Blood-Bound [ Lore of Penrua: Book I ]

24

There was a long hall leading down into the earth by way of many cobbled stairs. Iron sconces lined the walls every several feet, welling with a rust-colored flame that cast an eerie red light over everything.

The way was narrow, and the air around Mhera grew cooler as she went down. As she descended the steps and left the danger well behind her, her panic began to fade and her curiosity rose. She had never been here before; she had not known there was such a way into the palace. Did it lead to storage? To the kitchens?

At the foot of the stairs, the way leveled out and stretched on ahead of her, deep into the bowels of the palace. Suddenly, she came upon a pair of guards.

No ... not guards. They were replicas of the statues from outside. They were huge, half again the size of a normal man, and stood one on either side of a wide, open doorway leading into a shadowy room beyond. Each was carven of brown stone and dressed with real metal arms. They had artful hair swirling down over their shoulders, the detail of it articulated with a few thoughtful lines etched into the stone. Graven into the sculptures' naked chests were her uncle's rose and stars.

With a sense of foreboding now, Mhera advanced toward the doorway, but she stopped with a gasp. The heads of the two stone men—broad faces, glittering ruby eyes—turned in unison as if to watch her progress across the room. The movement was slow and ponderous; a soft grinding noise echoed around the chamber.

Mhera's heart raced with the same wild adrenaline she had felt when the shouts rose up from the other side of the courtyard. She realized with sudden, sharp clarity that she was alone. Could these creatures harm her? Would they? They seemed to be set to guard the chamber beyond. If they chose to take violent action against her, she would surely be killed. Their hands alone looked as long as her forearm.

A thin, unearthly cry came from somewhere within the dark chamber beyond the stone men. "Please ..."

It was a woman's voice. Mhera's mind raced to understand what could be happening. Was someone in the chamber beyond wounded? Had some of the ruffians made it down here? Had she run from danger into darker danger still, alone?

What if it was just a palace servant, someone who had fallen or gotten hurt down here in the dark?

After a moment's quick consideration, Mhera called in reply, "Yes, madam, I am here ... but I do not think the stone men will permit me to pass!"

There was a brief silence. Then, the woman's voice came again. This time it was almost wild, as if an undercurrent of laughter moved the words along. "They won't harm you, girlie, I don't think. They never do harm the guards. Unless you come as a stranger, and armed, mayhap. If you do, I cannot say. Perhaps they'll crush your skull against the paving stones! What a mess that would be, for you most of all." A shrill giggle punctuated the end of the sentence.

Mhera, horrified, fought an urge to turn back. A chill danced down her spine at the woman's words. The information she provided was hardly encouraging, and her crudely merry tone less so. Mhera carried no weapons, and she was not a stranger to the palace. She might get past the golems, but did she want to face this stranger in the room beyond?

Then again, did she want to go back above and face the fighters outside? Certainly there was more danger behind her than there could be before. And she could hardly wait in a stairwell to be discovered. There were guards on patrol, but it might be hours before they actually came through this dank, quiet passage.

Swallowing her anxiety, Mhera gathered her courage around her and moved forward. The stone golems seemed to watch her closely with their glowing eyes, but neither made any further move; they let her pass unhindered. Mhera breathed a sigh of relief, emerging into the chamber beyond the guardians. Her body was alive with anxiety and instinct, and sweat prickled the skin at the base of her spine. She took in her surroundings, wide-eyed in the gloom.