Page 16 of Greed of Giants
“You assume I am alone, but if I disappear, people will come looking for me.” I wanted the lie to make him pause, to alter his motivation and persuade him to release me from the blood oath.
His golden gaze flickered toward me, a look that confirmed he’d caught my bluff and didn’t believe me for a moment. “Liar.”
My cheeks heated, and I was glad my brown skin hid the flush forming across my neck and shoulders. But from the way his mouth curved—barely, just the ghost of something that might have been a smile—I suspected he knew anyway. His intense gaze felt more dangerous than any blood oath.
The armor was uncomfortable, and we walked downhill, slowly descending while the air grew warmer. Drier. Still, his words stung, causing a slow confession to rise, unbidden. I wanted him to think well of me.
“I’m not officially a scholar yet,” I explained. “But I am an apprentice. I was sent here because I embarrassed a wealthy family by exposing the truth about their dealings. The House of Scholars wanted to hide the scandal, so they sent me here. To study runes and rocks. When I return, they will reinstate me and, hopefully, promote me to scholar.”
The words came easier than they should have. I’d never talked to anyone about the exile, and the shame of being sent away was too embarrassing to speak out loud. But he didn’t know the customs; it meant nothing to him.
“And this is important to you? Becoming a scholar?”
Words bubbled up, a longing I didn’t know how to express. “Yes.”
He made a sound in his throat, and then we were at an opening. It was a hollow darkness, an arid breath emanating from it. The horned dog stood at the edge, sniffing.
“What do you smell, Jasper?” Killian asked, his rich voice low.
“Jasper?”
Killian pointed at the horned dog. “That’s his name.”
I gaped in astonishment. “How do you know that?”
“He seems to like you,” Killian said, not answering the question.
“I’ve never seen a creature like him, with horns. What do you call him?”
“He’s a hellhound. A young one, but he doesn’t have his wings yet. He’ll grow to be ten or twelve feet tall.”
My eyes went wide. “That’s huge.”
“We used to ride them. It’s too bad he’s so young. Our journey would be much faster.”
I watched him for a moment, surprised at his manner. The way he spoke felt comfortable, familiar. It took me a moment to recognize it. “You use the same measurement system. Inches, feet, miles.”
“We came up with the measurement system. It’s only natural that you still use it.”
Ah, but so much time had passed. How did he know what was natural?
I pointed to the darkness. “What’s down there?”
“Truth,” he replied, and started to descend.
Runes flickered to life, glowing as he passed them, as though they recognized his nobility. I studied them as I passed, wishing I had time to record everything. Later I’d write in my journal all that had happened today, for now, I stored it up in my memory.
The halls were wide, stone statues guarding them, the ceiling an arched vault disappearing into shadows. There was a presence about it, quiet and heavy, that stole my breath away and any words I might have spoken.
Jasper trotted ahead, leading the way as though he knew where he was going. The runes flickered, lighting our path, but when I glanced behind, there was nothing but darkness as they winked out. It was unnerving, like descending into the depths of the earth. I caught glimpses of open rooms, treasure chests, carved statues, and it made me wonder about their civilization, what treasures they hoarded. Were the gifts of the gods here? The Rod. The Heart. The Stone. Were endless power and magic just a step away? Just out of reach of my grasping fingers?
We descended for what felt like an eternity, down long halls, twisting through tunnels, walking down staircases. My legs were shaking, and the words burned on the tip of my tongue.How much longer?
It was warm, the armor too hot, my breath too shallow.
And then I heard it.
A muted thud, as though something far away were banging, chipping away at stone. My pulse kicked up, and that sensation of dread uncoiled, growing. “What is that?” I whispered.
