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CHAPTER FIVE: LIQUID LIGHTENING

CHAPTER FIVE: LIQUID LIGHTENING

“ may i escort you to your room 'me lady ?” chase turned on his heel and advanced down the hallway. I will never be able to find my way out of here jay thought as chase led her down a series of twisting hallways and spiral staircases. Most of the halls were decorated with portraits and long satin curtains with pictures of landscapes or buildings sewn into their bright fabrics. There were large windows on the walls and they weren't covered by a single curtain. Which made Jayla think that if you pulled the brilliantly designed curtains back, you would find something very different than a window.

Candles lit the corridors, casting a yellow gloom on everything. Long swords hung on the walls in displays. They looked like they had been well loved and that if you touched them now, they would only shatter into pebble size pieces.

Chase kept silent the whole time. He glanced back from time to time to see that she was okay and probably wondering if she was keeping pace. Jay got the feeling that Chase had slowed down his usual stride for her. He turned through a stone archway that was carved into the wall itself. Jayla followed and gasped at the sight before her. It was a room that went up six stories, a skylight at the top made it look like the stars where pressing down on the castle. Paintings lined the walls from top to bottom, all depicting a story of the clan's history. Jayla peered over the balcony railing and saw that the room continued beneath the earth.

Everything about this place was mesmerizing and had a magical sense about it. The one thing that really stumped her was why this tower had doors set into the stone walls with little balconies in front of them but there were no visible stairs to help you get to them. As Jayla looked more closely she noticed that there were things floating through the air. There were wide stone slabs, with railings on top that only covered three sides. The platforms were stopping at each rooms balcony than whizzing away like they had gotten bored.

“ beautiful isn't it?” chase's soft voice came from behind her. “come on we got to use one to get to your room.”

“what? Isn't there another way to get up there?” Jayla was never afraid of heights but the bottomless drop was a bit intimidating. A stone platform was hovering at the edge of the balcony where there was a gap in the banister.

“this is the only way to get up there. So, on you go.” he gestured for her to get on

she had expected the stone to drop into the abyss under her weight, but it didn't even lower and inch.

“I’m on now what?” her knuckles were blanching from holding on to the edge in a steel grip.

“ now you make room for me. These are meant to hold one person alone but your small enough, so i think this can work.” he spoke as he sized up the remaining space

chase jumped on and had to short of hug jay in order to not fall out of the gap at his back. The platform lurched to a start and if chase had not been holding her, jay would have probably been knocked off her feet. They floated upward, almost to the very top of the tower. The stone came to rest at a rounded black marble balcony. The door was painted a bright red and a name was carved into it with elegant swirling font. Jayla Evans . Chase rattled the door handle to try and open it, but it stayed firmly shut.

“ all the doors in this place are the same. None have been opened for centuries and are practically sealed shut. One might think they where trying to kept people away.” he sighed than he took a step back and rammed his shoulder into the door. With a loud popping sound the door swung open. “ you room awaits” chase did a little gentleman’s bow. He rubbed his shoulder and made a gesture for her to go in. Maybe the popping sound she had herd before hadn't been the been the door.