Blood Wars [Chapter 2/ part 2]

{Part 2}


Madame Isabella walked pass Felicity and over to the two doors on the wall to the right. Felicity could smell what seemed like the scent of roses and lavender emanating from her skin. Felicity thought it smelled too wonderful to be perfume; but how could a smell so luxurious come from one's skin?
         Madame Isabella beckoned for Felicity to come over to the doors.
         "The one on the right will lead you to the dungeon. Go down there and wait at the door at the end of the hallway. Alexander will be down in a moment." Felicity could hear the pout in Isabella's voice, and it took all her composure to keep from smiling.
She walked up to the doors and saw that the doors themselves were identical, but the knobs were much different.
         The knob on the left door was polished and was engraved with a pattern of vines and leaves. It sparkled in the light from the Autumn sun streaming in through the window. She longed to reach out to that door and enter it, but she could not. She looked at the door on the right and saw its knob: it had a dark patina, but Felicity could see it had engravings as well. Vines wrapped around it like the other knob, but the vines had thorns instead of gentle leaves. The engravings were so realistic, Felicity was afraid she would prick her finger if she touched it.
         Even though the voice of common sense screamed in her mind to not dare touch that knob or enter that door, she did.
         Inside, it was dark as night and the floor shifted from the bright mahogany in Madame Isabella's office to a dark, slate flooring. A few feet from the doorway, she could see the top of a spiraling staircase that led down into the dungeon.
         Felicity gulped and stepped forward into the dark. The door slammed behind her, and she was swallowed in damp blackness that threatened to suck the light right out of her like a living creature; and with a shudder, she realized exactly whom this dark creature was most like.


         After a few moments of darkness, despair took her over. She fell to the floor; her choked sobs echoing in the dank air. She held her broken hand to her body, the pain throbbing from her fingers to her elbow. Her cheeks burned from her tears and her throat felt as though it were aflame.
         This is hopeless, she thought her sobs calmed to tiny whimpers. She rose from the ground, her knees shaky. Her entire body trembled as though it could collapse any second, and in her condition it might have. She squeezed her eyelids tight and inhaled deeply. This helped stop her violent shaking, but it did nothing to rescue her from this terrible situation. She looked at the top of the staircase. A dull glow came from the bottom. She descended the stairs, both hand on the wall to help her keep her balance. The steps were slippery with moisture. When she came to the bottom of the stairs, she let out the breath she had been holding all that time.
         Before her was a long, wide corridor. From the ceiling hung three gargantuan chandeliers whose wraith-like arms curled and stretched nearly from wall to wall. The arms held candles that were in dire need of replacement. Only a few of them were lit, whilst most were melted to the base. The iron that the chandeliers were composed of was engraved with the same pattern as the doorknob on the door that led here. Wrought iron sconces lined the walls at regular intervals. Their dim glow didn't warm the cavernous hall, so much as they increased its severity. In the corners where the walls meet the ceiling, cobwebs hung like a grisly fringe. Felicity shivered. There was something about this place that was almost hypnotic. Like the very walls were calling to her, drawing her in. But at the same time, it repulsed her.
         A moan traveled from one end of the hall to where Felicity stood. A shiver traveled up and down her spine, and she seriously considered turning and running back up to Madame Isabella's bright office.
         No. She would not turn back. Kougra was here somewhere, and she would not turn her back on him. She inhaled deeply, a new bravery urging her on. She marched down the hall, her footsteps echoing off the stone floor. About halfway down the hall, doors began to line the walls. Some were solid and hinged with iron. Others were simple and weathering. One door on her right particularly caught her eye. It was a dark ebony wood, and at the top was a wrought iron grate that covered a small window. The knob on the door was plain and silver and a key hole took residence beneath it. When she came closer to the door, she swore she could hear breathing coming from the other side. She pressed her ear to the ebony wood. Yes, there was definitely someone on the other side. Maybe it is Kougra! she thought, her excitement lightening her mood. She reached for the knob when suddenly, a voice shattered the dank silence:
         "I wouldn't do that if I was you." Felicity jumped back in surprise. A face appeared on the other side of the grate, and to her dismay, it wasn't Kougra. The man appeared to be middle aged. His beard had grown long and wild and his eyes were hungry. He pressed a hand against the grate, and Felicity could see numerous scars across it's withered surface.
         "Who, who are you?" She choke out.
         "Why the devil do you care?" he spat back. Felicity scowled then sighed.
         "Please tell me, do you know of a prisoner that was taken down here a short time ago. His name is Kougra. Do you know where I might find him?" she said, her voice stern.
         The man chuckled. "Nope." Felicity frowned and looked around, wondering where her husband could be.
         "But I might remember if you do something for me, missus,"the man rasped through the iron grate. Felicity rose to the challenge, a new hope in her heart.
         "Tell me what I must do. Anything, I just need to find him!" she cried. The man nodded.
         "Look into that mirror and tell me what you see." Felicity's brown furrowed.
         "What mirror?" she asked, confusion replacing the hope in an instant.
         "The one behind you, missus."