Page 10 of Gilded Curses

She couldn’t embarrass herself by being carried inside. These immortals proclaimed peace, but like a rabid dog, it was only a matter of time before they turned. Until then, she would have to play along and learn as much as she could about them in the hopes of ferreting out some weaknesses.

Like the immortals, the entire town, walls, and especially the castle glittered with gold. She knew what these immortals were, or at least what others had called them.

Everyone had heard tales of the Golden Ones, also known as the dagadon, throughout the years. They were a fairy tale told to children before bed, make believe… but they weren’t.

She had no idea how they’d gotten here or why they’d hidden themselves away so well that they’d become nothing more than a tale. They had to be dealing with the dagadon, and she had no idea what to make of this place or them.

Though, she did not trust Desmond. He creeped her out.

As she walked through the gates, she tried to recall everything she’d heard about the Golden Ones, but despite the many stories of the lost golden immortals, none of the tales revealed much about them.

As soon as the gates closed, the children laughed as they ran forward to race excitedly around them. Their eager chatter filled the air while also sending a shiver down Sahira’s spine.

Many continued to smile, but others strolled with looks that said they’d prefer to be elsewhere. She’d prefer to be anywhere else too, but she doubted she’d get any better options anytime soon.

While they walked, she’d surreptitiously tried to open a portal and failed. They were as trapped in this golden city, with that smiling freak Desmond, as they were in Belda’s town.

She yearned to run screaming from this place; they’d only swarm her and bring her back if she tried. Tensed beside her, she knew Orin was waiting for an opportunity to carve through them all, but they were far outnumbered, and he was far from a fool.

Infuriating, stubborn, and completely afraid of commitment? Yes.

An idiot with a death wish? Not so much.

Zeth’s fingers kept opening and closing, one at a time. When they did, his claws clicked together as his yellow eyes glistened with murderous intent.

But like Orin, he wasn’t an idiot and wanted to return to his family. Trying to attack these immortals wouldn’t help with that. It might not only result in his death but all of theirs.

For the most part, other than the occasional murmur from a Golden One and the click of Zeth’s claws, everyone was hushed. Sahira was pretty sure these golden immortals were the enemy but couldn’t be certain.

So far, they’d done nothing wrong and might be as trapped as the seven of them were. She could only watch, wait, and hope they weren’t killed.

When no one emerged from the doors of the small cabins, and she didn’t see any pedestrians on the streets, Sahira realized the entire town had come out to greet them when they emerged from the tunnel. It had truly been an event for these immortals. And she didn’t understand any of it.

This place was beautiful, and its residents literally shone in the sun, but she’d rather be running from another scarog beetle than standing in this golden city. There was a reason why no one lived beyond these walls; whether that was because of an outside enemy, or an inside one, she didn’t know.

She suspected it was the latter.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

They made their way up a hill and toward the golden castle. As far as castles went, it was on the smaller side but still towered above the humble cabins surrounding them.

Its highest tower was five stories, but most of the main building was only two floors. A single section at the front consisted of three floors.

One of the Golden Ones, who wore a white, floor-length dress, hurried forward to get in front of Desmond. She grasped the golden handle, shaped like a lion’s head, and pulled the door open.

It glided soundlessly outward as Desmond swept into the castle with many followers close on his heels. Most of the Golden Ones hung back to stand outside the doorway as they watched Sahira and the others enter the castle.

Sahira glanced back and realized the numbers with them had been cut to almost a third of the original ones. Still, at least four hundred or so of the immortals remained, and while they were all strong, they couldn’t take down those numbers.

She wasn’t sure Orin and Zeth felt the same way, especially as the speed of Zeth’s clicking increased, but neither did anything foolish.

“Welcome to Epoch,” Desmond said as he gave a sweeping gesture with his left arm to encompass the grand entryway.

An open layout spread out before them. A floating staircase twisted its way up to three floors above their head. A golden dome with a glass ceiling allowed the sun’s rays to spill onto the white marble floor beneath her.

The stairs on the second floor branched off to a balcony leading into the separate wings of the castle. From there, the steps wound up to the third floor, where they once again split off into separate wings.

Flickering lights, that resembled flames, sat inside golden sconces. They weren’t real flames, but the magic illuminating this place made them dance like they were.