A Kingdom of Monsters (Wilde Fae #4)

19. LONNIE

19

LONNIE

THE CUTTHROAT DISTRICT, INBETWIXT

S iobhan led us to the very same wine cellar where months ago Bael and I had joined the thieves before we all descended into the sewers. At first I thought we might be going that way again, and I braced myself remembering the horrible smell, and the way my boots squelched on the floor, stepping in Aisling only knew what.

Thankfully, we did not end up in the sewers.

Instead, Siobhan opened another hidden stone door in the wall and motioned for us to enter. The door creaked open, revealing a dark room.

“This is where I leave you,” Siobhan said. “The entrance to the vault is over there. I recommend you step carefully once you’re inside. You don’t want to set off any traps.”

“Thank you,” I said automatically, peering into the dark within. Then, my mind catching up with me, I spun back around. “Wait! What are the traps?”

She didn’t answer me, and when I looked back behind us she’d already disappeared. Moving as swiftly and quietly as a shadow. I wondered if that was part of her unseelie magic or if Cross had trained her to move without detection. Possibly both. With any luck, we wouldn’t have to move through the vault in such a manner, because we might be many things but quiet was not one of them.

Sure enough, our boots slapped against the stone floor, echoing loudly off the ceiling as we entered.

“Damn,” I hissed as we walked. “She might not have known how to disarm the traps, but she could have at least warned us what we’re dealing with.”

Ambrose stopped in front of me and I came to a halt behind him, blinking until my eyes adjusted to the dim light. After a moment, I realized the room was larger than I’d originally thought. Much, much larger.

We were standing within an enormous stone cavern. It was nearly half the size of the main room of the thieves' den. Stone pillars hung from the ceiling and the floor, and water dripped softly off naturally occurring stalagmites and stalactites.

“I expected another room like the den,” I said to no one in particular.

“As did I,” Scion agreed.“This cave must have already been here before the city was constructed. Leave it to Cross to choose the most dangerous place possible to hide his treasure.”

“Why is it so dangerous?” I asked. “Aside from the traps that is.”

“Because of how old the cave itself is,” Bael replied from where he walked behind me. “The old ones live in places like this.”

I shivered and it had nothing to do with the chill damp air.

I’d met an old one once—an enormous murderous snake that was likely older than Elsewhere itself. It spoke in riddles and devoured fae and humans alike, leaving their bodies mangled and floating in the quarry of Inbetwixt. I had no desire to encounter anything of that nature ever again.

As if my thoughts had made me paranoid, at that moment I could have sworn I saw something move in my peripheral vision. I quickly spun around, anxious to see who or what was there. Instead, all I saw was a skeleton propped up against the wall. Torn and moth-eaten rags hung off the bones, and beside the wretched person was a small pile of gold. Like whomever this had once been had died with their stolen treasure in their hand.

“I guess Siobhan was right,” I said with forced cheerfulness. “Some people don’t make it out.”

The men turned around to follow my gaze. Scion grimaced at the skeleton. “Cross is fucked in the head. He could have simply placed that there as a deterrent.”

"Well, if so, it’s a good one.” I shuddered.

Bael glanced back the way we’d come. “We need to make sure we can get back out once we’ve gotten the jewel. If the doors shut on their own, or…” he trailed off, looking meaningfully at the skeleton.

“Someone should wait here, to open the doors if something happens,” Ambrose agreed.

“Fine,” Scion said briskly. “You do that.”

“I didn’t mean me,” Ambrose snapped, widening his eyes meaningfully in my direction.

“He’s right, little monster. You should stay,” Bael said quickly. “If it’s really as dangerous as Siobhan claimed, I don’t want you anywhere near that vault.”

“Too late for that,” I said acidly. “Anyway, how do you know I don’t have to get the jewel myself? Like the hunts. Maybe it’s part of being worthy.”

“You don’t believe that,” Scion drawled, eyeing me with a raised eyebrow.

I pressed my lips together. He was right, I didn’t believe I had to personally collect the jewel. Still, I’d be damned before I let them leave me behind.

“If that door does shut on its own, how am I supposed to help?” I argued. “I can’t wrench a metal door off the hinges like any of you could. You’d end up just as trapped as if all four of us went, only you’d know I was on the other side of the door unable to help you. I know you all think I’m useless at fighting, but–”

“No one thinks you're useless,” Bael said almost harshly. “We think you’re too important to risk.”

My chest swelled with warmth at those words, but I still wasn’t going to give up. “You all keep trying to protect me from every tiny thing, but that can’t last. Either I’m worthy of the crown or I’m helpless and need you all to save me. It can’t be both.”

Everyone fell silent looking both angry and also resigned. Like I’d made a good point, but not one they liked.

Scion turned to Ambrose. “She’s right. It needs to be you. If the door closes, you’d be able to get it open, but more importantly, you’re the most likely to realize if something is wrong.”

“But I can’t–” He broke off, giving Scion a meaningful glance.

“I said the most likely, not that I’m expecting total omniscience,” Scion muttered, clearly agitated.

“Fine,” Ambrose burst out angrily, turning on his heel and heading back toward the door. “Don’t die.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Scion replied dryly. “If I died while you got to wait safely outside, my spirit would be forced to return so I could kill you myself.”

Bael laughed, but I didn’t find anything particularly funny at the moment.

I waited a beat, warring with myself over…something. I wasn’t entirely sure what was wrong with me. I felt itchy, like if I didn’t at least say something–do something—I was going to crawl out of my skin.

Almost as if he read my mind. Or–I was embarrassed to hope it–he was thinking the same as I was, Ambrose glanced back over his shoulder at me. Our gazes connected, and a small shock, like static, surged through my veins.

Almost like he’d felt it too, Ambrose shivered, then smiled. “Stay safe, love. I couldn’t bear it if anything were to happen to you.”

I bit my bottom lip and swallowed thickly, recognizing his words immediately. It was the same thing he’d said right before leaving me in Underneath. Right after he’d kissed me…

A wild, untamed part of me wanted to do it again. I had the most bizarre desire to dart after Ambrose and press my lips to his, just in case we really did die and never see him again.

But I didn’t.

Silently, I promised myself that if we came back–when we came back–I’d act on my impulse.

At least then the kiss wouldn’t be a goodbye, but possibly a hello.

Bael, Scion and I continued on into the depths of the cavern, our boots echoing on the damp stone ground. The only other sound was our breathing and the occasional drip of water echoing in the darkness.

As we cautiously made our way towards the back of the cavern, a glimmer caught my eye. My heart raced with anticipation as the looming shape of an enormous door came into view. Its ancient stone surface was etched with intricate patterns and symbols I couldn’t read or begin to understand.

I stepped forward, then glanced at Bael and Scion for confirmation before I reached for the door handle. My hands trembled as I yanked at it, fully expecting to find it locked.

Instead, the door swung open easily and I stumbled back, surprised by the momentum.

“It’s unlocked,” I blurted out, as if they couldn’t easily see that for themselves.

Scion grimaced. “That’s not a good thing, rebel. It probably means there’s something worse on the other side.”

I frowned, knowing he must be right. “I suppose we’ll have to find out, won’t we.”

“I’ll go first,” Scion announced. “Bael, in back, and you stay between us, rebel.”

Without a word, I switched places and followed him through the entrance and into a narrow stone passage. I’d convinced them to let me come along, I didn’t need to push my luck by insisting on walking at the front.

The passage was pitch dark, the air thick with dust and mildew. I could barely see two steps in front of me, and on instinct, I conjured up a small flame in my hand to guide us

Bael looked at me appreciatively. “You’re getting good at that, little monster.”

I laughed nervously. “Don’t congratulate me yet, I could easily still light us all on fire.”

No one laughed, likely remembering the burning tents of the previous night. That had only been a mere day ago, but somehow it already felt like an eternity.

“I wonder what Idris is doing in the capital,” I said, nearly as much to break up the silence of the passage as because I wanted to discuss my theory.

“Probably beginning plans for his segregated human towns,” Scion replied offhand.

I gasped, only just now realizing he was probably right. Idris had been more than clear about his intentions for a “better” Elsewhere. He wanted high fae to rule in isolation, with all other creatures separated off by walls and borders.

“You know what just occurred to me?”

“What’s that, rebel?”

“Aisling was the one who created Underneath, right? Before she united the country, Unseelie were free to roam wherever they wanted.”

“That’s right, little monster. I suppose she passed on her segregationist ideas to her son.”

“It’s different,” Scion growled. “Underneath was created to keep monsters from attacking the cities. Sending the humans away wouldn’t protect them, or anyone else.”

I had a retort ready on the tip of my tongue, but never got a chance to use it.

Suddenly, my foot landed on a thin wire that had been strategically placed across the floor. With a loud click, the corridor erupted into chaos as multiple bows were triggered, arrows whizzing past us with deadly accuracy.

“Get down!” Bael barked in my ear.

He didn’t have to say it, I was already diving for the floor, covering my head with my arms. I’d recently had the experience of being pierced with a crossbow, and of all the horrible injuries I’d sustained I thought that might have been the most painful.

When the sound of the arrows flying overhead finally subsided, I lay panting on the rough stone floor. In front of me, Scion peeled himself off the wall, and walked across the passage to pick up one of the arrows, inspecting it. “Source forged,” he said bitterly, throwing it back down onto the floor. “Don’t step on any more of those lines, the arrows could actually do some damage.”

“Thank you for that insight, my lord. I was really going out of my way to step on them intentionally, but now I’ll do my best to avoid the deadly traps.”

Bael laughed as Scion scowled, the tips of his ears turning slightly pink. “Just be careful,” he muttered.

I shot him a grin. “Always.”

I didn’t step on any more traps, and finally I spotted a door ahead, signaling the end of the passage.

“I’ll go first,” Scion growled again, almost unnecessarily as he was already standing closest to the door. “Wait here to see if anything happens before you follow.”

I nodded. I was tempted to point out that Cross had undoubtedly made this vault intending that any intruders would be fae. All the traps were sure to be full of Source forged weapons, and Scion wasn’t much more likely to survive being hit by a dozen of them than I was.

I kept my mouth shut, though, as he stepped through the door. Pointing out the obvious wouldn’t make our situation any easier, or less dangerous.

Scion stood perfectly still, just within the next room. Nothing seemed to be happening, but still I held my breath, letting it out only after several long moments. Taking another few steps into the next room, Scion beckoned for Bael and I to follow.

The room was far smaller than the cave-like entrance, and my flames illuminated every corner equally.

The walls were made of stone like the passage, but carved with dozens of looping decorations–like the symbols marking the door we’d first passed through to reach this point.

In the center of the room stood four imposing statues, each at least ten feet tall. The figures were carved out of solid rock, their fixed expressions all equally stern and unyielding. Each statue held a key in its outstretched stone hand, all of different metals. There was one silver, one gold, one bronze, and one that I thought might be carved from solid obsidian.

“What the fuck are those for?” Bael wondered aloud.

I furrowed my brow. “I assume one of them is the key to the vault. Or to the next room, at the very least.”

“Which one?” Bael asked, not seeming to expect an actual answer.

I frowned. Which one indeed.

It seemed apparent that we couldn’t simply grab every key and try them one after another. If Siobhan was right about the traps, then taking the wrong key was sure to have dire consequences.

I took a small step forward, and scanned my gaze over each statue in turn. Immediately, I saw they were not as identical as I’d initially thought. Two had more feminine looking features, while the other two seemed to be male. Three of the four had rounded human ears, while only the woman on the center left had the long pointed ears of the high fae. Their carved stone clothing also differed slightly from one another. Each wore a long robe, but with different patterns decorating the hems. The closest statue carried a sword, while the one on the opposite end held a goblet of wine.

I bit my lip, thinking. If we were supposed to choose the right statue, there had to be some clue here somewhere. Cross had been the one to build this vault afterall, and I trusted him to aire on the side of the dramatic.

Turning in a small circle, I raised my flames higher to illuminate the room. My heart skipped an excited beat. Sure enough, the looping pattern on the wall was not a decoration, as I’d initially thought. It was words, carved directly into the stone. I leaned closer to read.

Silver but not silver.

Worth twice its weight in gold.

Forged of blood and ash.

What once was poison, now lies cold.

My pulse quickening with excitement, pointed at the words. “Look!”

Scion and Bael both turned as one, tensing as if they expected to be attacked. When they saw where I was pointing however, they relaxed.

“Silver but not silver?” Scion repeated, a mocking derision in his voice. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Well, that’s kind of the point of a riddle,” Bael replied dryly. “What does it mean?”

Scion rolled his eyes. “I’m going to kill Cross the next time I see him. This is too much. Both of you, stand back.”

“Why?” I said too quickly.

“Because I want to know what happens if we pick the wrong key. We could stand here trying to solve some damn riddle, or we could just try each key until one works.”

“But if you take the wrong one it will surely set off a trap.”

“I know,” Scion replied. “But what kind of trap? The only way to know for sure how dangerous this is is to test it.”

Hesitantly, I stepped back toward the wall. Without commenting, Bael came to stand in front of me, blocking my view of the statues.

“You could at least let me watch,” I grumbled, trying to edge out from behind him. “For all you know the floor will cave in if we pick the wrong key, and then it won’t matter if you were in front of me.”

“You're right, little monster.” Bael grinned and grabbed my hand tightly in his fingers. “There. Now if it does fall in, I can shadow walk us both out of here.”

“You’re insane,” I mumbled, but didn’t pull my hand away.

Bael’s eyes flashed, and I was sure he was thinking about all the ways he could show me even more insanity.

Once we were out of the way, Scion strode confidently toward the platform with all the statues. He reached out and snatched the obsidian key from the hand of the statue on the far right.

Immediately, another barrage of arrows flew through the air.

I let out an involuntary scream, my eyes going wide as Scion flattened himself on the ground, only narrowly avoiding the arrows.

“Alright.” He got to his feet again. “That’s good news.”

“What, that you didn’t get shot by arrows?”

“No. It’s good that there’s nothing more here than arrows. Stand back again.”

One by one, Scion grabbed each key from the stone statue. He’d take the key, then hit the ground, covering his head until the arrows passed. He repeated this four times until the ground was littered with arrows, and Scion held all the keys in his fist.

“Brilliant,” Bael said loudly. “That saves us some time.”

Looking pleased with himself, Scion sauntered over to the door each of the four keys clutched tightly in his fist. We darted after him, and waited with bated breath as he tried the first key. Then the second. For each other I held my breath, practically shaking with anticipation.

But then?—

“What the fuck,” Scion barked, as I’d known he would the moment the fourth key failed to turn in the lock.

“I suppose Cross wasn’t willing to risk anyone cheating.” I threw him a sympathetic glance. “We’ll have to solve the riddle.”

“But how?” Scion demanded. “I’ve already tried them all.”

“The keys must be a trick,” I replied, already striding back to the wall. “They’re there so that you focus on them and don’t think too much about the riddle as a whole.”

I stared up at the scrawled words on the wall, considering. I’d never had to solve a riddle like this before. Indeed, when would I have had the opportunity? But I did spend many years specializing in deception and misdirection. It was a few words, how hard could that be to uncover.

Minutes ticked by and a bead of sweat appeared on my brow. Some part of me felt sure that we could not stay here forever. That something would go wrong if we took too long to answer.

I read the riddle again, aloud, pronouncing each word slowly. “Silver but not silver. Worth twice its weight in gold. Forged of blood and ash. What once was poison, now lies cold.”

“One of the keys is silver,” Bael said, a note of uncertainty in his usually confident voice.

I pointed at the wall. “But it’s not silver.”

“What does that mean?” Bael asked.

“I have no idea.”

I pressed my palms into my closed eyes, a familiar feeling of inferiority creeping over me. It was how I’d felt when I first realized how little I understood of Fae culture, despite having lived alongside it all my life. It was how I felt when the old tongue was spoken, and I couldn’t understand. It was how, even now, I wondered if everyone around me was mocking me for my lack of education. My lack of experience. My unworthiness to be here.

Sometimes I wished to return to the valley outside Aftermath and imagine that none of this had ever happened.

Of course, that was ridiculous on a number of levels. Not least of which was that the city of Nightshade—now called Aftermath—hadn’t been a city at all since the day I was born.

I took my hands away from my face, my eyes widening. My heart skipped a beat of excitement.

“Nightshade is a poison,” I mused under my breath.

“What was that, little monster?’

I shook my head, still thinking, and read the riddle again. Silver but not silver…what once was poison now lies cold.

A smile spread across my face. “Wait, I think I’ve got it.”

I dashed across the room and snatched one of the fallen arrows off the ground.

“Are you going to pick the lock?” Scion asked, obvious skepticism in his tone.

“Look—” I held up the arrow. “The arrow tip is silver, but not made from actual silver. It’s made from steel, which is made from iron and carbon.”

“Blood and Ash.” Bael’s eyes flashed with excitement.

“Exactly. And it’s forged in the poison named city?—”

“—which now lies cold,” Bael finished for me, grinning widely. “Brilliant, little monster.”

I grinned, feeling actually useful for once.

Scion stepped out of the way so I could approach the door. There was no slot for the arrow or anything so convenient as that. Instead, I held my breath in anticipation and scraped the arrow head over the metal keyhole.

At once, the door opened, a loud creak of hinges alerting us that no one had been here in quite some time.

I peered inside and gasped.