Empyreal, Book 1

Chapter 25

Casper's eyes fluttered open to darkness. The pounding in his head made the shadows swim before him. He could feel the cold stone floor beneath his body and the rusted metal shackles biting into his wrists. As awareness crept in, dread settled in his gut. Malachi had caught him.

He lifted a shaky hand to his throbbing temple, wincing. When he pulled it away, his fingers were slick with blood. The metallic tang of it flooded his mouth.

"Casper," came a worried voice out of the dark. "You're awake."

Kai's face appeared above him, his brows knitted with concern. His hands glowed faintly as his lunar magic danced across his fingertips, but the healing spell spluttered and died in the oppressive air of the dungeon.

"We tried to heal you, but the dark magic..." Max trailed off, his voice low and grim.

Casper squeezed his eyes shut against the pain as he tried to focus. He had walked right into Malachi's trap. Overconfidence had blinded Casper to the canniness of his former mentor, and now he was at the mercy of a ruthless monster.

Casper slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position, wincing as the movement sent spikes of pain through his skull. He leaned back against the cold dungeon wall, taking in his surroundings.

The cell was small and windowless, lit only by the faint glow of a candle. Heavy iron bars sealed them in on three sides while the fourth side was a rough stone wall dripping with moisture. Somewhere in the dark, water dripped rhythmically.

Casper looked to his new friends with regret. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I should have known better than to think I could outsmart Malachi."

Max shook his head. "This isn't your fault. We got ourselves into this mess. Malachi is smart, too smart and he's had years to perfect his tricks."

"And twisted magic to aid him," Kai added darkly.

Casper nodded slowly, then winced at the spike of pain the motion caused. "Then we're on our own. No magic to break us out." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

A cold weight pressed against Casper's thigh as he shifted in the dusty corner of the cell. He froze, his hand drifting to his pocket. The key. It was still there, smooth and chill against his fingertips.

"Hey!" Casper bolted upright; the metal clutched in his fist. "Check this out."

Max and Kai scrambled over, their eyes wide. Casper revealed the key with a flourish and a grin.

"No way!" Max gasped. "Let's bust out of here."

Kai just stared, his lips slightly parted, as Casper strode to the cell door. The Ancient iron creaked under his hands as Casper slid the key home. It stuck fast, unmoving. Casper's brows furrowed. He tried again, his teeth gritted. Still nothing.

"C'mon you piece of-" Casper twisted sharply. He let out a frustrated growl and kicked at the door, but it didn't budge.

The key suddenly flared crimson and a shockwave of force hurled Casper backwards to crash against the far wall. He collapsed with a groan, the smoke wisping from his hair. "Well, this is just great," Max said, folding his arms.

Casper rounded on him. "If you're so clever, why don't you get us out of here?" "Hey, I'm not the one who led us into this mess in the first place," Max shot back.

Casper's eyes flashed. He grabbed the skeletal key and flung it at Max.

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you do better," he said scathingly.

Max caught the key and studied it, turning it over in his hands. The metal was tarnished but still intricately carved. As he examined the details, realization struck him.

"Kai," he said slowly. "That tattoo on your arm - it's the same design as this key, isn't it?"

Kai looked down at the skeletal tattoo etched onto his skin. Its curves and angles matched the metal key perfectly.

"You're right," Kai said. "It's identical."

Max met his gaze. "I think you're the real key to getting us out of here."

Max tossed the skeletal key back to Kai. "Give it a try," he said.

Kai caught the key and walked tentatively towards the cell door. The others watched him with bated breath as he inserted the key into the lock. It slid in smoothly, the engraved pattern aligning perfectly.

With a deep breath, Kai turned the key. At first nothing happened. Then there was a faint click as the internal mechanisms shift and align. The lock popped open with a heavy clunk as the spell laden bars flung open.

Kai pushed the cell door open slowly. It swung outward without resistance, opening the way to the dark corridor beyond.

He turned back to the others, eyes wide. "It worked."

Max clapped Kai on the shoulder. "Nice job, skeleton key."

Casper moved past them eagerly. "Let's get out of here before someone comes."

Sarah stood silhouetted in the doorway, her features obscured by lingering shadows. Malachi's voice echoed down the hall, his words indistinct but his tone unmistakable—the smooth, dangerous purr of a predator cornering his prey.

Malachi's silhouette appeared beside Sarah's. He placed a hand on her shoulder and slowly swiped her hair to the side. He leaned in close, "Don't worry, everything is falling perfectly into place."

Sarah melted under his touch, her skin igniting with electricity as his finger tips grazed over her shoulder blade. She savored the sensation, closing her eyes and basking in the warmth of his presence. Her heart fluttered with excitement, hoping he could feel her longing for more.

"Tonight, all your dreams will come true." Malachi's breath was hot on her neck. "Just remember, you belong to me now."

He pulled away and Sarah sagged against the door frame, but she took a deep, steadying breath and forced herself to stand tall.

As she turned to follow Malachi, she caught a flurry of movement out of the corner of her eye. Malachi leaned in close to his servant, Roan, and whispered something she couldn't quite make out. Roan nodded briskly and slipped away into the darkness.

Sarah's stomach twisted with unease. What were they planning?

Malachi turned back to her, his earlier warmth replaced by cool calculation. "Come, we shouldn't keep the others waiting."

Sarah straightened her shoulders and fell into step beside him.

As Malachi and Sarah walked away, Max, Kai and Casper emerged from their hiding spot.

"We have to stop this wedding," Kai said, his voice low but urgent.

Casper ran a hand through his dark hair, conflicted. He had sworn loyalty to Malachi long ago, but everything about what he was doing now felt wrong.

Max's eyes were hard with determination. "Sarah doesn't want this. Malachi's manipulating her." He turned to Casper. "You know this is wrong. Help us stop him before it's too late."

Casper hesitated, turmoil raging inside him. He thought of Sarah's kind eyes and shy smile. She deserved better than being forced into a marriage with Malachi. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. He had to make this right.

"I know," he said finally. "But you have to understand that Malachi was like a brother to me for so long that the line between good and evil was blurred."

Kai grabbed Casper by the shoulders, "Try being his actual flesh and blood and then tell me how it feels."

"You're a good man Casper, don't doubt that," Max chimed in. "Now let's go kick his ass."