Giving him a gentle hug, I let my head rest on his chest. “Keep my parents safe for me.”
“Olive, please don’t go in that cave.”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“But something’s in there, something we don’t understand. I’ve never felt anything like that before, but I know whatever is in there is evil.”
I didn’t know how to answer him except to tell him that he was right. That would hardly be reassuring for either of us, so I gave him a kiss, backed away, and then turned to face the entrance to The Hollows.
Chapter 22
I walked inside The Hollows as Theht’s voice resounded in my head. Her words came like unintelligible whispers. Soon, more voices joined hers, speaking softly, though I only caught a word here and there.
Deathbringer, they whispered, and as they said it, something woke inside me. I couldn’t describe what exactly stirred in my consciousness, except that it wasn’t Theht, and it seemed to have always been there. It also occurred to me that I was, in actuality, the Deathbringer, and now the prophecy would soon be fulfilled.
That thought made fear run like ice through my veins, but I did my best to push the negativity away. For now, I was in control.
The light from the torches outside the cave faded quickly as I took a staircase leading down. After descending to the bottom, I stepped onto a flat surface, whispering a spell. A blue glow surrounded my fist, lighting my way. My magic was the only light to dispel the shadows surrounding me. The darkness was so thick, I had no idea what this world I entered look like, although I knew I must have been in a large space as the reverberation of my footsteps seemed to echo for miles.
Walking deeper into The Hollows, I noticed the stench of death pervading the air. Up ahead, something lay in my path. I stopped, my heart racing as I came upon a corpse. As I stepped closer, the blue glow of my magic illuminated the body. Dark curls were splayed around her head. Her face was mostly decomposed—the lips and eyes gone to reveal the skull beneath her skin—though her clothing seemed untouched. On her belt, she carried several empty vials.
With horror, I realized I recognized the woman. Arantha. She’d been a healer in Geth’s camp. But could it really be her? The hair and the stocky build matched what I remembered, and the fact that she carried the vials matched what I knew of her.
I backed away, though it was difficult to pull my gaze away from the corpse. In my mind, I assumed it wasn’t the woman I’d once met, because dealing with the death of a stranger seemed easier than the death of someone I knew, someone who had helped me once before.
I continued through the tunnels as my heart raced faster. Several more corpses lay in my path. Some appeared in their goblin forms, with milky gray skin and malnourished, hairless bodies, but others had humanlike appearances.
These must have been Geth’s people—the Caxon. Everyone had died when the queen had enacted her spell to destroy the entire race of goblins, but seeing the results of the spell like this was unexpected and heartbreaking. Yes, some of the creatures she killed had been little more than depraved monsters, but others had remembered their humanity and had tried to live a better life.
I stopped when I reached a doorway. Magic came from the worn wood. The door, like the entrance to The Hollows, was ordinary and unadorned with an antique copper knob and keyhole, both oxidized and turned green with age. As I stood there, the fear gripping me made it hard to breathe.
Both Earth and Faythander powers emanated from the door, and I also felt Geth’s dark magic fueling a protection spell. Gathering my courage, I faced the door, looking for a way past the spell.
Something whispered behind me. I rounded, fear making my heart pound loudly in my ears. Behind me, I saw nothing but a trail of corpses, and beyond that, only darkness. As I faced forward again, I took a step forward, then placed my hand on the wood.
I wanted to escape this place as soon as possible.
The smooth wood felt cool against my skin. The magic in the door recognized my own. I felt it searching me, testing my magic. Then, without warning, the doorknob turned; the door slowly opened inward, creaking, until I stood staring into a small room.
I hesitated, took a deep breath, and entered.
The space had no decorations or furniture except for a mirror hanging on the wall. A shiver ran down my spine. My skin broke out in chills as the mirror’s magic called to me.
Walking toward it, I noticed it was an exact match to the one in Jeven’s castle—oval-shaped with an ornate gold frame and black glass.
Standing tall, I faced the mirror. My hands grew clammy. As my reflection stared back at me, the image changed. My eyes turned from light green to gold, and then to orange with pupils that elongated to five points, like flower petals, as my image transformed completely.
Theht stood in the mirror, looking back at me. As she reached out her clawed, scale-covered hand, her arm extended beyond the mirror’s frame.
“Come,” she said. “It is time.”
My mind grew numb except to the call of her words, and I felt I had been hypnotized as I reached for her. I took her fingers
