Chapter 116

The wait for midnight was nearly unbearable, but when it finally arrived, I left Elva sleeping in the bed, and sneaked out into the hallway.

Mark was standing there with two other guards. He typically wore a serious expression, but today he seemed especially grim. He must have shared Nicholas’s frustration with the plan.

“Be careful tonight. If anything happened to you…” He let the words hang.

I was confused. Surely the safety of his prince was more important than me. But he didn’t say anything more. Instead, he just stared at me expectantly.

“I’ll be careful,” I said.

He nodded.

Turning from him, I started down the hallway. Nicholas met me halfway. He didn’t say anything, just offered his arm. I slid my arms in his and together we walked down toward the kitchens and into the cellar.

Brian was guarding the door to one of the rooms there, the one containing the passage. He stepped aside when we came close.

Inside, Julian had already discovered the trigger for the passageway, and an eerie dark opening loomed in the middle of a wall, hiding behind an empty bookcase that had been shifted aside.

In his hand, Julian carried a large, industrial-style flashlight. He clicked it on.

Even with the light of the flashlight, seeing the end of the tunnel was impossible. The stretch of the tunnel was long, and the darkness eventually swallowed the light.

“We stay close together,” Nicholas said. “Whatever happens, no one gets left behind.”

“Yes, yes, we all know the rules,” Julian said. He stepped into the tunnel.

Nicholas and I looked at each other, and then we followed him.

The walls were made of brick, rounded along the top. Our footsteps on the stone floor echoed down the long, empty corridor. The air was stale.

I wasn’t easily frightened by places, but this tunnel felt so old that it had become alive.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on head.

“Stay close,” Julian said.

We moved carefully through the tunnel. The light of the room we’d come from seemed very far away behind us.

The flashlight flickered. We all stilled.

“Julian,” Nicholas said, a warning in his voice. A warning that would come far too late.

The light flickered again, and then went out.

My breath caught in my throat.

Plunged into darkness, I reached out for both Nicholas and Julian and touched Nicholas’s chest with one hand and Julian’s shoulder with the other. Nicholas caught my hand in his and held it. Julian placed his over mine and squeezed my fingers.

My fear spiked in such a dark, creepy place in the dark, but having them so close, each offering comfort in their own ways, helped me feel safe again.

Then, Julian lowered his hand again and smacked the flashlight. The light flickered again, blinding, but it didn’t last.

“Piece of junk,” Julian snapped.

“You forgot to change to new batteries,” Nicholas said.

“You don’t know that,” Julian said.

Silence fell around us. The accusation hung heavy in the air.

“Fine,” Julian said. “I didn’t change the new batteries.”

“Here.” Nicholas shuffled with something in his pocket, then seemed to pass something to Julian.

“You could have given me these new batteries before we walked into the creepy tunnel,” Julian said.

“I was giving you the benefit of the doubt.”

“An unwise decision,” Julian said.

“Yes,” Nicholas replied. “I see that now.”

Julian replaced the batteries, the flashlight sparked back to life, and we continued walkthrough through the tunnel.

At one point, Nicholas checked the compass on his phone. This deep underground, he didn’t receive any signal, but he could tell we were heading northwest.

“Julian.” He showed Julian the phone. In the dim light of the screen, Julian frowned.

“We should be extra careful,” Julian said. It was unusual for him to say such a thing.

“Why?” I asked. “What does the direction matter?”

“Maybe we should turn back,” Nicholas said.

“Too late now,” Julian said. “We’ve got to be sure.”

“I see light up there, Julian,” Nicholas said. “Dim the flashlight.”

Julian turned to the flashlight to the dimmest setting, and aimed it down at the ground. We had to move slower than before, so as not to trip. She walked lightly to keep our footsteps from generating noise.

At the end of the tunnel, the walls abruptly stretched open into a room.

A room full of cages. A single tungsten bulb hung down from the ceiling, the only light in the room full of shadows.

“What the --?” I began to say. Nicholas abruptly covered my mouth. He yanked me back into the darkness of the tunnel. Julian followed at once, clicking off the flashlight.

A door on the far side of the room cracked open, and in walked Terry beside a man I had never seen before – a man dressed entirely in black with sallow cheeks and dark eyes.

“As you can see this room should offer the organization needs for their purposes,” Terry said to his associate. “I have used this area for my own personal enjoyment in the past. These cages are quite effective at breaking a person’s spirit.”

“And what of this opening here?” the associate said. With silent steps, he came closer to the tunnel.

Nicholas tugged me closer to him, until my back was flat against his chest. He still held his hand over my mouth, but now I held my breath as well.

My heart thundered, however, so loudly I worried the strange, dangerous man could hear it.

“A personal project,” Terry said, walking closer. “Though one that has been bearing fruit. Soon, I will have much to offer the underground organization. Perhaps even something like a crown.”

“We don’t need the crown,” the man said. He peered into the darkness. I swear he looked right at me, but he looked away just as quickly. “What we need are more abilities, and the room for expansion.”

“I offer much,” Terry said. His eyes narrowed. “You would do well not to disrespect my contributions.”

The man looked back at Terry. “You may hold sway in the royal palace, Terry, but in the underground organization, you must still prove yourself.”

“Ridiculous,” Terry snapped.

The man turned to face him. In an instant, there was a knife in his hand. “Your birthright means nothing, and you will learn your place one way or another.”

Terry puffed out his chest. “You dare threaten me in my own home.”

“It’s not a threat.” The man tilted his knife, catching it under the orange light. “It’s a reminder. You have the ear of the King, but the underground controls all. This is your home because we allow it. Your King is king because we allow it.”

Terry closed his mouth so tightly a muscle ticked in his jaw.

The man in black returned his knife into his sleeve.

For a while, no one said anything, then Terry cleared his throat.

“Shall we continue on with the tour?” Terry asked.

The man nodded.

Terry led him from the room. In the quiet, the light bulb buzzed.

My heart continued to beat out of control.

Slowly, Nicholas lowered his hand from my mouth.

Julian looked back at us both. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

We all agreed.

The return trip was much quicker, though quieter. We couldn’t run in the dark, but we moved with a careful quickness we hadn’t shown before.

Only when we were back in the cellar room with the secret door closed behind us, did I dare to breathe deeply again.

“What the hell?” Nicholas cursed.

I understood that sentiment.

Terry was undoubtedly involved in the underground organization, and the secret tunnel led straight to his mansion.

Just how deep did this organization go?