The woman in the ancient throne room has my face.
The air beneath the mountain was cool and still.
Every step we took echoed through the enormous stone passage.
The ancient torches lining the walls burned with silver flames, yet there was no smoke.
It felt as though time itself had stopped here.
No one spoke.
Even the soldiers seemed afraid to disturb the silence.
Kael walked beside me, his hand never far from mine.
“If anything feels wrong,” he said quietly, “tell me immediately.”
I nodded.
“I will.”
The staircase seemed endless.
At last, it opened into a magnificent underground city.
I stopped breathing.
Buildings carved entirely from white stone surrounded us.
Beautiful bridges stretched over crystal-clear streams that glowed beneath the ground.
Massive columns reached t
