A Kingdom of Bloodshed

*¬*Chapter Twenty Six*¬*

"Found what?"Ryder asks as we all stare at the rotting corpse of the tomb. My chest heaves, taking in the structure and the damage that's happened to it. "This is the tomb. This is where Myra put the blood crown." I whisper, my voice almost not believing that this is real. That this is happening right now.

Hello beautiful warrior. You've found me. Now come wake me.

The voice is back, whispering to me lovingly. Its soft melodic words caress me and seem to take control of my mind; guiding me towards it. I step forward, striding for the entrance of the tomb when a pair of arms wraps around me.

A strong body collides into my side and it takes me a moment to regain my footing. Kaz is burying his face in my neck, his body taught with disbelief before I can feel the damn break within him. Suddenly his arms shake and I can smell the tears pouring from his eyes.

"Are you really here? Is this a dream?" His voice is thick with hurt. I can't help but reciprocate that pain. "I'm here. I'm real."
"Oh Thea... I thought I'd lost you. I thought you'd died. I... I didn't want to keep going anymore if that was the case. Thank the gods that you're alive."

I chuckle, then remember his earlier question and push Kaz away from me, "I'm sorry. I had to glamour Fawn and I's bodies to trick Augustus into thinking I was dead. I had to do it to protect myself."

He shakes his head, eyes wide and filled with awe. "How... when did you learn to glamour?"
"Literally after I fell to my death. Myra's voice came to me and told me to do it. So I did." Kaz frowns, "That doesn't explain why I felt our bond snap." "Oh that... yeah well I also had to take a small piece of our bond and attach it to Fawn's body. That way you'd think I wasn't dead yet and follow that link. I smothered my end of it. So when Fawn died, you felt that fragment of bond snapping."

He stares at me dumfounded. "If that's what it felt like to lose a small piece of you, I never want to know what it's like to lose all of you."

His words make me blush and my skin flushes pink. I'm about to reply when Raven speaks, "Not to ruin this beautiful moment, but shouldn't we try to get into the tomb to get the crown before Augustus gets here?"

She's right. We should. Clearing my throat, I give Kaz's hand a quick squeeze before turning back towards the vine covered doors and exhaling a deep breath.

I'm waiting for you, Warrior Blood. That ancient voice again. Calling to me.

"How do we get in?" Ryder asks. His eyes regarding the door pensively, before turning to me. Suddenly, I feel all eyes on me. Like I should have the answers to this.

I should. But I don't. Striding forward I look the door over, there's no handle to pull or any kind of hinge to push the door inwards. It's simply a rock door sealed shut.

Touch it. The voice whispers again. I blink, confused. Touch the door. Blood calls to blood. I frown but then take my nail and drag it across my palm until it bleeds.

Hissing in pain, I place my palm against the door and wait. Nothing happens.

"I thought that would work." I mumble. I'm about to remove my hand when suddenly a loud groan tears through the silent ravine. Yelping, I pull my hand back and watch as the door shivers before groaning open. The rock wall sliding upwards into the roof of the tomb until it thunders into place and all that's left is dust and the faint smell of mildew and mold.

"I guess that's how." Ryder mutters. Kaz steps next to me, "How did you know that would work?" I shrug, "I didn't. I was just told to do it." He frowns, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that something, someone, keeps calling out to me. Telling me what to do and when. I just did as it asked me to do."

"Is it Myra?"