Page 52 of What Beats Within the Tunnels

Dorian raises an eyebrow playfully. “It might seem simple to you, but crafting the weapon is where the real challenge lies.” He winks, causing me to laugh.

“Didn’t mean to belittle the process. I can’t wait to see what you create,” I respond, my anticipation evident.

“That’s the spirit,” Dorian replies, his eyes glowing. “It’s not just about forging a weapon. It’s about intertwining your essence with its very core. And that, dear Lyra, is an art.” He carefully secures the bag, his fingers brushing over the pulsing stones inside. “Rest assured, it’ll be something truly unique.”

Colton smiles, pulling me closer. “Everything involving you tends to be extraordinary.” I blush, nudging him playfully.

“Alright, I’ll leave you two to it. I’ll drop these off at my workshop then join you for dinner,” Dorian remarks before vanishing, and I feel Colton’s eyes on me once more.

“Well, we could explore the mines, but really there’s nothing exciting to see. Instead, I have one more stop to make before heading back home. I need to visit my parents’ house and grab a couple of things. Do you want to come with me?” Colton asks. I turn to face him, hesitating for a moment. It’s not that I don’t want to go; I’m just unsure about who we might run into. What if I see Nyx? Or what if I encounter Colton’s parents and...

“My parents won’t be home, if that’s what’s making you anxious,” he says, smirking at me. I mentally check my shields. “Yes, take me with you. And I’m not afraid to meet your parents. I mean, I have met them before. It’s just that now, after…” I’m not exactly sure what Colton and I are doing, what this is between us.

“I know,” he says, pulling me close. Chepi flies into my arms, and then Colton’s fresh citrus scent picks up with the wind as we channel. My feet touch down inside the elders’ palace, and I recognize it instantly – we’re inside the grand foyer.

“Make yourself at home, look around. Down that way,” he says, pointing to a hallway, “you’ll find a hall full of incredibly embarrassing family photos you can tease me about later. I need to grab something, but it’ll only take a few minutes. I’ll come find you afterward.” He gives me a reassuring smile and a nod before taking off up the stairs.

Releasing Chepi, who flutters alongside me, I head toward the hallway of family photos Colton mentioned. Curiosity tugs at me about what he’s doing upstairs and why he didn’t want me along. I decide to wait and see what he retrieves and ask him about it later.

Crossing a grand sitting room, I turn a corner into a long hallway. True to his word, it’s covered in pictures. Wooden frames span the entirety of both walls. The hallway is rather dark, so I conjure a small orb of light in my hand and toss it ahead to illuminate the photos.

Gods, I don’t think I’ve ever seen pictures like these up close before. I’ve only ever seen paintings and sketches that attempt to depict people and places, but they don’t always capture the exact likeness. It must be nice to grow up in a wealthy Fae family with the magical capabilities to capture such memories.

In the Sorcerer Realm, you would never find anything like this. It actually annoys me now, knowing my father was Fae and could have captured photos and taught me how to do it as well. I laugh, thinking about the family paintings we have in the halls of Tempest Moon Castle and how ridiculous I always looked in them. I thought the artists always painted me like a funny-looking doll, not the mischievous girl I actually was. The Fae are lucky to have the kind of magic that preserves memories in such a real way.

As I walk down the hallway, each photo of Colton alongside his parents strikes me as formal, almost harsh. The resemblance between him and his mother is undeniable. Granger, his father, has always unsettled me since our first meeting at the dinner party here. Thankfully, Colton bears little resemblance to him.

I pause in front of a photo showing a young Colton at a conference table surrounded by older men, including his father. Even as a teenager, he sits taller and broader than the others, his warrior-like build evident even then. “Pretty funny, huh?” I say to Chepi, tracing my finger over the photo.

Moving on, I find a picture of Colton’s parents with another couple, unmistakably Nyx’s parents, given the strong resemblance Nyx shares with his mother. But his father, Callum—if that’s him—is imposingly large, towering over Granger and the others.

I toss the light orb from hand to hand as I cross to the other side of the hall, casting light on the wall. The photos get older as I walk further. Now, Colton appears as a child in a photo with a group of friends. Flora, with her curly red hair, stands out immediately. Next to her is Nyx, then Bim, and a young Dorian, identifiable by his blue eyes. At the other end is Colton, larger than the rest, and between him and Nyx is another girl—Z, with her light, strawberry-blonde hair in a tangled mess.

I chuckle, imagining what it must have been like growing up together as friends. A pang of longing hits me; I wish I had experienced something similar in my childhood.

I hear a sudden clang, like someone walking in heels in the distance. Quickly, I call my light back to me, plunging the hallway into darkness. Chepi drops to the ground and darts down the hall, his tail wagging. I whisper-yell after him, but he ignores me, prompting me to chase after him. I’m half-expecting to run into a servant, and I’m really hoping it’s not Colton’s mother, Elspeth. She was nice to me, but encountering her right now would be incredibly awkward.

“Chepi!” I hear her voice exclaim from around the corner. Instantly, I recognize it as Flora’s. A mix of worry and excitement washes over me at the thought of being found here, but my steps don’t falter. As I turn the corner, Flora’s long red hair flips over her shoulder as she spins toward me. When our eyes meet, she quickly closes the distance and pulls me into a tight hug.

“Lyra, darling, how are you?” she asks, pulling back to hold my shoulders, her brown eyes scanning me as if looking for injuries.

“I’m good. I’ve missed you,” I tell her as she releases me to pick up Chepi, showering him with pets. Chepi responds with a lick on her cheek, making her laugh. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, you know me, always finding a reason to visit the library here. And what brings you here? If you’re here, then the rumors about your recent company must be true,” she says, her smile holding a coy edge.

“Oh gods, what rumors are those?” I ask, my internal cringe at the thought of Nyx hearing rumors about me.

“Just whispers of a certain Fae male being seen with you,” she replies, setting Chepi down. He circles our feet, clearly delighted to see her again.

“Oh... Please, don’t tell Nyx you ran into me here or that you ran into me at all,” I quickly ask her. She’s close friends and cousins with him, and he’s her king. She’s definitely going to tell him.

“Don’t worry, Lyra. Your secret’s safe with me, although I don’t think it’ll be much of a secret for long,” she says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. I shift nervously on my feet, gathering courage for the question I dread to ask, but it tumbles out before Colton finds us. “How is he?”

Her eyes soften before she answers, “He misses you, but he’s keeping busy.” I nod, unsure how to feel about this revelation. He misses me... What has he said about me?

“Hey, I better get going. But don’t be a stranger, okay? Come visit me anytime. You too,” she says, bending to pat Chepi on his head.

“I will, and thank you for keeping quiet,” I respond. She pulls me into another tight hug, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she prepares to channel. Just as she’s about to disappear in her signature red wind, a look of concern crosses her face, and then she’s gone.