A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

Nyfain slowly closed the door, which latched with a soft click. Leala set down the precious cargo and then looked up, probably to make sure it was the right thing. Govam waited for her to back off and shift before bending to pick up the few keys on their scarred golden key ring.

“That image will haunt me forever,” he murmured, and I nearly had to slap my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing.

He led us through another tunnel, turning a few times, until we came to a dead end. As before, he felt for a groove and opened the way, gesturing us through.

“How did you find all of this, man?” Vemar asked as we gathered in a darkened room with two doors. Both had locks. “And why couldn’t we have used a lockpick?”

“I spent a lot longer trying to escape from this life than you did trying to escape from that dungeon,” Govam said, looking at the keys. “This lock is impossible to pick. It has a specialized key integrating a very old magnetic component. It’s from before Dolion built the top level. The mess is a safe room of sorts. The royals and court members would gather in here when the castle was under siege. It is built with stone— Well, you’ll see.”

He fitted the key into the lock and opened it.

“Why is it no longer used?” Nyfain asked as we walked into what looked like a cemetery for ugly furniture. The room had oddly angled walls, six in total of various lengths, and a dais for two thrones, one of which lay on its side.

“Dolion has a better one.” Govam hurried across the room to let in the others, who would hopefully be waiting behind those other doors.

“Wait.” Nyfain’s voice rang out, and Govam stopped in his tracks. Nyfain caught up with him and shadowed him, clearly not wanting to be double-crossed and locked in this room without the special key.

Govam opened the door without complaint. “Dolion was not as clever as the kings of old, however. There was a reason they put the room in the middle of the floor, fitting it in so awkwardly.”

Sonassa strutted in with Micah on her heels. I’d made sure to give that group the elixir to stop her magic from affecting them. Micah nodded to Nyfain and me before turning to make sure his group had made it in okay.

Govam went to the next door. “They wanted it to be far enough away from the walls of the castle so that the room would stand if someone used a battering ram, for example.”

“What floor is this?” someone asked.

“The third floor,” Govam responded, letting the last group in. “Demons in this world have always been cunning, greedy, tricksters, so it should come as no surprise that this castle has seen plenty of sieges. But the royals of old weren’t so selfish. Dolion built his safe room into his chambers. The idea was that he’d tuck himself into the safe room if the fifth floor was breached.”

“And there is no way into the safe room?” Nyfain asked.

“Well…there wasn’t.” Govam lifted his brow, looking at me.

“Hannon,” I said. “If Dolion makes it into his safe room, Hannon will have to cut through the building with his fart fire or whatever to get him out.”

One of the wolves snuffled, and I realized it was Hadriel’s. Clearly they found humor in that.

“Yes. But also…” Govam walked to one of the old cupboards, the only one not covered in a thick layer of dust, and dragged out a few rolls of paper. He spread them across a huge table on the far side. “Dolion wasn’t thinking about protecting himself from dragons who can throw themselves in and out of windows to shift. He has protections against fire, but he does not have protection against a dragon who crash-lands through a window.”

“No,” Nyfain said immediately.

“Hell, I’ll try it,” Vemar said. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

“You miss and fall to your death,” Nyfain answered. “Is there another way into his rooms?”

Govam leaned over the papers, which I realized were floor plans of the castle. “Yes. Two. One that is probably impossible. We’d need to fight our way to the other. If we do that, though, there is a strong chance he’ll make it to his safe room, and his fate will be in an inexperienced phoenix’s hands, all while the rest of the castle bears down on us.”

We all exchanged looks.

“Sounds like the shits,” Vemar said. “Let’s do it. I still volunteer to try that window thing. Strange Lady can catch me if I fall.”

“Let’s get to it.” Sonassa joined Govam at the table, followed by Denski. “We need to get to the top floor. That’s where all the power is. Take out that top floor of power players, change the future of this kingdom.”