Whispers From Below

Chapter 39

Waking up with warm sun on my face, lunging forward Binx looked up at me. I was panting freaking out from the damn dream looking around in fear and paranoia.

Everything was normal, until I stood up and there was no pain at all. Rubbing my skin to make sure I wasn't going crazy, it was a dream though last night was all a dream!

Going behind my pillows my knife was back into place between the mattress, and it was clean from any bodily fluids. My eyes stung and face felt dry and puffy like I'd been crying in my sleep.

Running to the bathroom looking over my body in the mirror more, nothing was different, just still my birthmark, Kades mark, and all the same scars, except now two more were added. Seeing that I was no longer hurt it really sunk in that last night was not one of my dreams, it was real.

The weight of everything came crashing down on me now, being trapped in a castle within city walls and being easily hunted down by someone I was petrified of. Being completely and utterly clueless of what the hell was going on.

It felt like my chest was caving in trying to walk to my bed. My knees buckled forcing me to fall onto the ground. Putting my arms over my head and starting to sob, not even caring anymore. Grabbing the sides of my head I just let it all out in a few massive screams, shaking so much snot and tears running down my face.

If anyone had walked in the room I didn't notice, in complete tunnel vision of this panic attack. My body felt like it was going to explode, letting out more screams.

Arms went around me and I was pulled onto someone's lap, Ryland. He was rubbing my back and petting my hair, not saying a word, just letting me let it out. My voice a soft whisper. "He was here. He healed me."

Ryland pulled me away looking at my face wiping tears away, "what do you mean?" My vision blurry as I looked at him, pulling up my skirts to show him the pink scar on my thigh.

"How did he get in here Lily?" Shrugging and hiccuping out a sob "I don't know, I-I thought it was all a dream and Binx didn't even wake up during it."

Ry picked me up from the floor bringing me to bed "what else happened?"

Hugging my stomach "He knows. He knows I was the one in the woods that night when his father poisoned me." Rubbing my eyes and face clear with my skirts, "what do you mean? How does he know that?" Ryland sounded more pissed off than concerned.

Grabbing the knife from between the mattress and headboard showing him "I stabbed Leon that night and he took that knife. I stabbed Kade last night with this one. He figured it out because of them being in a set. Leon kept the other knife the entire time."

He rubbed his eyes in frustration. "I am not safe anywhere. I need to leave Ernaline."

Shaking his head "if he can get in here to you like he did, it won't matter if you're in Ernaline or not Lily." I could practically see his mind going through a million different thoughts, "why? How can he find me so easily?"

His hands balled into fists, "the mark on you is probably like a tracker for him. So you can't be hidden from him."

Putting my hand to my neck touching the rune, "what even is he because this is nothing I've seen or have been taught."

Shrugging "we all honestly do not know, all we know is his parents made a deal with someone or something. I personally think they made a deal with Nyx or Hades, anyone from the underworld."

Now that really piqued my interest the papers under the minster had Hades symbol. When learning more about essentia, they said it all branched down from different gods gifting their abilities to others. So making a deal with Hades wouldn't be so farfetch'd, assuming you could summon a god or if they were even real.

With all this bullshit it really seemed like no god was real or watching over us to help us.

"If the King sends out the assassins for Kade I am going. Whether you like it or not, you are not stopping me at all."

Ryland stared at me "out of the question Lily why the fuck would you even think about doing that?"

I wanted to be able to know more, to help everyone and to figure out what the nuns and people around me are truly hiding. Kade seemed to be the only one that'd most likely tell me. He also hasn't been on this land in years, his story is different than everyone else's here. There is so much more happening in this world than just Blagden randomly wanting to come into Ernaline. "Like I've been saying as a child, I am done being afraid."

Ryland stayed a bit longer, arguing back and forth about me going out to kill Kade which ended in him winning and leaving. Binx and I stayed in the room for the day my mind was drained and still immensely upset. Sitting on the window sill I stared out to the library looking at the crystal on top.

The door opened, Aiden came in "you've been in here all day, we are going out."

Puffy eyed looking at him, "kinda can't leave the castle per your parents orders."

Waving his hand "technically he doesn't want you in the city, we aren't going there."

Striding over to me he took my forearm tugging at me to come with "the sun is about to set though Aiden."

He laughed, "you do not seem like the kind of girl to be afraid of the dark."

He was not wrong, but at the same time I felt like a fear of it was going to start creeping up on me. Giving into his grasp he led me out of the room Binx trailing behind us, down a few weird halls and a set of stairs. "The hell are you bringing me?"

Putting a finger to his lips "shhh."

Getting to a random room filled with dusty easels, tattered blank canvas's gorgeous paintings hung all over the wall. Dried up paints caked all over the floors, hundreds of old hardened brushes in different cans everywhere. "Who paints?"

Aiden walked over to a massive ceiling to floor painting "I used to, a very long time ago."

Putting his hand on the frame of the painting he started taking it off the wall, except it was actually a door to a very slim steep staircase.

"Watch your step." He walked down 2 steps then held his hand up to me, hesitating then giving in following him down.

The stairs were just really wide ladder rungs so steep getting down to a stone platform, at Aiden's fingertips a small flame came out the small amount of essentia he could use with the crystals being up. Walking through an opened doorway to a wooden dock, a small row boat floating in dark waters.

It was a massive waterway tunnel, "it used to be how the servants would get in and out of the castle bringing things in, there's another doorway down there it's bolted shut but it leads to the storage rooms and what not."

He stepped into the boat offering his un lit hand for support, taking it and hopping in the boat rocking a bit until I sat down.

"Binx you're gonna have to stay here unless you can change into something smaller." A deep whine came out of the cethin before plopping down on the wood.

"I'll keep her safe I promise Binx, and we won't be long." Patting his massive head for a goodbye, Aiden raised his lit hand then threw the flames as it floated across the water and lit up oil lamps across the walls.

The lights reflecting off the waters made it seem like flames were floating on the water. Aiden took the oars and started rowing, a dark opening came up at the end of the tunnel but was bared up with iron.

"Duck down." He did one massive push with the oars before slouching down into the boat, following his lead quickly.