Kingdom Fall (Ethereal #1)

-Chapter 8-

Secrets beneath the palace

Sapphire

'This is a bad idea,' Archestrian mumbled.

Sapphire ignored his complaints and hurried her steps down the stairs. It was almost midnight and the bell for the eleventh hour of the night rang just a while ago. The stairway was narrower than she anticipated and she was the smallest as she can be for her age. Still, she carried the candle carefully. She hoped there won't be any updrafts of wind. Torches gave out more light and were easy to spark using the black stone walls by which the palace was made of. Candles on the other hand needed fire-powder and they never worked when they got wet. Also, they were easy to snuff out.

'How far do you think the stairs will continue?' asked Archestrian. 'It's as deep as the spiral in the queen's chamber.'

'Maybe we might end up in the sky-ship,' said Sapphire.

'If we do, we will turn back. You cannot mess with that place. We know nothing of it.'

'Well, don't fret until we get there,' shot Sapphire before turning away. She heard Archestrian sigh. He then followed her, mumbling under his breath.

The stairs went deeper than both the children could have anticipated. And it was rather tiring. The sense of adventure left Sapphire as time passed and she began to regret her decision of coming down. But she wasn't about to admit it to Archestrian. Not at all.

Archestrian was the least patient and even thought he was usually composed and calm, he was in a fit of strangling her once they ended up front of a steel wall.

'Sure,' said Archestrian. 'Just perfect. At least now, please, can we go back.'

Sapphire hesitated and brought her candle closer to the wall. Her candle had melted halfway already, but she didn't seem too concerned. Then, she spotted what she was looking for.

'Ah ha!' she cries, feeling the ragged hole at the center of the wall, 'This does lead to the sky-ship.'

'We don't have a key,' said Archestrian, sighing again.

'True... but wait...'

'What?'

Sapphire pointed at something lying on the ground. It was shining, translucent and looked like ice. She dusted off the webs and pulled it off from its corner on the ground.

'I think we have the key.'

'What kind of an idiot keeps a key lying around right in front of the door,' said Archestrian. 'Sage, we should head back. People might not notice it but the queen might kill me if she finds that I entered your room and didn't leave for a very long time.'

Sapphire frowned. 'Why?'

Archestrian mumbled something else under his breath as he dragged his palm over his face.

Sapphire stared at the uneven end of the crystal and at the hole that was supposed to fit over it.

'Don't even think about it.'

She girl placed the crystal over the hole. The steel slab backed away and lifted up, as in the entrance below the queen's chamber. It opened up into the same cylindrical room with its walls that illuminated once your foot touched the ground.

'Now we know,' said Archestrian. 'Can we go back? Please?'

'Don't you want to know?' asked Sapphire as she stared at the room.

'We have no control over this place.'

Sapphire stepped into the room, into which Archestrian unconsciously followed, hoping to talk some sense into the deranged girl. But it was too late by then. The moment the children walked to the center, the floor lurched downwards.