It must be a bit boring. Don't you have any siblings?" I asked, leaning against one of the musty walls while Ekaitz searched for the key to open the gnome's prison.

"No, I'm an only child. My mother didn't want more children after my restless childhood, and she already had too much work being part of your father's guard. So, she decided that I was enough. She died some time after the Red Battle, on a mission to find Drahceb."

His eyes dimmed for a second as he looked through the crack, making sure our prisoner was securely chained. Then he turned to me, and the spark reignited in that very instant, almost illuminated by a lightning strike outside.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, understanding his pain.

Following my instincts, I placed my hand on his arm, capturing his full attention; his iris widened. Our breaths took on the same rhythm.

"It's okay; it's been a while. It doesn't hurt as it used to."

"There's no need to lie to me," I said without breaking our contact. "I know that pain. I lost my brother, and not a day goes by that I don't remember and feel the pain of his loss."