Late at night, the silvery lights of Lunaris spilled through the palace windows, illuminating the stone floor of the slave barracks.
Eray lay on his back on a thin mattress. His eyes were closed, but he was not asleep. The Soul Binder collar around his neck vibrated faintly in sync with his pulse. With every heartbeat, it reminded him who he belonged to.
Aeliana.
But Eray's thoughts were not on Aeliana. They were on the words Lord Vorian had carelessly thrown around:
A revolt in the mines… the Ash Heirs… the crystal veins are drying up.
From the neighboring bunk came Tarik's rough breathing. The old man had passed out from exhaustion.
Eray silently sat up. He took out the dried, greasy piece of meat from his pocket. His stomach growled, but he had no intention of eating it.
This meat was a bribe.
He nudged Tarik's shoulder.
"Tarik," he whispered. "Wake up."
The old man startled awake. "What? What happened? Is the Princess calling?" Fear ran deep in his voice.
"No," Eray said quietly. He handed the meat to Tarik."Take this. It's your share."
Tarik stared at the meat like a starving wolf, then looked at Eray suspiciously."Why? You didn't eat."
"My stomach is upset," Eray lied."But I want information in return."
Tarik snatched the meat and shoved it into his mouth, swallowing without chewing.
"What kind of information? If you're asking about palace exits, don't waste your breath, son."
Eray locked eyes with him. The veil over those coal-black eyes lifted, revealing the sharp focus of a Raiders Captain.
"The Ash Heirs," Eray said clearly."Who are they? And how do I reach them?"
Tarik nearly choked. He coughed violently and sat up, looking around in terror.
"Quiet!" he hissed. "Are you insane? Whispering that name within these walls is grounds for execution! They're terrorists. They're… madmen!"
"They're my ticket, Tarik," Eray said, gripping the old man's wrist."Listen to me. I won't spend my life scrubbing floors in this palace. The revolt in the mines is real. And I need to get there."
Tarik tried to pull free."You've lost your mind. The Princess will never let you go. You're her favorite toy. Only 'waste' is sent to the mines. The useless, the broken, those meant to die."
Eray smiled.
That dark, dangerous smile had returned.
"Is that so?" he whispered."Then I need to fall out of the Princess's favor… but remain valuable enough that she won't have me killed."
Tarik recoiled from what he saw in the young man's eyes. This was not just a desire to escape.
It was a hunger for destruction.
"What are you planning?" Tarik asked in fear.
"Tomorrow," Eray said, lying back down."Tomorrow, there will be a small accident in the kitchen. And you, Uncle Tarik… you will only watch."
The next morning, the palace kitchens awoke in their usual chaos. Satyrs shouted, goblins hauled cauldrons, and elves barked orders while pinching their noses.
Eray was carrying a massive wine barrel. The satyr overseer cracked his whip to increase the pace.
"Hurry up! Those wines go down to the cellar for the Princess's midday feast!"
As Eray balanced the barrel on his shoulder, his eyes flicked to the service lift on the far side of the kitchen. That lift carried food upward, but the waste chute…
The waste chute led directly down into the city's underbelly. Into the sewers. And from there, into the mine tunnels.
Entering it directly was impossible.The collar would blow him apart.
No, the plan was not to escape.
The plan was exile.
What did Aeliana love most?
Perfection.And control.
As Eray approached the cellar door, he deliberately caught his foot. This was no simple stumble. It was a calculated collapse, using years of trained body control.
The barrel slipped from his shoulder. Eray crashed to the floor.
The barrel rolled forward and slammed into the massive, crystal-engraved Fountain of Light at the center of the kitchen.
CRASH!
The fountain shattered. The sacred, glowing water spilled across the floor. The rolling barrel continued, smashing into the counter where exotic bird meats for the Princess's lunch were laid out, destroying everything.
The kitchen fell into dead silence.
The satyr overseer stared at Eray, eyes bulging.
"You…" he stammered."What have you done?!"
Eray scrambled to his feet and plastered fear across his face.
"My foot… I slipped, sir! I swear!"
Inside, he was grinning.
Let's see.The Princess's perfect toy is now clumsy and useless.
The door opened.
It was not Aeliana.
It was someone just as feared.
Lady Seraphina.
The red-haired woman surveyed the destruction, then looked at Eray. A glint lit up her green eyes.
"Well, well…" Seraphina said, stepping over the debris."It seems Aeliana's 'pet' has turned the place upside down. She'll be very upset when she hears about this. Perhaps even…"
She leaned closer to Eray.
"…perhaps she'll punish you by taking away those toys she loves so much."
Eray lowered his head."Please… forgive me."
Seraphina laughed.
"Forgive you? Oh, sweetheart, this is not a house of mercy."
She turned to the satyr.
"Get this incompetent thing out of my sight. I'll inform Aeliana. But a clumsy slave like this has no place in the palace."
The satyr swallowed."Where should we take him, my Lady? The dungeon?"
Seraphina pursed her lips.
"No. The dungeon is too quiet. He needs somewhere more… educational. Send him to the mines. Let him collect Crystal Dust. Perhaps when his hands grow calloused, he'll learn how to hold things properly."
Eray's heart pounded.
I did it.
"But my Lady," the satyr said hesitantly."The collar… it's a Red Seal. The Ether density in the mines could destabilize it."
"Then it explodes," Seraphina said indifferently as she turned away."And we'll have fireworks. Take him."
Two guards seized Eray by the arms. As they dragged him out of the kitchen, Eray locked eyes with Tarik.
This time, there was no fear in the old man's gaze.
Only respect.
As Eray was taken out of the perfumed halls of the palace and led downward, into darkness and poison, a faint smile touched his lips.
I'm descending into the guts of Lunaris, he thought.Ash Heirs… your commander is coming.
But he had forgotten one thing.
The mines were not only home to rebels.
They were home to ancient things even Aeliana feared.
And the red light of the collar began to pulse faster the deeper they went.