Chapter Two - The First Rule
2060 Words
The First Rule
Something was waking beneath Blackthorn.
I could feel it.
Not hear it.
Not see it.
Feel it.
The stone beneath my feet trembled like a living thing trying to breathe.
Kael stood near the door, perfectly still.
The expression I'd seen on his face a moment ago was gone.
The fear had disappeared.
In its place was something colder.
Command.
“Stay behind me.”
I almost laughed.
“You just told me to stay in my cell.”
“And now I'm telling you to stay behind me.”
“That isn't exactly reassuring.”
His eyes flicked toward me.
“It wasn't meant to be.”
Another tremor shook the prison.
A crack appeared across the stone floor.
I stepped back.
Something moved beneath it.
A shadow.
No—
A hand.
I stumbled backward.
Kael immediately grabbed my wrist.
“Don't look.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“Don't look into the crack.”
Naturally, I looked.
Two pale eyes opened beneath the floor.
My breath stopped.
The eyes blinked.
Then vanished.
The crack sealed itself.
I stared at the floor.
“What was that?”
Kael didn't answer.
“Kael.”
His jaw tightened.
“Something that should have remained asleep.”
“And you knew it was down there?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Longer than you've been alive.”
I pulled my wrist from his hand.
“You keep saying things like that as if I'm supposed to understand.”
“You aren't supposed to understand yet.”
“Then when?”
“When I know you'll survive the truth.”
I stared at him.
“That sounds suspiciously like an excuse.”
“It is.”
For some reason, his honesty unsettled me more than a lie would have.
A bell rang somewhere above us.
Once.
Then twice.
Then three times.
The sound travelled through the prison walls.
Kael's expression changed.
“What's happening?”
“Midnight.”
I looked toward the narrow corridor.
“It's not midnight.”
“It is here.”
I frowned.
“Here?”
“Blackthorn doesn't follow the same time as the world above.”
The words made no sense.
Before I could question him, the blue flames along the corridor suddenly turned black.
Every single one.
Kael stepped in front of me.
“Stay close.”
“I thought the first rule was staying in my cell.”
“There are new rules now.”
“Wonderful.”
He looked at me.
For half a second, the corner of his mouth almost moved.
Almost.
Then something slammed against the cell door behind us.
I jumped.
Kael turned.
The door shook again.
Something was outside.
Scratching.
Slowly.
Three times.
Scratch.
Scratch.
Scratch.
My stomach twisted.
The same sound I'd heard before.
Kael reached for the door.
I grabbed his arm.
“Don't.”
His eyes dropped to my hand.
“You heard it too.”
I nodded.
“Three scratches.”
His face went completely blank.
“What?”
“That's what happened before you came.”
He pulled his arm free.
“Get behind me.”
The scratching stopped.
Silence.
Then a voice came from the other side.
A woman's voice.
Soft.
Terrified.
“Please.”
Kael froze.
I recognized it.
The prisoner from the opposite cell.
I looked toward the corridor.
“She's outside.”
“No.”
“But I heard—”
“You heard what wants you to think she's outside.”
The voice came again.
“Elara.”
My blood turned cold.
It wasn't the woman's voice anymore.
It was mine.
My own voice.
Calling my name.
I stepped backward.
Kael noticed.
“Don't answer.”
The voice whispered again.
“Elara…”
I covered my ears.
It didn't help.
The sound wasn't coming from outside.
It was coming from inside my head.
Images flashed through my mind.
Blackthorn.
Blood.
A red moon.
Kael standing in front of me.
His hand covered in blood.
And me—
smiling.
I gasped.
The vision disappeared.
Kael caught me before I fell.
His arms wrapped around my waist.
For one strange second, everything stopped.
His chest was warm against mine.
His breath brushed my hair.
I could hear his heartbeat.
Fast.
Too fast.
I looked up.
His silver eyes were fixed on me.
There was something in them I couldn't name.
Something painfully familiar.
“You're shaking,” he whispered.
“So are you.”
His expression changed.
He released me immediately.
“I'm fine.”
“Liar.”
He looked almost offended.
“You've known me for less than a day.”
“Then why does it feel like I know when you're lying?”
Silence.
Kael looked away.
“Because you knew me before.”
My heart skipped.
“Tell me.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if I tell you everything tonight, you may not survive until morning.”
“Maybe I deserve to know.”
His gaze returned to mine.
“You deserve to remember.”
Before I could respond, a distant scream echoed through the prison.
Kael turned toward the corridor.
This time, there was no hesitation.
“We're leaving.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere the Hollow can't see you.”
“You said it knows me.”
“It does.”
“Then where can I hide?”
His expression darkened.
“With me.”
I stared at him.
“That's your solution?”
“For now.”
“You're the Shadow King. Surely you have a better one.”
“I used to.”
The words slipped out quietly.
“What changed?”
His eyes met mine.
“You came back.”
Then he opened the door.
We stepped into the corridor.
The prison was different.
I knew immediately.
The walls seemed longer.
The blue flames were gone.
Every cell door stood open.
Every prisoner was missing.
My heart began pounding.
“Where is everyone?”
Kael didn't answer.
A low whisper travelled through the corridor.
Run.
I looked at him.
“Did you hear that?”
“Yes.”
“Was it the Hollow?”
“No.”
He drew a black dagger from beneath his coat.
“What, then?”
“A warning.”
“From whom?”
Kael looked into the darkness.
“Me.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“I told you to run.”
Something moved behind us.
Kael grabbed my hand.
“Now.”
We ran.
The corridor seemed endless.
Doors slammed open as we passed.
Shadows crawled across the walls.
Something followed us.
I could hear footsteps.
Bare feet against stone.
Fast.
Getting closer.
“Kael!”
“I know.”
“What's following us?”
“Don't turn around.”
Naturally, I wanted to.
I didn't.
We reached a staircase.
Kael pushed open an iron gate.
“Down.”
I stopped.
“Down?”
“The lower levels.”
“You've got to be joking.”
“The thing behind us can't cross running water.”
I looked down the stairs.
Darkness.
“There's water down there?”
“There's a river beneath Blackthorn.”
“Of course there is.”
We hurried down.
The temperature dropped with every step.
Then I heard it.
Water.
We reached a cavern.
A black river flowed through the center.
It reflected no light.
Kael stopped at the edge.
I looked behind us.
Nothing.
“Did we lose it?”
“No.”
“Then where is it?”
Kael looked at the river.
My stomach sank.
The water began to ripple.
Something was standing beneath the surface.
A figure.
Tall.
Still.
Watching us.
Kael stepped in front of me.
“Don't speak.”
The figure rose.
Water streamed from its face.
It looked like a woman.
I couldn't see her features.
But I knew her voice.
Because it was the same voice I'd heard in my dreams.
“Elara.”
Kael's dagger tightened in his hand.
The woman smiled.
“You brought her back.”
Kael said nothing.
The woman tilted her head.
“You always do.”
My heart hammered.
“Who are you?”
Kael turned sharply.
“Elara.”
But it was too late.
The woman laughed.
And the cavern filled with whispers.
Fourth time.
Fourth time.
Fourth time.
I covered my ears.
“What does that mean?”
The woman stepped out of the river.
Water flowed from her body like smoke.
“You really don't remember?”
I shook my head.
She smiled.
“You loved him.”
I looked at Kael.
He went completely still.
The woman continued.
“Three times.”
My chest tightened.
“That isn't possible.”
“It happened.”
Kael stepped toward her.
“Enough.”
She laughed.
“You promised her you'd find her.”
His face hardened.
“You don't know what you're talking about.”
“Oh, I know exactly what I'm talking about.”
She looked at me.
“You died in his arms.”
The world tilted.
A memory flashed.
Kael holding me.
Blood covering his hands.
His face broken with grief.
His voice screaming my name.
I stumbled.
Kael caught me.
“Don't listen.”
“But I saw it.”
“I know.”
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me die.”
His silence was answer enough.
I pushed away from him.
“How many times?”
He looked at me.
Three seconds.
Four.
Then he whispered,
“Three.”
“And you remembered every time?”
“Yes.”
“While I forgot?”
His eyes lowered.
“Yes.”
Anger burned through me.
“Why?”
Kael's voice was barely audible.
“Because every time you remembered…”
He looked toward the woman in the river.
“…the Hollow found you.”
The woman smiled.
“And every time it found her, she died.”
I stared at Kael.
“Then why bring me here?”
His eyes met mine.
“I didn't.”
The cavern fell silent.
“What?”
“I didn't bring you to Blackthorn.”
He stepped closer.
“Someone else did.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“You're the king.”
“I know.”
“Then find them.”
“I will.”
“And until then?”
Kael looked at me for a long moment.
“Until then, you stay alive.”
The woman suddenly screamed.
The black river erupted behind her.
Kael grabbed me and pulled me against him.
Something enormous rose from the water.
A shadow with no face.
The cavern shook.
Kael's shadows exploded from beneath his feet.
They wrapped around the creature.
The thing screamed.
Kael pushed me behind him.
“Whatever happens…”
He looked back at me.
“Don't let go of my hand.”
I stared at his outstretched hand.
Then at the creature.
Then back at him.
I took it.
The moment our fingers touched—
the entire cavern went silent.
The creature disappeared.
The woman in the river vanished.
And somewhere beneath us, the Hollow whispered one final sentence.
“She remembers you now.”
Kael's hand tightened around mine.
His face went pale.
“What?”
I looked at him.
“What did it mean?”
He didn't answer.
Because the red moon suddenly appeared above us—
even though we were hundreds of feet beneath the earth.
And this time, I remembered something.
Not a vision.
Not a dream.
A real memory.
Kael standing before me.
A crown on his head.
My hand in his.
And a priest saying—
“By blood and shadow, the queen is bound to the king.”
I looked at Kael.
He was staring at me like he already knew what I had remembered.
Then the memory changed.
I saw myself crying.
I saw Kael begging me.
And I heard my own voice.
“If I ever forget you…”
The memory shattered.
I whispered the words without realizing it.
“Don't let me fall in love with you again.”
Kael closed his eyes.
Pain crossed his face.
Then he whispered,
“I failed the first three times.”
He opened his eyes.
“But I won't fail the fourth.”
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