The Veil of Darkness
Chapter 168: A Secret... under the Castle

Chapter 168: A Secret... under the Castle

"Why?" Annalise found herself asking but Valerius only shook his head in response as he spoke, "I have no idea but that’s what he said to me right before we were leaving the palace. You can decide if you want to go or not."

"I will. It’s a summon from the King, I’m in no place to deny it. Besides, I want to know why he wants to meet me of all people." Annalise responded in a determined tone as she looked straight into Valerius’ icy orbs.

The first dark lord nodded his head in both understanding and acceptance of her decision. "If that’s what you want. I will personally escort you to the Palace tomorrow noon." He offered and Annalise happily accepted it with a nod of her head.

"What’s next?" She asked, making sure that he won’t be changing his mind about sharing the other things that he had on his mind because she was pretty sure that those were the important ones to be paid attention to.

Valerius shook his head as a smile bloomed on his lips. He returned his attention to her, his eyes carrying the usual warmth in them as he confessed, "I came here looking for two things - first, the spell that your familiar asked you to find to get its former memories, and second, some information about the Wish Jewels and the Guardian bloodlines."

"Didn’t you strengthen the ward? Do you still have to put aside your health to find these answers? Don’t we have time..." Annalise bombarded him with questions and stopped when he started shaking his head, not clearly understanding exactly what he meant by that.

"There’s another secret I want you to know." He spoke in such a serious voice that Annalise couldn’t help but think of the worst. Did he fail to strengthen the ward? Or was it something else but still somehow related to it?

"What is it?" She asked and was surprised when Valerius suddenly stood up and offered his open palm to her in an invitation that she immediately found herself accepting as she placed her hand in his.

The man led her toward the doorway and out of the library before they made their way downstairs. She was surprised when she found them heading inside the basement as her head started filling with pure confusion and questions. Still, she followed him in silence and waited patiently to get the answers.

Instead of the two halls that she previously noticed, Valerius pulled her in the direction of the farthest corner of the parlor where long black drapes were covering the wall. With a single flick of his wrist, the drapes moved aside, allowing them access to the wall that was built of some sort of volcanic rocks that were buzzing with powerful spells.

Valerius let go of her hand as he placed both his hands on the wall and started chanting a spell in the Unseelie language, making Annalise watch everything happening in front of her with an equal amount of amazement and curiosity filling her eyes.

All the different spells, that she initially noticed on the wall, moved to lock together as one in the very center of the wall right before glowing runes appeared all over the wall, and then, it opened a small doorway for them.

When Valerius turned to look at her, his eyes carried the essence of excitement as he once again took hold of her hand and pulled her into the dark passageway behind him. The doorway disappeared as soon as they stepped through it and the wall was back in place.

The two of them descended some stairs through the narrow passageway before they appeared in an open area that seemed more like a part of some ancient palace instead of the cursed castle. They took another staircase that led even deeper into the earth.

Finally, they arrived outside another little passageway that was covered in vines, the same vines that were growing all over and around the castle. The deeper they went, the more vegetation Annalise noticed on their way. There was also a change in the energy, a good one. Her powers seemed to be responding positively to the place and there was a pull that she kept feeling deep inside her that wanted her to keep moving toward their destination.

"The secret that I want you to see and know about, it’s right behind this ward," Valerius told her as he signaled at the passageway covered in vines.

"There’s a ward here?" Annalise asked curiously as she let her fingers run through the space under the vines and immediately felt the sizzling energy of the ward running between her fingers and all over her surrounding.

"Easy there, wife. It’s an ancient and powerful ward." Valerius warned her as he took hold of her hand and pulled it away from the ward.

"But it feels welcoming," Annalise said as she finally pulled her attention away from the passageway and toward her husband who seemed to have realized something as he let out a small breath and spoke so softly as if the words were only meant for his own ears to hear, "Of course, you are welcome here."

She didn’t understand what he meant by those words but didn’t get tge chance to ask because Valerius was already making her step closer to the ward. He moved to stand right behind her with his chest nearly pressed against her waist. One of his hands went to rest on her waist while tge other took hold of her hand which he moved to place against the same ward that he just warned her against.

"Let me teach you how to manipulate wards. Since this one seems to like you, this will be the perfect one to use as your teaching material." He whispered in her ear and she could tell there was a smile playing on his lips without even needing to see it.

"Allow some freedom to your powers, Annalise, and let them perform the magic."

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