AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I glanced up, trying to recall my own age. “Close to two thousand years, give or take. Since my birth.”
His smile was so wide I saw the razor-sharp carnassial teeth shining behind his gums. “Ah, so you are what caused the breaking. You are what made the realms so volatile.”
“What do you mean?”
“The rulers of this dimension began talking. Even this far down, I could hear through the cells when the other prisoners were not bellowing. The Old Ones spoke of a boy born who would unseat them, and so they planned.”
“The Old Ones?”
“Aye,” he said, sitting and leaning back against the wall. The ground shook, and a few of the celestials righted themselves before returning to their guard stances. “I thought the Old Ones came back.”
“How so?”
“This dimension shook. I heard the roar and smelled the flames. The runes burned off my original cell. Walls fell, and powerful wings of death flapped through the sky. I crawled out of the rubble just as I saw a massive beast of scales and spikes pass. It destroyed everything in its path. Even I ran and hid. Then your tiny soldiers found me,” he said, pulling on the chains for effect.
Winged death. It was the same thing Santiago had called Dianna, and I suppose, to them, she was. She had slaughtered Tobias and destroyed much of this dimension. If Kaden was one of the Old Ones, it would make sense for her to have his power. Power so strong it made even a giant tremble.
“Tell me about the Old Ones.”
He sighed. “Perhaps after a meal.”
I rubbed my brow, knowing this would take more time than I had.
I secured every rune in place before I left Porphyrion. I had set up a rotation of celestial guards to make sure nothing ventured down while I was away. The sun had set by the time I returned to the council, which meant I had hours before dawn. I sighed in relief and sat, rubbing a hand over my face. I promised her tomorrow, and despite everything I still had to do, I couldn’t wait to have the day with her.
* * *
My head jerked up as Logan slid a small tray of roasted fowl and steamed vegetables near me.
“Neverra cooked, and you need to eat. You’ve been up here all evening.”
The Hand had been here with me since I returned from Yejedin. I had grabbed every book and scroll I could find about realms, prisons, and even worlds inside of worlds. They had been here, reading and trying to figure out why so little was known about this realm, but we came up short. So when they’d started speaking about getting food, I’d dismissed them all for the rest of the night.
“I am not hungry.” I raised my hand, massaging my temple, a million and one thoughts burrowing through my brain.
The chair near me groaned as he sat.
“Nev took Dianna something to eat. She is fine. I told Nev just to head back to our quarters.”
“And why are you not with her?”
He snorted. “Someone has to take care of you.”
I nodded, my hand still over my eyes. “It feels as though I know nothing. How did my father expect me to be king of everything if there were things he kept from me?”
Logan huffed. “Maybe he didn’t get around to telling you.”
I lowered my hand, my gaze swinging toward Logan. “He forgot to mention a prison world that has existed for thousands of years?”
Logan’s lips thinned into a line, and he shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Sighing, I pulled the plate closer and picked up my utensils. Logan flipped through a book as I ate. My mind continued to work, trying to figure out what I was missing.
“I—” I bit off the sentence that threatened to pour from my lips and stabbed a piece of meat.
Logan looked up from his book. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I lied, taking a deep breath. “It’s nothing.”
