43

Corinne paused, her head tilted for any sounds. Then, once she was sure Draunar had left, her posture slumped and she sighed heavily. Her left hand moved to her right wrist, and she worked a forefinger under a tight emerald band there, like it was irritating her skin. “He’s gone.”

“You can tell?” I asked. I climbed off the mattress, with a fur wrapped around me like a robe. My underclothes weren’t immodest, but I’d just met the woman. “I thought I was alone in here.”

“I’m the only other one, as far as I know,” she said. “Though Draunar may have other hoards unattached to this one.”

“How long have you been here?” I asked.

She smiled faintly. “Come,” she said. “I’ll show you the rest of the quarters. And get you a change of clothes.”

“Thank the gods,” I said. “I only have a formal gown.”

“There’s not much finery here,” she said, “but there are things that are clean.”

I blinked as Corinne opened the door. “We can just leave?”

“He locked you in for the first night, I assume?”

“Yes, it was a little disorienting.”

She hummed a low, humorless laugh. “There’s a door to the dining room he keeps secured when he’s gone. The rest of the cavern is available for our perusal.”

“How big is this place?” I asked.

“Not big enough,” she said with a sigh. “I’m terribly sorry you’ve been brought here, but I must admit, it’s nice to speak to someone who isn’t Draunar or Sini.”

“Sini?” I followed her out of my quarters and back into the hallway.

She led us to the dark open mouth of the rest of the cavern. She lifted her left hand, then murmured a word in that same unfamiliar language Draunar had used. Throughout the space, dim sconces lit. Corinne grimaced, like activating the light hurt her. I placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” she exhaled. “Just fine.”

The sconces illuminated the rest of the cavern. I gasped at the sight. The roof of the cavern dripped with stalactites, dripping single drops of water into still pools. The floor was smooth, but the walls were rough-hewn, with steam rising from the water. It was gorgeous—if I wasn’t trapped in here against my will, I’d liken it to a fancy mountain spa resort. Across the space, the cavern continued in both directions.

“This place is huge,” I breathed.

“You think that now,” Corinne said with a sigh. “Oh, here. Sini’s come to say hi.”

“Who—oh!” I stumbled backward. A large silvery salamander, shot through with blue, crept out of the neckline of Corinne’s shirt and wound down her arm to her wrist. Its body was nearly the length of her forearm, gripping her with its legs and its long tail now wrapped around the bicep. It tipped its head toward me, nostrils flaring, and only then did I realize its eyes were almost completely white.

“He’s a cave salamander,” Corinne explained. “He doesn’t need sight. It’s handy having him around to help me navigate when I don’t want to use the sconces.”

Did using them hurt her that much that she’d resorted to using a guide animal? What kind of magic was this? What kind of magic user was she? There was a strange sort of familiarity to her too, like I’d met her before, but I couldn’t quite remember how.

“Over here,” she said. In an alcove beyond the smallest pool, there were shelves built into the walls. They were lined with anything I might need: soaps, towels, fragrances, combs, anything for a luxurious bath. Next to the shelves stood an armoire, which Corinne opened with ease. She pulled out a pair of slacks and a robe for me, similar to the one she wore. She kept her attention on Sini as I changed briskly, relieved to find the clothes were soft and lightweight, like elegant linen. At least I wasn’t stuck with just my silk and organza.

“There’s not much else to see,” Corinne said once I was changed. She led me across the bathing area to where the cavern continued. To our right, the hallway was sealed with another great obsidian door. “Those are Draunar’s private chambers.”

“Have you been inside?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Thankfully, no. I spend my time either in my chambers, or here.” Across the hallway, there was another alcove, with a lower ceiling. The alcove was dotted with stacks of books, furs, and immense cushions big enough to cradle my entire body if I sat on one.

“Oh, thank the gods,” I sighed. “At least there’s something to read.”

“I’ve read them all, if you need recommendations,” Corinne said.

She must’ve been here a long time. I watched as she traced her finger over the stacks of books tenderly, like she was stroking the spine of a beloved pet. Then she sighed and turned to face me with a sad smile.

“And that’s it,” she said. “That’s all there is.”

I nodded as a chilly fear crept up my spine. That was really all there was?

A few books, a few heated pools, and a bedroom? Sleep, eat, read, bathe?

And never see the sun again?

Suddenly cold in the stillness of the cave, I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered. There was no way I could discover a way out of here alone.

But something about the graceful way Corinne moved continued to pique my curiosity. There was something about her I couldn’t place—but if I could get her to open up to me, we could figure out a way out of here together.

14

T

he days passed in relative quiet. Or at least, I thought they did. I couldn’t be sure of the movement of ‘days’ at all. There were no clocks in the caverns, and no access to the outside world, with the inner door to the caverns locked. I followed Corinne’s schedule. The sounds of her movements would wake me, and then we’d share a simple meal at the long dining table where I’d watched Draunar scarf down cured meats. The food was always waiting for us when we stepped into the room, though how it appeared I had no idea.