A cold daft of wind chilled her bones the moment the jagged maw of the cave swallowed her.
Into darkness.
A dense gloom of nothing and everything. Through the darkness she saw nothing and the rearing heads of beasts striking. She heard nothing and the snapping of fanged teeth. She felt nothing and the caress of pale ghosts along the nape of her neck.
Reaching out, she found damp hard wall rough against the pad of her palms. An earthy, ancient smell filled her nose, mixed with that of algae and mustiness. The scent of the underbelly of this vast mountain.
She would've carried a torch if permitted. The rules of the trials demanded she took nothing but her wits, courage and a small weapon of choice with her. Hence why she had just a dagger strapped to her belt. The dagger from last night…
Her heart had leapt to her throat when she turned to find Queen Nadia holding a dagger by its hilt, short but razor-sharp blade glistening under the light of the chandeliers.
