Blood

Chapter Fifty Two: Expecting the unexpected.

Eliza stood in front of the abandoned building, her face blank but her mind racing. The night was silent except for the faint rustling of leaves in the wind. Shadows clung to the broken walls and cracked windows, turning the structure into a grotesque skeleton of its former self. The air smelled of damp stone and decay, and despite her calm demeanor, her hand remained close to the dagger at her side.

She didn’t trust this meeting.

Moments later, a figure emerged from the darkness. A man, tall and draped in black, wearing a mask that obscured most of his face. His footsteps were deliberate and unhurried as he approached her, his boots crunching on the gravel.

“Are you alone?” His voice was deep, edged with suspicion.

Eliza tilted her head slightly, raising a brow. “Obviously. So where is he?”

The man paused, standing just out of reach. “He’s safe—for now.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why should I trust you?”

“You shouldn’t.” The man’s lips curled into what might’ve been a smirk beneath the mask. “But you don’t have any other choice.”

Eliza straightened, her voice unwavering. “The crystal?”

“I hope you brought it.” His tone grew hungrier, darker.

“I have it.” She reached into the satchel at her side, fingers brushing the false shard. Her heart beat steadily, betraying nothing of the stakes. “You were in the castle already when you kidnapped him. Why didn’t you just take it?”

The masked man’s jaw tensed, as though the question struck a nerve. “The energy the crystal pulsates was too much. Trying to take a piece would’ve taken me out—and the whole castle, too.” He paused, studying her closely. “I don’t even know how you were able to take it out.”

“Practiced ease,” Eliza replied coolly. “I need confirmation that he’s fine before we proceed.”

The man was silent for a moment, then tilted his head slightly. “Fair enough.”

---

At the exact moment that Eliza was distracting the masked man with the conversation, Ethan moved carefully through the shadowed hallways of the abandoned building. The cloaking spell hummed faintly around him, like static against his skin, keeping him invisible. His steps were soundless as he navigated the decrepit corridors.

The air inside was heavy, thick with dust and the faint, sour smell of mildew. Walls stripped of paint revealed patches of stone, cracks running through them like spiderwebs. Broken furniture lay scattered, wooden chairs and tables upturned as though the building had once been the scene of a chaotic fight.

Ethan paused in a wide room. The ceiling here sagged dangerously low, beams threatening to give out at any moment. By a corner, two men sat around a table, murmuring in low voices. Their faces were rough and unshaven, their eyes darting suspiciously around as they shuffled a deck of cards between them. A lantern flickered dimly on the table, throwing dancing shadows onto their faces.

“They say she’ll be here soon,” one of the men grunted.

“Yeah? About time. I don’t trust that masked freak,” the other muttered. “The queen better not be playing games.”

Ethan moved past them, his breathing shallow, every muscle tense. He slipped through a doorway into a narrow hallway, where shattered glass crunched softly under his boot. He froze.

A soft sound made him whip his head to the left. Something moved just beyond his vision. He turned the corner—and froze.

The creature sat in the middle of the hallway.

It was the same one. The beast from the castle. Long, sinewy limbs sprawled lazily across the stone floor. Its fur was dark and matted, and sharp claws idly scratched against the ground, leaving faint grooves in the stone. Its eyes—unmistakable pools of molten gold—fixed on Ethan. Slowly, the creature raised one paw to its mouth and licked it, the rough, wet sound filling the silence. Then it turned its gaze directly at him.

Ethan’s heart pounded. His hand instinctively rose to check the cloaking spell, fingers tracing the glowing rune beneath his jacket. It was still active. He was invisible.

And yet, the creature saw him.

It blinked once. Slowly.

He swallowed hard but forced himself to look away. It’s just their pet, he told himself. Ignore it.

Steeling himself, he crept forward, the beast watching him silently until he passed out of its line of sight.

---

He finally reached a heavy wooden door at the end of the hallway. It was locked, but a pulse of energy from his palm sent the mechanism clicking open.

Inside, the room was dark, the only light filtering in through a high, broken window. In the center sat Gregory, his wrists and ankles bound to a rickety chair. His mouth was gagged, and his hair hung messily over his face.

Ethan wasted no time. He hurried over, crouching beside him. Gregory’s head shot up at the movement, his eyes going wide with panic before recognition dawned.

“Gregory,” Ethan whispered, pulling the cloth from his mouth. “Are you good?”

Gregory coughed, gasping as his voice finally returned. “Ethan, you can’t be here. It’s a trap.”

Ethan frowned, beginning to cut through the ropes. “They don’t plan to let you go, do they?”

“No,” Gregory rasped, shaking his head. “They think I have something they call a heart rock.”

Ethan froze. “The Heartstone.”

Gregory looked at him urgently. “They just planned to use me to draw the queen out—so they can get the crystal from her. If they have both the crystal and the Heartstone, they’ll be unstoppable.”

“Who are they?”

“I don’t know,” Gregory said, his voice strained, “but you have to go. Save Eliza. I’ll be fine.”

Ethan ignored him. With a wave of his hand, energy sparked to life, forming a blade of pure, searing light. He raised it high. Gregory flinched.

For a moment, it looked as though Ethan meant to strike him. But instead, the blade sliced clean through the ropes.

“Let’s go save her together,” Ethan said, his voice low but firm.

Gregory stared at him for a beat, then nodded, pushing himself shakily to his feet.

They turned toward the door, but before they could move, it burst open with a thunderous crack.

Ethan spun around, his blade already raised.

Multiple men stood in the doorway, weapons gleaming in their hands. They fanned out into the room, blocking any hope of escape.

A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped forward, a wicked grin splitting his face.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Gregory shot Ethan a wry look. “Told you it was a trap.”

Ethan tightened his grip on the energy blade. “I can see that now.”