A Beautiful Evil (A Beautiful Book. 1) #Wattys2015

Chapter Fifteen - Frozen Fingers

Nine hundred feet. That's how deep Alkaia's cave was. I remember that much, at least. The stairway down to the dragon's lair was dark and cramped. Bricks lined the way, and small patches of green moss grew in the cracks. I ran my hands along them, wondering how something so soft could grow in a place like this. Torches lined that walls, and it was the only source of light, so I took comfort in staying near them.

With every step you took, the undeniable scent of mold and earth got stronger. I even thought I caught the stench of a decayed soul, but its smell was stale and old, lacking life. For a moment, I wondered why the air was heavy and damp, and my unwashed tangles started frizzing out at every angle. I growled and tried to slick my hair down with the water from the walls. A hand softly landed on my shoulder; It was Charles. "It's fine. You look beautiful."

My mouth fell open and I gawked at him. Catching myself, I hoped I didn't look to much like a fish that needed water, and gave him a small smile. Blush crept to my cheeks, and I could tell by the look on his face I was glowing brighter than a Christmas tree topper. "Thank you," I mumbled, self-consciously tucking a few strands of black hair behind my ear.

Footsteps sounded behind us, and soon Adrian appeared from behind the curve in the wall with Avery tailing.

"What's the hold up?" asked Adrian, his eyes moving between Charles and I. My mouth flopped open in response, and I did that whole 'fish out of water thing' again. As always, Charles came to my rescue.

"Mara thought she saw a mouse." Adrian laughed, his gaze turning to me, the laugh lines on his face crinkling.

"Really? A mouse, Sister?" he chuckled, but I wasn't listening. I was looking at Avery.

The expression mounted on his face proved that Avery didn't believe the mouse story, and it confused me. Why would he look upset? And what really confused me was, why did I feel guilty about it?

Charles grazed my shoulder again with his hand, and I jumped at his touch. Avery shot him daggers, and thankfully Charles didn't catch them.

* * * * *

I led the rest of the way, and it took a good half hour before the stairs melted into a solid concrete hallway, the ceiling short and hugging our heads. Looking forward, all I saw was a dark hole. A blackness so dark I was afraid it would swallow me whole. My gargoyle stirred to life, just below the skin, offering assistance whenever I called it. I pushed it away, telling myself that nothing down here was out to hurt us. No Archangel was crouched in the shadows, ready to leap out and shove a deadly dagger into my heart.

Taking my first step into the hallway, light erupted from the walls - more torches. At least a hundred lined the walls, bathing the long corridor in an orange glow. The torches themselves were like the lights on a runway, leading straight up to a large, heavy wooden door.

The tension in the air was hot and alive, and I made sure that I walked between Charles and Avery. Charles walked in front of me then, leading the way down the narrow corridor. Avery was to my back, and I could feel him pressing closer. It was a mystery how Adrian hadn't picked it up, or how he was totally oblivious to the discomfort that came along with having Avery so close.

But in all honesty, and as much as I hated to admit it... I was starting to warm up to the idea of Avery tagging along. As long as he left his lousy attitude behind, that is. But that was hard to see out of him.

"What's up with you and Harry Potter?" said Avery, whispering quietly enough that Charles couldn't hear, even with his extended hearing.

I jumped a little at the sound of his voice, dark and inviting. I looked over at him, and he somewhat seemed eager to have a conversation with me. I was about to say something snotty, to push him away and cuss him out for all I was worth, but a sudden wave of fatigue washed over me, and I just didn't have the gumption to argue with him. Plus, deep down - and I mean way, way, way deep down - I missed him. So swallowing my pride, I answered, "Who?"