Page 68 of Death of a Mortal

“Do you think the dungeons might be down there?” I hoped I wasn’t being too obvious, but I was nearly at the point of throwing caution to the wind.

Moe and Ott looked at each other before Moe said, “I suppose it’s possible. But we can’t say for sure.” They headed back to their station, leaving us with more information than I could have dared to hope for. It wasn’t confirmation, but I felt like it was highly likely.

This felt like the first real step toward finding the dungeons. If they were in this new area, we knewhowto know we were in the right place. When the walls turned to black stone and there were no longer torches on the walls, we’d know we were close. What waited down this dark new corridor, we didn’t know either. The dungeon could be behind a locked or guarded door. Concealed by more magic.

I wondered who the new prisoners could have been. It would have been too long ago to be my mom or the rebels that stormed the castle, if this had been when Ott was roughly my age.

I didn’t know exactly when the rebels had stormed Ashthorn, but I figured it must have been at least a few years. And if my mom had been part of that storm and had been a prisoner here since… Intrusive thoughts would have told me she was likely dead were it not for the banshee saying she was here.

“I’m going down into the tunnels tonight,” I whispered to Nella. “Who knows how long it might take to find the new area. I have to start mapping it out right away.”

“I’m going with you.”

“Absolutely not. That Geoff mortal was killed for being caught down there. I’m not chancing it.”

She folded her arms and poked out her lower lip, pouting, which I ignored.

“I’ll bring parchment with me so I can map it out while I’m down there and come back after a couple of hours.”

After debating for a few more minutes, Nella relented and agreed to let me go alone.

“Planning on sneaking around the castle at night again?”

“We learned where the dungeon might be. We just don’t knowexactlywhere. So I’m going exploring, not sneaking.”

“I see no distinct difference. Just…be careful. Talk to me so I know if anything goes wrong and I can find Nella.”

“Thanks, Noxie, I’ll let you know when I head down there.”

* * *

That night Ilaid awake, waiting for the ladies in our room to drift into a deep sleep. Nella was still awake, her eyes reflecting the low orange glow of the coals in the fireplace as she waited for me to leave.

I gave her a thumbs-up, then slipped a rolled-up piece of parchment into the pocket of my bedclothes along with a small chunk of writing lead I had swiped from another servant.

When I finally tiptoed out to the laundry room, it reminded me, with a pang of guilt, of the night I had snuck out to meet Varyn.

I was still feeling unsure of how we left things the previous night, but I would have to wonder about that another time. Tonight, I needed to stay sharp.

From the entrance to the laundry room, I stuck my head out to make sure no one was around. Looking both ways down the hall, the pace of my racing heart quickened. The coast was clear.

I slipped out, closed the door quietly behind me, and hurried past the kitchen. As I approached the second door on the right, my heart rate climbed. But when I reached for the handle, I paused. I wasn’t supposed to be here. There was somewhere else I needed to be.

I withdrew my hand and turned away.

“Naci? How’s it going?” Noxie asked.

“This isn’t where I’m supposed to be.”

“Did you go through the wrong door?”

“I…no. I didn’t go in, I wasn’t supposed to.”

“What are you…the magic, Naci! Go back!”

I paused once more. Magic. I remembered what Halden said. That I’d feel weird.

“Shit, you’re right. I’m going back. Don’t let me back out again.”