Ileus: The Dark Prince

Anastasia looked at Ileus with wide eyes.

"Get ready fast," he said.

Anastasia quickly went and changed into his shirt and breeches. When she came back, she found him waiting for her with a cup of hot tea and bread, which she accepted gratefully. She curled her fingers around the warm cup and sipped it.

"Do you like it?" he asked, picking up a grey sweater from his shoulder.

"It is doable," she replied with a beaming smile.

"Ah!" he said and then made her wear the sweater. He rolled its sleeves and said, "Can I say something?"

"Sure." From the corner of her eye, Anastasia saw that Nyles was coming towards her with her eyes fixed on Ileus. However, before she reached them, Kaizan stopped her. He winked at her and gave her a hot cup of tea with bread. Anastasia could have doubled with laughter seeing Nyles' reaction, if these were normal conditions, but she suppressed her smile too. Nyles was flustered. And that was an understatement. Her mouth had dropped and it was clear that she was suspicious. She stared at him incredulously but moments later, she accepted the cup from him and stood there to drink tea.

"How are you feeling?" Ileus drew her attention back as he took a strand of her hair and rubbed it between his fingers, his golden eyes watching her intensely.

Her heart cartwheeled and then double flipped. She was feeling good, even fantastic. It was as if her blood was thrumming with energy. "I am feeling well," she replied, ensnared by him.

"That's good then," he replied and his perfectly shaped lips tugged up revealing those sweet fangs and she had this urge that he sink them in her. Was she so pathetic?

When she finished her tea, he took the cup from her and went to stash it in the saddlebag. He returned with a black cloak and made her wear it. As he buttoned her up, he said, "This should keep you warm."

In the next one hour, they were all on their way deeper in the tunnel and it was becoming dark. Ileus was sitting behind her on Lovac. He had gathered the reins around her and she observed that the cavalcade was trying to keep distance from the stream. Once again Guarhal was leading with a torch in his hand. Tadgh was towards the center with another torch.

Anastasia saw that Nyles was sitting behind Zlu and was absolutely quiet. "Good!" she murmured. When her eyes breezed through the corners of the tunnel, in the flickering light of the torches she noticed white stones shaped like bones. She stared at long enough and upon realizing, an icy chilliness seeped in her veins. They were actually bones—shattered and strewn across the corners. Skulls, femurs, pelvic— She gasped.

"Don't look there Anastasia," Ileus said.

"Who did this?" she rasped.

Ileus didn't answer. He just pulled her hood over the sides of her head.

She took a deep breath and tried to look in the front, but the sight of bones rattled her. Was this tunnel inhabited by beasts? "Did the dark prince pass through here? Did he do this?"

"I don't see any reason for the dark prince's intrusion here!" he grated.

"Carrick told me that there was unusual movement in the air on the outside of the tunnel last night," said Anastasia as their horse turned around a bend. The tunnel had grown even bigger and dim light from somewhere was pouring in. The ceiling was nearly ten stories tall now. She couldn't help marveling this natural wonder. Her gaze drifted up towards the inverted stalactites, which opened like white flowers as if carved in marble. Water dripped from them and they shone a dull white.

"There was," he said.

"Do you think there would be rogues wandering around?"

"Could be."

Since he was giving such short answers, she became quiet again. Her gaze went back to the inverted white flowers and she wondered why they were shining.

"There must be some insect that is providing that glow to those flowers," she said aloud her observation. All of a sudden her eyes caught a movement and she could swear that the flowers moved in her direction.

"I wish those were insects."

"Then what are they?" she turned her head to look at him with curiosity.

He kissed her temple inadvertently and said, "It is said that these flowers acted as spies to those who entered Sgiath Biò. This tunnel was once inhabited by a lower caste of Faes and some Yardraks who were their servants. When the races developed and the Faes had distanced themselves from humans and other Lore species, the Yardraks were the ones who remained with this caste of Faes. They were dwarves and were fantastic architects. They served the Faes loyally. However, the Faes moved further inside Sgiath Biò and abandoned this tunnel."

"I think I read about Yardraks in the library," said Anastasia. Though there was not much she could recall.

"The Yardraks continued to stay back and they said that they would act as the spies of the Faes. Since Sgiath Biò was so heavily under the spell, the deal was the only way they were allowed to stay and not face the wrath of the Faes."

"That's pretty interesting. They are a cunning race but usually dependent on others for their security," she remarked.

"The problem was that over the years, their population exploded and they had to leave this tunnel. Now they couldn't go outside this tunnel because of the spells. They approached the Faes to give them more space in this wilderness, but were outrightly refused. The Yardraks decided to move out of here. They established their own kingdom called Yardrak and lived there. They don't have armies, but their trade is very sound. They are one of the richest kingdoms in the Lore because of their scientific discoveries and excellent architecture skills."

"That's impressive," Anastasia said enthusiastically. "But who are they loyal to now?"