THE INSIDE OF THE castle appeared just as weathered and decrepit as the outside. A double staircase stood opposite of the entrance, with wide steps comprised of jagged, broken stones. The walls around them stretched high above their heads, filled with sun-stained tapestries and the mounted heads of creatures Ravenna had never seen before. Some of the heads were almost human-like, with coal colored glass eyes and lips parted around an endless scream. A shiver whispered through her spine and she moved closer to Vyses.

"This is the main hall," Tylat announced. "This is where I have chosen to display all of my trophies and accomplishments. Please, do not touch anything."

Ravenna glanced up at Vyses, her lips pressed into a firm line. Vyses sported a small frown, his gaze focused on the array of heads that surrounded them. "You have quite an assortment of...trophies," Vyses remarked.

"Indeed," Tylat answered. He coughed quietly into his hand and then continued forward, toward the staircase. They followed him to the second level. He started down a narrow hallway, filled with closed, wooden doors. A slender rug stretched from one end to the other, tattered and colored a dusty red. Torches illuminated the stone walls.

Tylat waved a glowing hand. Two doors swung open, revealing two bedrooms. "These shall be your rooms," Tylat announced. "The wardrobes inside should be filled with clean clothes. You may change into something more comfortable and then join me for dinner. The dining hall will be downstairs. It won't be hard to spot."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Vyses said. "We greatly appreciate it."

Tylat surveyed them with a blank expression. "I must also ask that you refrain from wandering these halls," he told them. His voice sent chills racing through Ravenna's spine. "Not everything hidden within these walls is dead. If you do ignore my wishes, I cannot promise that you will escape with your lives."

Ravenna's mouth dropped open. She turned toward Vyses, her eyes wide. He ignored her, his gaze focused intently on Tylat. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Exactly as it sounds," Tylat responded. "Dinner will be in an hour. I will leave you to get prepared."

Before anything more could be said, Tylat snapped his fingers. Ravenna watched, almost awestruck, as the short man's entire body started to fade from existence.

The moment Tylat had vanished completely, her jaw clenched tight. She folded her arms across her chest and turned to face Vyses. "This isn't a good idea," she whispered to him. "We shouldn't stay here."

Vyses shook his head. "We don't have a choice," he whispered back. His hands reached out to grab hers, squeezing tightly. She noticed his gaze stray, focused on the walls around them. "It will be alright, lass. I promise. It is just one night. Let's just get ready for dinner and get this over with."

Ravenna closed her eyes and sucked in a sharp breath. "Alright," she muttered. "We aren't finished talking about this, though," she added.

He didn't respond. She turned toward one of the open doors and stepped into the bedroom that waited behind it. It reminded her vaguely of her bedroom back at Caelan's house.

A large bed was pressed against the wall opposite of the door and a small seating area was situated within one of the corners. Two large windows were carved into the wall to her right, displaying a spectacular view of the strange trees that surrounded the castle. She sighed and made her way toward the wardrobe that stood beside the bed. Tucked away inside was a variety of dresses, covered in a thin layer of dust and their colors faded with age. She pulled one of the dresses out and coughed at the clouds of dust that erupted. The dress was a deep red, and almost appeared to be something that a royal would wear.

A knock sounded on the door. She changed quickly and rushed to the door. Vyses stood behind it, sporting a dark colored tunic styled similar to the one that Tylat wore. "Are you ready for dinner?" he asked.

Ravenna poked her head out and looked around. Then she reached out and grabbed his wrist, yanking him into her bedroom. She hastily shut the door behind her. "How are you not worried?" she hissed at him. "How are you not completely spooked? This man has heads mounted on his walls, Vyses. And they look human! There is just something not right about this castle."

Vyses tugged on the edge of his sleeve and said, "I am very worried. I just don't see another alternative to our situation. We can't exactly leave the forest, not without this wizard's help anyways."

She heaved a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't believe that. There has to be another way out of here."

"I would love to hear it," Vyses retorted.

Ravenna lifted her hands, her fingers rubbing small circles into her temples. "Look around us, Vyses," she said. "This whole situation is...is almost staged. He has clothes prepared for us to wear and dinner prepared for us to eat. It's hard to imagine that there isn't an alternative reason behind all of this. He must want something from us."

"Or he is simply being kind," Vyses snapped. "Ravenna, we have no idea how to get through that forest by ourselves. We knew that there would be a chance that someone would discover us down in those tunnels –and he did. Instead of handing us over to the guards, however, he has given us food and lodging."

"Yes," Ravenna hissed. "And there is a reason for that."

"What do you suppose we do then, lass?"

"I don't know," Ravenna admitted. She walked over to her bed and sat down on the edge.

Vyses huffed. "Exactly. Until you have a good idea that can get us out of here, we will have to play his little game. For all we know, he could be completely harmless."

"I don't think that we should trust him," Ravenna snapped.

"I don't think so either," Vyses responded. He walked over and held out his hand, pulling her to her feet. "Trusting him and humoring his plans for us are two entirely different things, lass."

Her lips pressed into a wrinkled line.

He smiled at her. "Relax, Ravenna. I won't let any harm befall you."

"I feel so much better now," Ravenna remarked sarcastically.

Vyses chuckled. "Now, let's get down to that dining hall before Tylat decides to come searching for us."

Ravenna followed Vyses out of the room and down the hall. Lyth stood at the top of the stairs, waiting for them. Together, the three of them descended the staircase. As Tylat had said, the dining hall wasn't hard to find. Just beneath the staircase was a set of massive wooden doors. The doors had been forced open, revealing a room almost as large as the entrance itself. A long, slender table stretched across the length of the room, topped with a lavender colored runner and several flower-filled vases.

Tylat sat at the very end of the table, watching them with narrowed eyes. As they approached, his gaze seemed to focus on Ravenna. The hairs on the back of her neck stood straight.

"It has been a while since I've had the pleasure of hosting guests in my castle," Tylat said. "Please, be seated."

hey friends!

Holy macaroni. Y'all, I'm so excited right now. We've almost hit half a million reads on this book!!!!

This is actually insane! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this. It really means the world to me. This book has come so incredibly far since I started it and I'm so excited for y'all to see what I have planned. It's crazy to say because we are almost to 90 chapters, but we actually still have a lot left to go. 

Thank you all for sticking with me and for giving this book a chance! 😭

ash ❤

P.S. I am going to be visiting Nashville next week with my family. A new chapter should still be posted like normal, but I'm not sure what day exactly. 

P.S.S. If you ever want to read ahead, this book is also available on Tapas as well and that version is several chapters ahead!