Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 99529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
When Xander took me to my home in Zumaya, he was able to open up my front door with no problem. He’d told me that he once helped an old black mage escape the Quiet King’s dungeon. The mage had made him three keys that could open any door not locked by magic.
Xander pulled out a long black key. “Are you ready for all answers to be given?”
“Are you being funny?”
“I am. However, I hope this will not be a waste of time.” Xander pushed the key into the door knob, and jiggled it for a second. Finally, the key twisted with no problem, and the iron door squeaked open.
Xander’s voice slipped into my mind.
When dominas tour the castle is the King’s room the grand conclusion to the tour?
Actually, we never get to go inside. The tour guide just points to his door.
I stepped into the dimly lit room. The walls were black with no paintings or photos. There were no windows. Neither were there candles or lamps.
Meanwhile, something large and pale blue glowed far off in the corner. That was what was giving the room it’s small amount of light.
What is that?
I sniffed and smelled mold and something decaying as if food had been left out for years. My stomach twisted. My heart hammered in my chest.
We kept the door half-way open. Perhaps, we were both afraid to be in here and wanted a clear way out to run.
Xander’s hand went to my arm and gripped it.
I looked at him.
What’s wrong?
I think I see a candle over there. I’m going to get it.
Okay.
Xander blurred off somewhere to the side, easily seeing in the darkness.
Not knowing what else to do, I slowly tiptoed toward the massive blue thing that was around twenty feet in front of me.
What could it be?
Be careful.
Something snapped on my right.
I turned that way, but only saw shadows.
What was that? Is my mind playing tricks on me?
I waited for several seconds, but the noise didn’t come again.
It was nothing.
I headed forward. The pale blue thing was now only ten feet from me.
Then the room illuminated around me. I turned to see Xander holding a candle and flinging the unlit match to the floor.
“This room is as big as three rooms put together.” he walked back to the door, clearly feeling better about closing it.
I took in the space.
Xander was right. It was massive, but there was nothing on the walls or floor.
Shock hit me.
Almost everything seemed bare. Even the tiny tables only had a few candles and matches, nothing else.
What a sad space for a king?
The bed wasn’t even big. I was sure that it could only fit the Quiet King and no one else. A tattered brown quilt covered it. One would have thought that the king’s space was the most opulent room in the castle.
Xander slowly closed the door.
My nerves calmed a little.
There’s nothing in here. Will we even find anything.
“Holy Ambi, what is that?” Xander’s eyes opened wide as he looked in the direction behind me.
“What?” I turned around and faced the large blue glowing object. Now with the lights on, I could make it out better.
“That’s a. . .person?” I slowly walked over.
For some reason, he remained at the door. “That’s why. . .I smelled. . .”
“Smelled what?”
He widened his eyes, but never left the door. “You. . .but much stronger.”
“What do you mean?” I headed over to this object-person glowing blue.
With each step closer, the image became clearer.
Oh no.
Xander sounded by the door. “Camille, let’s go.”
I stopped walking forward and just stood there, frozen in shock.
What?
The gleaming object was a woman, a dead one to be exact. Her brown skin had rotted with spots of green, gray, and even black. Yet, somehow her hair was intact. Those long red, thick strands flowed all the way over her decaying shoulders, along her cracking body, and down to the floor.
Meanwhile, the dead woman with red hair sat on a huge diamond throne, outlined in blue gems that emitted a haunting glow.
“I-is this?” I inched forward. “No. This couldn’t be. . .”
Xander loudly sniffed the air. “It’s Phinova. The hair—even from me here—smells like yours, just a. . .tiny bit different.”
“No.” I covered my mouth and nose from the rotting flesh smell radiating from the corpse.
Why would he keep her dead body in his bedroom like this?
Several black spiders skittered and crawled along her face. Webs had been built near her eyes and hair, but the spiders hadn’t been there for long. If they had, surely her whole body would be enshrouded in thick webbing.
This is. . .insane.
Tubes were stuck into her neck and arms. Red liquid moved inside the tubes.
“He’s pumping something into her corpse.” My gaze followed the line of the tube all the way down to the floor. They stopped at a bottle full of even more liquid. “But. . .what is it?”