He bent down, resting his forehead against hers for a moment. “I’ll call you when I get home,” he murmured. He kissed her lightly on the forehead and let go of her hands. She followed Ren and Eli out of the room, pausing to smile at him over her shoulder before she disappeared.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
A ylie slid into the backseat of Eli’s car, replaying the part of the conversation over and over in her mind where Ryder had told everyone they were dating. She could still feel his lips on her forehead and she couldn’t stop smiling. She was thankful it was dark outside so that Ren wouldn’t see her stupid grin. She felt bad that she’d hurt Lacey but she was so elated about Ryder that she couldn’t bring herself to worry about it. She knew her best friend would forgive her…eventually.
“Do you mind if we stop somewhere on the way home?” Eli asked, pulling off of Main Street to take an unfamiliar back road.
Aylie shook her head. “That’s fine.”
“So,” Ren said hesitantly, turning her head to look sideways at Aylie as they drove down the long, deserted road. “Tell me about Ryder.”
“There’s not much to tell,” Aylie replied. “We really were just friends.”
“Are you in love with him?”
Aylie was silent, not knowing how to answer that question. She hadn’t put a label on her level of affection for Ryder lately and she was a little afraid of what her answer might be if she really thought about it. “I don’t know…maybe.”
“Wow,” Ren murmured. “I never thought you’d get over Marcus so quickly.”
“It’s been almost nine months.”
“Yeah, but you and Marcus always seemed so perfect together. Seeing you with Ryder was a little strange, I’m not going to lie.”
Aylie shrugged in the dark. “He’s a really good guy, Ren.”
“We’re counting on that,” Eli interjected, pulling up in front of an old, abandoned cabin in what looked like the middle of nowhere. There was no moon and the stars did little to illuminate the dark and desolate landscape.
“Where are we?” Aylie asked, peering out of the car window into total darkness. There were no other houses or buildings in sight and there was nothing but trees and forest in every direction. She had never been here before and had no idea where she was.
“I’m afraid that’s classified information,” Eli said, putting the car in park. He got out, moving his seat forward so that she could climb out, too. Ren and Derek were already waiting outside the car.
“What’s going on?” Aylie asked, looking to Ren for answers.
“We’ll explain everything when we get inside,” Derek promised, steering her toward the front door of the cabin. Eli stepped in front of them, putting his right hand on the doorknob. Rather than using a key, he closed his eyes and leaned in, muttering something under his breath. Suddenly there was a clicking sound and the door opened from the other side. He ushered them through quickly, as the cabin door closed tightly behind them.
Aylie looked over her shoulder, feeling a little uneasy. She followed Ren and Eli through the dark interior of the empty house. It seemed like no one was home, but then who had opened the door for them? She felt her skin crawl as they stopped in the middle of what seemed to be the heart of the decrepit little house. She glanced around, noting pieces of old, broken furniture strewn about the room. The windows were boarded up in a haphazard fashion and there were no signs of electricity anywhere. Candles had obviously been used for light, and a few lumps of melted wax lay discarded in the crevices of the floor as if someone had dropped them in their hurry to get out of the cabin.
Eli knelt down on the dusty wooden floor. He placed the palm of his hands on the dirty floorboards at his feet and suddenly a trapdoor appeared. He opened it, motioning for Ren to climb down the ladder into the chasm below. She obeyed without question, waiting at the bottom of the ladder for Aylie to follow her. Slowly, Aylie climbed down into the chasm, resisting the urge to panic. Ren would warn her if she were in danger, right? She ignored the feeling that she was being led into a trap and waited for Derek and Eli to follow.
When everyone had reached the bottom, Eli led them through an extremely long underground tunnel, the opening of which was smaller than any Aylie had ever walked through before. The tunnels inside the mansion were nothing compared to this one in terms of length and lack of airflow. It must have been miles long, because Aylie’s feet were beginning to ache and she felt the shallowness of the air around her. She forced herself to take smaller breaths so she wouldn’t get lightheaded like she had in the passageways of the mansion. No one was talking and she didn’t feel inclined to start up a conversation just now. She trusted Ren and she knew the explanation was coming, though it was getting harder and harder not to panic as they went deeper and deeper underground.
Finally, the tunnel opened into a larger chasm, with smaller tunnels branching off in several different directions. Aylie could hear the sound of people talking and laughing in the distance. They took one of the tunnels branching off from the center chasm and suddenly there was light everywhere, revealing a massive, underground city. Aylie looked around in awe. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. The walls were made of multi-faceted stones mixed with limestone. The ceilings were vaulted, providing plenty of space for the rows of storefronts, buildings, and apartment homes lining both sides of each tunnel. Here, Aylie noticed, there were street signs pointing in various directions to different archways and tunnels. The ground was cobblestone in some places and smooth clay in others. There were shops and cafes of every kind lining the alleyways with apartments above them, rising several stories high. The city was so developed and extensive that Aylie had almost forgotten they were underground, except for the dim glow of artificial light and the musty smell of earth all around her.
Eli led them through another, shorter tunnel, which opened into a massive, circular coliseum with large pillars and auditorium seating that stretched up almost to the ceiling. The seats were filled with people of every race and color, and it looked exactly like the pictures she had seen in her world history book of historic amphitheaters—the places where gladiators fought to the death in ancient Rome. The carvings on the pillars and walls were incredibly detailed, portraying wild adventures and battles fought long ago. Aylie’s mouth fell open, as she gazed around the arena taking everything in.
Eli led her through the middle of the coliseum, directing her to sit in one of the seats in front of a raised platform located in the center. She complied, sitting down silently next to Ren and Derek. To her left, was a row of people dressed in dark brown cloaks with hoods drawn low over their heads. She watched in awe as Eli approached a man holding a similar dark brown cloak. He peeled off the sweatshirt he’d worn to Kyle’s party and put the cloak on in its place before mounting the platform in the center of the arena. Suddenly the room fell quiet, as every person turned their attention to him in reverential silence. He didn’t have to say a word. His very presence commanded respect, and it was very clear that everyone in the room esteemed him. He smiled, welcoming people who represented countries all over the world. He greeted foreign dignitaries, diplomats, and even a few kings. His accent was thicker than she’d ever heard it before and she was astounded by how difficult it was to understand some of the things he was saying.
Aylie leaned over to whisper in Ren’s ear. “This is Derek’s roommate, right?”
Ren squeezed her hand. “You’ll see.”
Aylie listened as Eli addressed each people group in their own tongue and dialect. She was amazed that he knew so many different languages. Just how old was this guy, exactly? How could he know so much at the age of twenty, and why was everyone so captivated by him? When the greetings were finally over, two men in brown cloaks approached the platform, carrying what appeared to be a solid, marble chair. It looked extremely heavy, but they brought it to Eli so that he could sit down. They bowed low to the ground as they left the platform, backing away reverently. Eli pushed the hood of hi
s cloak back, revealing his white blond hair, which looked luminescent in the dim coliseum light.
The people wearing brown hooded cloaks were council members, Ren informed her, though Aylie didn’t understand what kind of council would meet underground like this. An aged council member with a long white beard stepped onto the platform next. He addressed the crowd. “The Prince has called this council to order. You have all been summoned here for this very sacred occasion. What is disclosed within these walls must remain sacred until the time the Prince chooses to reveal himself. All who will agree to fulfill this requirement and choose to remain, please respond with, ‘I will.’ ”
Aylie’s ears rang with the sound of the multitude shouting back their unified allegiance. Her heart began pounding wildly in her chest. She felt her head spinning, the knuckles of her hands turning white as she clenched the arms of her chair tightly. “Ren,” she hissed, “Is Eli saying what I think he’s saying?”
Ren beamed at her as Eli stood to address the crowd again.
“Brothers and sisters,” he said with a smile that radiated like the sun, “to all of you who have followed me faithfully from one generation to the next and have not turned to the Order in despair—I honor you and thank you for your loyalty. For all of you who have lost friends and family for my sake—my heart grieves for your losses.” Here he paused, overcome with emotion as tears streamed down his brilliant face. The entire room could feel the weight of his crushing sorrow, and no one made a sound until he had recovered himself. “And to all of you who have believed the legends about me and have awaited my return, even when there was no proof of my existence—you have my deepest respect and gratitude.”
The room erupted in cheers, as the mood in the coliseum shifted from one of unbearable sorrow to uncontainable joy. Shouts rang out from every corner of the amphitheater and applause broke out like wildfire. It started out slowly at first, spreading through the arena as it grew louder and louder. The applause didn’t die down, but continued for what seemed like hours. When Eli finally silenced the crowd, he said, “I have summoned you all here because Edryd’s return is quickly approaching. His brutal assault on mankind will soon begin. Many of you have already sacrificed friends, family, and social status to protect our legacy and our way of life, but the days ahead will be unlike anything you have yet known. No matter what it looks like, you will never be alone. You will not be without hope. I am fighting with you and I assure you—we will be victorious!”
As he spoke, the floor began to quake, the ground beneath them rumbling like it was going to split apart. The pillars surrounding the platform shook and it looked as if the ceiling were about to cave in. Instinctively, Aylie covered her head with her hands. She heard Ren laughing and shot her a look. “How can you be so calm?” She demanded, her hands still cupping the back of her head.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life!” She cried, as tears filled her dark brown eyes. “My family has been looking for the Prince for centuries! He’s alive, Aylie—he’s here.”
Aylie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She didn’t have to be told who the Prince was, she had read about him in Ryder’s journal. The legends had seemed far too fantastical to be true at the time, but listening now to the sound of Eli’s voice—gentle as a summer breeze, yet commanding as thunder—she had no doubt that it was him. This was Rhydian…Eli was the lost prince. She felt the truth of the revelation in her bones, though she wasn’t exactly sure how she knew it.
His words penetrated the atmosphere of excitement around them. “We know who our enemy is and we have suffered great loss at the hands of his followers, but their power is limited and their Order is not yet fully unified. As you know, the last high priest of Edryd’s Order died many years ago. Edryd cannot return without the veneration of the next high priest and the unity that only he can bring. This gives us the advantage of more time.”
“How can we prevent the next priest from being chosen?” A member of the council interjected.
Eli’s uplifted expression melted into extreme sadness. “The next high priest has already been chosen. We cannot stop him from being venerated.”
The crowd erupted in angry speculation and argument. People began to shout for justice and vengeance—the execution of Edryd’s next high priest for the deaths of their friends and family.
With a compassionate gaze, Eli held up his hand and the crowd fell silent again. “Murder is Edryd’s way, not mine.”
“Then how can we prevent the next high priest from fulfilling Edryd’s wishes?”
Eli looked out over the crowd. “Long ago, my father—the Great King Ruardian, spoke of One who could change the path of Edryd’s high priest.”
“Haven’t you come to fulfill that prophecy?” Asked another member of the council, a woman with long, braided hair.
Eli shook his head with a knowing smile. “That is not my mission. I have come to help the person Ruardian has chosen to fulfill their destiny.” The crowd began whispering, conjecturing about who would be given the honor of helping the Prince turn Edryd’s high priest away from the path of darkness and allegiance to the Order.
Aylie leaned over, nudging Ren in the arm. “Is he going to tell us who it is?” She asked, looking over at the council members in the row beside her. “It must be one of them.”
“Who has been chosen to be Edryd’s next high priest?” Asked an elderly council member seated next to Aylie.
Eli looked at the man solemnly. “All will be revealed in due time.”
One of the councilwomen who had been silent suddenly stood to her feet. “Is there really no way to prevent the boy from becoming the next high priest?” She cried out in anguish. Her voice was strikingly familiar. Aylie furrowed her brows, waiting to see if the woman would speak again and confirm the alarming suspicion ringing in her mind.
Eli turned to the woman with a pitying look. “Ruardian’s prophecy foretells that the boy will become the next high priest. No one can stop this from happening. But hope is not yet lost, there is one person who can change the young priest’s course of action, which you well know.”
The councilwoman began sobbing, the man beside her quietly entreating her to return to her seat. Aylie leaned forward, staring at her parents in wide-eyed disbelief. She shot an accusing look at Ren, who was suddenly fascinated with the floor at her feet and refused to meet her gaze. She snapped her eyes back to Eli, hoping for further explanation. He turned to face the crowd again, locking eyes with her instantly. “Some of you will be required to sacrifice everything to see mankind and the earth restored to its created order. Some of you will be required to help those who must make these sacrifices—to stand by them and lend them your strength. No one will be immune from what is coming, but the end will be glorious. It has already been foretold.”
“Does the person Ruardian has chosen know of the role they are destined to play in all of this?” Asked the old man who had opened the council meeting.
Eli glanced at Aylie meaningfully. “She will soon enough.”
Aylie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, as every eye in the arena was suddenly fixed on her. She stared back at him, shock and alarm coursing through her body. She couldn’t be the one Eli was talking about…she had nothing to offer. No powers or special abilities. She didn’t even have the mark of a Silver Vein! She stared at her parents, dressed in the brown hooded cloaks of the council members. Her mom was still sobbing, hood drawn over her face. Aylie was reeling from the shock of discovering that both of her parents had known about all of this, and now Eli was implying that she was the only one who could keep Edryd—an ancient druid and murderous sorcerer—from destroying all of mankind.
“I don’t understand,” Aylie whispered to Ren. “How am I supposed to do anything about this? I don’t even know who the next priest is.”
Ren turned to her with a tragic look, resting her hand on Aylie’s shoulder. “Aylie,” she
said softly, “it’s Ryder.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“N o!” Aylie sprang to her feet. She refused to believe what Ren was saying. She wouldn’t listen to another minute of these crazy theories. She stormed out of the arena with all eyes watching. She didn’t care what those people thought. She didn’t even care what her parents thought. It was her life, not theirs. She knew Ryder better than any of them—he would never join Edryd’s Order. Eli might be the great, immortal Prince returning to claim his lost kingdom, but he was dead wrong about Ryder Payne. And he was wrong about her destiny. She didn’t know what she was going to do next, but she wasn’t going to let a room full of crazy, sycophants decide her future for her.
She found her way back through the tunnels and out through the trap door, but then realized she had no idea how to get home from here. She stalked out of the cabin and went over to Eli’s car, sulking angrily against the hood. She would have to wait for someone to take her home, but she had no intentions of discussing Ryder Payne or in being part of their little club. The only thing she cared about right now was getting home. She was so exhausted; she half hoped she’d imagined all of it. Maybe her tiredness had made her delusional.
Aylie looked around, surveying the gloomy mountains and thick trees enshrouding the lost little cabin. There was no starlight tonight, as clouds billowed in the dark night sky announcing a coming storm. It was very fitting weather for the mood she was in. Bring on the thunder and lightning—she was ready for it. As she stared out into nothingness, a familiar figure suddenly appeared before her.
Of course you would show up tonight. She thought accusingly, trying to avoid the lion’s compelling blue eyes.
Do not reject your destiny. Ruah warned. For if you do, an even greater evil will be unleashed on the earth and the ones you love will be consumed by it.
WAKENED (The Silvervane Chronicles Book 1) Page 18
