Stone Sacrifice ✔️Chronicles of Grey BOOK ONE [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"What exactly is the Bloodstone?" Jaz asked, her eyes wary. "Because it doesn't exactly sound like something I was an all-powerful royal getting their hands on."

Orro risked letting go of my arm between steps so that he could pat her arm. "Don't fear, dear, the Bloodstone is small and will be well hidden. Marqis would not find it."

"It's not Marqis I'm worried about." She grumbled, making several reactions happen at once.

Orro's gasped.

Arion hissed, "Jazera!" Sharply.

Ritch grimaced.

I flinched.

Cronin gaped.

It was Ridiq that said the most, grabbing her arm and yanking her to a halt. "You will not speak of the Queen in that fashion or I'll have you gagged, foolish girl."

Arion tensed and turned. "And you will not speak to my sister in that fashion."

Which of course, made me laugh, nearly curling over in a fit of giggles. When everyone looked at me in surprise, I grinned at Arion. "Sorry." I cleared my throat. "It's just, he sounded very much like you at that moment."

Aitch started chuckling in agreement and Jaz took that opportunity to pull her arm from Roriq's grasp.

I decided I would speak to Jazera alone later, but for now I let it drop and we kept walking, the four Shadows lifting their fire for light.

The tunnel we walked through was not anything grand. With rough stone walls, dirt floors that dipped without warning, and water dripping from cracks informing us that it was raining, the tunnel was quite gloomy. It broke off in places, going down other tunnels, some caved in a bit, but we always stuck to the main line, shuffling along mostly in silence, keeping at Orro's slow pace.

Then we abruptly turned off and Roriq went ahead to light some lanterns around the room.

And what a room it was.

Oh it was still the same cracked wall and dirt flooring, though this was improved because of the lack of dripping water. But the room was stack filled with items all hiding beneath silk covers or in heavy chests of wood and iron. The few things that were not hidden were of glass arrows, ancient shields, helms of plated iron inlaid with the occasional jewel.

Aitch gave a whooping sound and went on ahead, making my lip twitch as I looked around.

"This was all in the front room where we call the main room now, but we've moved it all down here so we could be closer to the statue and know when you came." Orro was saying. "Most of it was maintenance stuff, but there were these items as well. We're not sure why the were left."

"Coins!" Aitch shouted with glee, opening a chest. He started putting things in the pockets of his cloak. Orro watched with amusement a moment and let him be.

"This way, dear, it's right in the back."

We passed paintings between wooden protectors, hundreds of oddly shaped raw, sandglass, some chests filled with crystals or even gold and gems. But my eyes were for the thin pedestal with a silk cloth covered it dust sitting over it.

Roriq did the honours of slipping the silk off.

The stone was small, no larger then my pinky nail. A pale grey it was with flecks of white, but the deep red ribbon in it looked like blood. It shined slightly, and my hand reached out to it without thinking. Arion held me back, giving me an odd look. I flushed - wondering why I would reach for the Bloodstone so easily when I had not even dared touch the White - and kept my hands at my sides.