Page 4 of What Beats Within the Tunnels

“A mistake,” I interject, and he turns onto his side to face me. I don’t look him in the eye. I’m a coward and focus on the ceiling.

“What? Why? Lyra, I love you,” Nyx says, and my heart does a pitter patter in my chest, but I shut it down.

“It’s not enough… You betrayed me, Nyx. I gave you my trust, only to discover it was all a lie. I don’t know who you truly are. You’ve had so many opportunities to be honest with me, but every time you lied. Our entire relationship was based on lies.”

He sits up, tugging on me until I sit up and face him. “Lyra, I’m so sorry I hurt you. Please give me time, and I will make it up to you. I will earn your trust again.” The look in his eyes makes my throat constrict, and I swallow that lump I can feel forming again. I will not cry. I will not cry.

“I need space. I need distance. I offered you a chance to explain, and all I received were more deceptions and half-truths. Gods, you killed my father, Nyx. I know he killed your parents, but that’s part of it. Everything is so fucked up. I need time to myself to think.”

“Lyra, I can’t leave you right now, not with the blood moon coming and the ceremony about to happen.”

“I don’t need you here. I have Chepi back, and I’m so grateful you brought him to me. I have Drew here too, and she’s agreed to help me. I’m going to be okay, Nyx.”

“You can’t trust Drew. You don’t even know her.”

“You have no right to say who I can or can’t trust. Please, I need you to walk away.” My voice breaks, and I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. A part of me yearns for him to draw me in, but I know better. I need to be strong. I blink back the tears, clearing my vision. “If you’ve ever cared for me, respect my wishes and leave. I’m not at my strongest and can’t be around you right now. Please…”

He reaches out to touch my cheek, his thumb lightly brushing away a traitorous tear.

“Tell me right now you don’t love me, and I’ll leave.”

I’m forced to take a slow inhale before I meet his gaze again.

“I don’t love you, Nyx.” I make sure I say it clearly before my quivering voice can betray me. Nyx gets to his feet, puts on his clothes, and walks to the door. My heart sinks as I stare at his back walking away from me. He pulls the door open, but before he leaves he turns back to find me in the dark, his eyes glowing bright again.

“Now who’s the liar, Lyra?”

The door closes behind him, sealing his departure for good.

I pull a blanket off the bed and slump onto the floor, a harsh sob clawing at my throat. I find Chepi where he fell asleep curled into a ball and pull him against me. He licks away my tears and nudges close to me, resting his head against my neck. My heart wages a battle between elation at Chepi’s return and the anguish of Nyx’s departure.

I have no idea what time it is, but I’m still in disbelief about last night.

Chepi rolls over, and I rub his belly, relieved to have him back with me. “I was so worried about you, squish,” I murmur to him, and he yips in response, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he soaks up all the attention.

I get to my feet and head to the bathroom, my body sore from the night’s uncomfortable rest. As soon as I step in front of the mirror I’m taken aback by my reflection. I have dried blood clinging to my skin in random smears across my body. It was dark last night, and once Nyx started kissing me I forgot all about the blood on him. I quickly brush my teeth and draw a bath, scrubbing my body clean.

I rummage through the clothes left on the sink and find a simple black gown. I braid my hair into a single large plait and toss it over my shoulder, contemplating whether to stay in my room until someone comes knocking or to venture out and explore this mysterious hive. Before I can contemplate it any further, there’s a quick knock on the door. Soren peaks in.

“Good morning, Lyra,” he says, eyeing my disheveled bed that is also smeared with blood. Great…

“I’m supposed to escort you to Blood Lake. Are you ready to go?”

“Absolutely. Let’s go, Chepi,” I say, quickly pulling on my boots. Chepi’s wings manifest, and I see Soren’s eyes widen, but he doesn’t say anything.

We follow Soren up countless flights of stairs, my thighs protesting against the exertion when we finally reach the uppermost level. The never-ending corridors are still candlelit, but eerie sounds disturb the silence, stirring my curiosity about where all the castle’s inhabitants might be.

We ascend a narrow stairway that seemingly leads to a ceiling. However, upon our approach, a large hatch swings open automatically, exposing us to the daylight—a startling contrast to the hours spent in the subterranean gloom. The castle above thrums with life, and I let out a breath of relief at finally seeing other people around. We remain inconspicuous, Soren guiding us through a set of double doors and down a rocky slope toward Blood Lake.

The outside air greets us with its crisp coolness, a stark change from the musty chambers underground. Negotiating the rugged, uneven terrain demands my full attention, ensuring I don’t stumble. I’ve had enough injuries lately to last a lifetime. Chepi appears thrilled, energetically hopping from stone to stone, his wings flapping in pure delight. Upon reaching the base of the hill, I notice the lake is stunning. Its waters are a haunting deep red. No wonder it’s called Blood Lake.

“Wait here. Drew should be around shortly,” Soren says, turning to leave us.

“Hey, Soren, before you go, I want to thank you for healing me.”

He doesn’t respond. I get a slight nod, then he starts to make his trek back to the castle. He really isn’t very talkative, at least not with me. I mean, I haven’t tried to hold a conversation with him either, but he seems very closed off.

I venture closer to the water’s edge yet maintain a safe distance, wary of the unknown creatures that might lurk beneath. The intensity of the crimson hue is mesmerizing, unlike any water I’ve seen.