Tributes

Chapter Six

The boys were gone. The forbidden door that opened to the rest of the castle was pushed open with the faint sound of wind blowing through the corridor. Julia exhaled. She was still rather shaky from her interaction with Tyreol. It had been the first time she had actually been scared of him since coming here. His eye had been glowing with magic and the feeling of teeth on her neck had been alarming. Her knees still felt weak as she walked over to the door, leaning heavily on the frame. 

Looking around outside but as expected there was no sign of the missing boys. More concerningly, there was also no trace of the guards that theoretically should have been there too. But then again, if they had been there, the boys wouldn't have been able to escape either. The only thing she could see what the greystone walls of the castle, decorated with various objects and devices. Lanterns lit the way, hanging from what looked like copper mountings on the ceiling, casting an orange-tinted light on the area. 

"This, this is not good," Julia breathed deeply. Tyreol was going to be very angry. After what had just happened, Julia wasn't sure she wanted to see that. She could almost feel the invisible teeth again. Unfortunately, the boys had already taken that out of her hands.  The choice was to chase after the boys herself, or stay put. 

It took her seconds to decide and she stepped out into the castle. The castle would be far more dangerous for the boys than for her and even if she couldn't find them herself, she would hopefully find someone who could raise the alarm instead.  

She kept close to the wall, and checking for holes and places a young boy scared could have hidden. There were certainly plenty. Lots of statues and alcoves carved into the stone walls. It was strange, almost like walking through someone abandoned. There was no dust, no spiderwebs but no one was here. Just old relics of lives long gone from the castle. Her things traced scratch marks made from blades, runes carved into the stone and far more. She found a balcony, the winter wind blowing around her tightly. 

Stepping out into the sunlight, Julia shivered but found herself not caring as she breathed her first breathe of fresh air in two weeks. It was almost a relief to feel the cold on her face and feel the wind against her skin and in her hair. Blinking slowly, she looked out on to a dramatic view of winter mountains and a river cutting through it. She wandered to the edge and leant on the railing carefully, closing her eyes and letting the sensations surround her. 

Then there was a hand on her shoulder. She spun around fast, her hand drawing the blade she kept on her ready to attack if it was someone dangerous, only for her eyes to widen in surprise. "You," she breathed. 

---x--- 

"Abel, hurry up!" hissed Silas, looking behind him at his twin who was walking very slowly looking very uncertain about what they were doing. Silas was in the middle of the corridor unafraid and unabashed about the fact he was breaking rules. "We are going to get caught if we are not fast enough!" he growled, stamping his foot in frustration.  

"We are going to be in so much trouble" Abel whimpered, biting his lip and clutching onto the long sleeves of his top. He was walking closer to the wall, watching every directly wildly like danger could come from anywhere. Tyreol had warned them about leaving the rooms.  He had warned him that it was dangerous. He had warned them he would be angry and after seeing the god strike Julia, Abel did not want that anger on himself.