Marius scoffed. “He certainly is.”
Unfolding the notes, Marius’s lips tugged up at the familiar handwriting on the first.
Mar-Mar.
His gaze swept over the parchment as he read his sister’s message.
I pray this finds you well. My research indicates that the dagger is at the highest point inside the mountain. Be careful, and remember, I love you.
- Lulu
Tears gathered behind Marius’s eyes. It was clear to him now that he’d taken his sister’s love for granted in the past, but that would no longer be the case. When he returned to Castle Sanguis, he’d tell Luna he loved her every single day.
The other note was from Phyrra. One side contained a hand-drawn map, and on the other, she’d written,
Good luck, Prince. The map is as accurate as possible—several villagers helped me draw it. Bring me back a souvenir ifyou can.
Short and to the point. He’d expect nothing less from the spymaster.
The map sketched a path that led them inside the mountain and up what appeared to be several sets of spindly stone stairs, although several sections seemed to be missing.
He showed it to Vivienne.
“Of course, we’re climbing,” the vampire sighed. “I should’ve expected nothing less from this delightful journey. We might as well get it over with.”
There was his cheerful guard.
Marius couldn’t help but smile as they followed the map, walking side-by-side down the narrow corridor, the cave walls so close that their shoulders brushed against the shale.
It wasn’t long before Marius’s stomach twisted, and his smile slid. The air was heavy, and his magic was a maelstrom in his veins. It was a warning: something was wrong with this place. Unease settled upon him like a second skin.
Everything about this place was strange. Mountains weren’t meant to be hollow. It was unnatural, and the first sign that Death Mountain wasn’t like anywhere else he’d been.
Marius had only ever heard of one other hollow mountain, and it was in Ithenmyr. Vlarone was the Eastern Kingdom’s capital city, and by all accounts, it had been built by the gods.
Bizarre magic crawled over him as he walked. It poked at him as if it was searching for something in particular. His palms were sweaty, and he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. He swiveled his head from side to side, but he couldn’t see anything.
Scattered groups of glowing blue, purple, and yellow crystals illuminated the mountain’s interior, and neon green clusters of fungi were interspersed between them. It was as if someone had flung out their hand and thrown the mushrooms, letting them stick to the shale wherever theylanded. Some parts of the corridor were immaculately lit, while others were cast in shadows.
Marius shivered, the cold air carrying hints of ice as it brushed past him.
They had been walking for nearly half an hour before he realized why this place unnerved him so greatly. The sounds—or lack thereof—were worse than everything else combined.
There should’ve been noise in a mountain of this size. Water dripping off rocks. The skittering of animals running across stones. Wind blowing through corridors. Falling pebbles.
There wasnothing.
Silence that was louder than a wailing wind surrounded them, and there was a wrongness that worsened with every passing minute. At some point, Vivienne took the lead, and Marius let her. Every part of him was on edge.
He wasn’t sure how long they walked through the dark corridor, the ceiling steadily lowering until he had to duck his head, before Vivienne halted. She threw out an arm, grabbing the side of the wall.
He barely avoided slamming into her back.
“Careful, Your Highness,” she warned.
“What—” His voice trailed off; the question he was about to ask no longer necessary as his gaze swept over the space before them. “Whoa. That would’ve hurt.”
That was an understatement. His limbs ached at the mere thought of tumbling into the emptiness looming before them.