Eyes of Ember (Imdalind Series #2)(102)

The more I moved through the silence, the more I became aware of every noise and twitch of the air surrounding me. I jumped at every creak, at the steady thumping that came from somewhere around me. I would pass doors to floors of the estate, sure I heard voices on the other side only to stop and have those voices turn into the squeaking of mice or ripping of paper.

I stopped abruptly when I had moved down about six stories, my heart thumping wildly at the pool of red liquid that occupied the landing of the steps below me. The smooth red fluid swirled aggressively as if it was being disturbed, as if something around the next turn was moving through it.

I gasped as my muscles tensed, my panic growing. I turned as quickly as I could, running back up the stairs, desperate to get away from whatever was deep within the pool of blood.

I had gone up far more floors than I had gone down when I realized that nothing was changing. I should have moved back into the manor by now, but the walls still remained red and glistening. My eyes darted around wildly before I turned to retrace my steps.

Two steps down, I howled in horror as my foot plunged into the warm pool of fluid. I looked at the bubbling pool of blood, fear pulsing through my ears. I had left this pool behind me, at least ten flights of stairs down. And yet here it was.

As I watched, the liquid lurched, growing a step and splashing against my foot. I screamed and grasped the door knob to the nearest floor. I flung my body through the door, not bothering to check if anyone was waiting for me on the other side. My only thought was to get away from the pool of blood.





Thirty-Two


I pressed my back against the door as it closed, my eyes widening as I came face to face with the longest hall I had ever seen. The walls were burnt and red. The floors were damp with large chunks missing from them. I almost expected Cail to come bursting through any of the many doors.

I tried to control my panic but I knew it was no use. Cail had trapped me in the worst nightmare I had ever experienced. This was a million times worse than every time he had chased me through the manor, hunted me through the forest, or murdered me into waking. I could feel my neck twitch in fear as I fought the urge to collapse into myself.

Instinctively, I began to sing Ilyan’s song in my head, the notes playing loudly as I walked down the hall and into the unknown realm I had entered.

I moved as silently as I could, jumping over the open gaps and tiptoeing around small animal carcasses as I moved. Every other step would trigger a sound far down the hall and I would freeze, staring at the floor, not willing to look up and face whatever might be before me. Praying that nothing was there. I kept moving, my pace slow as I trudged forward in desperation, my heart calling for a way out.

A way out?

That is what I was down here for, right?

Everything was fuzzy, like the recall in my mind was broken.

Two hours in the T?uha for every twenty minutes in the waking world. I wanted to say it had already been two hours, but it was hard to tell. Somewhere in the back of my mind I wondered if Ilyan might know how to pull me out of here, but I knew he wouldn’t. After all, Edmund and Cail wouldn’t even be playing this little game if there was a way for him to do that.

But still, I had to hope.

My thoughts were cut off as heavy footsteps began to sound behind me. These weren’t like the other sounds, these were rough and heavy. The gait was familiar in my memory. I stopped for a moment before picking up the pace, my panic moving deeper into me. My fear was becoming part of me, a tangible thing that was weaving itself into my soul.

I jumped over open caverns, moved around bones and feces only to have the vibration increase, the sound grow louder. I took one last leap before fiddling with the knob of one of the many doors along the hall. It swung wide and I jumped inside, slamming it loudly behind me before turning to face the room. But it wasn’t a room. It was yet another long hallway with more blood, more bones, and more pits into an endless abyss below.

Even though I had escaped one hallway, the rattling footsteps of the last seemed to follow me here. I couldn’t suppress the feeling that whoever it was stood right on the other side of the door.

I immediately began opening doors, the thought of escape consuming me. I moved from one hallway to another, my feet running without thinking. The only things I could focus on were the footsteps and the drumming of blood through my eardrums.

Doors.

One of them had to lead somewhere I would recognize. One of them had to lead to… to…

Where was I going?

I stopped as I moved through the fifth door in the third hallway and looked around. This hallway looked like all the others. Was there something here I was trying to find?

Yes.

But what?

I closed my eyes, racking my brain and trying to replay the last few minutes.

The way out.

I was looking for a way out.

This space was messing with my mind. I immediately turned around and went back through the door I had entered, back into another identical hallway when I froze.

Doors.

I had no way of knowing which one I had come through. I was so concerned with getting away from whatever was following me, that I had gotten myself lost, lost in the house, lost in Ryland’s mind.

I sunk down to the ground. Tears burning my face as they trailed down my cheeks, I tried to restrain the noise, unsure if Cail was down here or if he was even still trying to find me. I sucked in my tears, letting Ilyan’s lullaby take their place. I sang the song aloud, whispering the words in the desperate hope that no one would hear me, but still needing the comfort.