I dropped his reins and twisted on my heels to gaze down the silent hallway. It was chilly, but torches lined the walls. The flames cast dancing shadows across the black stone floor. My breath echoed in the silence.
“Why didn’t the mortals and fae take shelter in here?” I asked aloud, knowing that I probably looked ridiculous talking to a horse, but at least no one was around to see me. “This seems so much safer, and they clearly kept the hallways lit.”
In fact, the torches must have been lit recently or they would have burned out by now. That realization made my stomach do a little flip. Could someone be in here? Some of the people who called this city home? Maybe instead of running into the mists, they’d hidden out in here?
A sense of unease tiptoed down my spine. If so, why hadn’t they revealed themselves yet?
Slowly, I edged down the hallway with Midnight by my side. He seemed to sense my hesitation, his hooves clacking along the stone. I pulled my dagger from my tunic and aimed it straight ahead, even knowing it would do little to keep me safe.
A part of me wanted to call out to the darkness, to ask if anyone was there. But I couldn’t bring myself to voice the words. Something felt off about this place. The certainty of it settled into my bones.
And then the door behind me flung wide. Rain and wind rushed inside, blinding me momentarily. The door thundered shut, and my heart pounded as I tried to make sense of the looming figure standing before me.
I held up my dagger, ready to fight.
And then I saw the tortured face. My hand dropped to my side. “Kalen?”
He let out a monstrous growl that sent skitters of terror across my arms. “I can’t fight it.”
“What?” I asked, blood draining from my face.
“I can’t fight it!” He shouted the words, and then shoved away from the door, his entire body trembling with anger. “I tried to go out into the storm, but it pushed me back. Again and again and again, until I had no more strength to fight it.” He sagged forward, gripping the wall. “The storm fae could be attacking Dubnos, too. My people need me.”
“But how?” I whispered. “Your powers…”
He should have been strong enough to weather the storm. All he had to do was throw his mists around him and shove against the wind and rain raging outside. I’d seen what he’d done to those storm fae. This should not be any different.
“It’s not working.” He shook his head. “I do not know why.”
I took a step toward him and touched his arm. “Are you using the full force of your power? You’re the Mist King. Surely there must be something you can—”
“Do not call me that, Tessa,” he growled, shoving away from me. He shot me one last look of rage before storming down the corridor, away from where I stood with the horse, gazing after him.
“Hmm.” Narrowing my eyes, I followed, his cloak fluttering behind me. The horse stayed right where he was.Smart, I thought. Kalen was in a mood, and he looked ready to tear the entire building apart. Not that I could blame him. I knew exactly how he felt. Those he loved might be in danger, and there was nothing he could do.
“Kalen, stop,” I called after him as he took the first turn to the left. The next hallway was the same as the one before. Long, empty, quiet. “I’m sorry I said that, but I didn’t mean it the way it came out. You’re one of the most powerful beings in the entire world. That’s all I meant.”
He came to a sudden stop and whirled toward me. His eyes still churned with anger and pain. “What good does all that power do if it’s impossible for me touse it?”
His booming voice echoed down the stone halls.Use it, use it, use it.
“We’ll figure something out,” I said. “Don’t forget I’m trapped here, too, while Val and Mother are out there.” I shivered at the thought of them caught out in that storm. Would they have had any warning like we had? Likely not. “How long does a storm like this last?”
“This isn’t a normal storm.” He twisted away. “It will last as long as they fucking want it to, unless I can somehow gain control of enough power to push it back.”
I nodded. “All right. So, then let’s find somewhere to sit down and think this through. Are there any rooms with windows in this place? It would be good if we could keep an eye on the storm while we think.”
With a muscle ticking in his jaw, he relented. “Up on the fifth floor. There are some viewing circles high enough to see any approaching threat.”
“Viewing circles?”
“Like the one on the door. The creator of this building was paranoid. She did not want any weakness in the design of it. To her, windows are weakness. Glass is easily shattered.”
“The myths say this building is the boot of a god. She lost it when she fell to earth, though it remained upright for whatever reason.” I arched a brow. “But that’s not true, is it?”
“Myths and legends are often rooted in the truth, but no, that’s not the full story.” He motioned toward the end of the hallway where a set of stone stairs curved upward to the next floor. “Come. We can talk about this more another time.”
“I want to understand all this,” I said, falling into step beside him. “I need to know what happened in the past. The real history. Not the stories whispered before bedtime. Not the tales sung around hearths. I want the reality of everything. Who were the gods? When did they come? What in light’s name is this building?”