Page 16 of Wolf of Ashes
I exhale and retract my claws, allowing myself to study the space around me.
I’m startled by the fact that it appears to be some sort of cell.
It’s so similar to my cage that I can’t stop my shudder.
Actually… it’ssmallerthan my cage.
All of us together are filling the space and it feels cramped.
I cast a disapproving glance at the barest of necessities within the cage. A mattress on a wooden frame. A single chair. Although this cell also has things I didn’t have: a lidless toilet, instead of a bucket; a single blanket; and a small desk.
The bars across the front of the cage are warped and appear to have been torn open.
On the other side is a small, open area that ends with a set of stairs leading upward.
The whole place appears to be hewn out of rock.
“I think we’re underground,” I say, drawing conclusions from the appearance of the walls, ceiling, and floor.
“I agree,” the keeper says, his eyes narrowed at our surroundings. “But I’ve never seen this place before.”
I find his comment curious and my forehead creases. “How would you have seen it before?”
He gravitates toward the side of the cell as he replies. “Every time a creature of dark magic died, I had the chance to see the world around them and to experience their memories. Only briefly, mind you. Their memories would slip away quickly. But over time, I accumulated knowledge about the world. Buildings, places, technology. I watched the world change.” He taps his temple. “And I built a map in my mind. But this place is not on it.”
“Which means… what, exactly?”
“Dark creatures have never died here. We should assume, therefore, that this could be a stronghold for creatures of another kind of magic. They could be light magic, elemental magic, possibly even old magic. Regardless, this place could have been fortified enough that dark creatures might never have set foot here.”
“Great,” I say dryly. “Even more perfect than the possibility of running into powerful creatures of light magic is the chance we’ve found ourselves inside one of their strongholds.”
The keeper has paused at the side of the cell, and now he stares at a strip of material hanging on a nail there. He makes a humming sound in the back of his throat and his eyes are narrowed as he peers at it.
“What is it?” I ask.
“A sash, perhaps. Or a blindfold.” He scoops the material up in his big hand and inhales deeply. The shape of his eyes changes as he takes in the scent of the material, his pupils becoming distinctly reptilian. Combined with the black scales covering his skin, it has the effect of making him appear serpentine.
He drops the material quickly. “This isn’t good,” he murmurs to himself.
I may be desperate for food and water, but I don’t like the way he suddenly reconsiders our environment as if it might be even more dangerous to us than he first suspected.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, a sharp demand for answers, and then I attempt to soften it with: “Tell me.Please.”
“I’m familiar with the supernatural who owns this sash,” the keeper says, pointing at the strip of black material that has settled back against the wall. “I recognize her scent. She’s an angel of great strength, but she isn’t pure like most angels.”
I’m surprised by his description of the angel. “‘Not pure’?” I ask. “What do you mean by that?”
He gives me a suddenly gleaming smile. “She won’t hesitate to judge and kill what she hates.” His smile drops from his face. “Which will include us.”
Huh.I’m not sure I’m so scared of an angel who doesn’t conceal her true intentions behind a countenance of supposed purity. It’s the fakers who make me want to tear apart the world.
“It sounds to me like she’s more darkness than light,” I say, wondering if this angel really would kill me. After all, I’ve never hurt a soul. Not yet, anyway.
The keeper acknowledges my statement with a grunt. “We must proceed carefully.”
He prowls across the cell, steps over the remains of the mangled bars, and moves toward the staircase.
“We already were,” I grumble, surprised by the sudden feeling of defeat that rises within me.
