enjoyebooks CHAPTER 55
CHAPTER 55
POV: Sebastian
Night drapes itself over the capital as Rosemary and I ride hard toward the abandoned archive at the city’s edge—the place where she found the entrance to the underground labyrinth. Neither of us speaks at first; the air is too heavy, the stakes too high. Only the rhythmic pounding of hooves fills the silence.
When the archive appears in the distance, a broken silhouette against the moon, Rosemary finally exhales. “Sebastian… before we go in, you need to understand something.”
I glance at her. “What is it?”
“Henry and William,” she says slowly, “their relationship is… complicated. Unhealthy, even.” She tightens her reins. “Henry is harsh with him. Ruthless. Cold. But he also protects him obsessively. There’s something twisted there—grief mixed with obsession.”
I frown. “William seems terrified of disappointing him.”
“Yes,” she answers. “Because Henry made him believe his worth lies in avenging his mother. And yet… despite the cruelty, they’re attached. Deeply.”
I grit my teeth. “And that helps us how?”
Rosemary lowers her voice. “Black magic feeds on emotion. The stronger the emotional anchor, the stronger the power. If we separate Henry from William—or if we reach William first—Henry’s influence might weaken. His magic could destabilize.”
I absorb this, hope flickering for the first time. “So William is the key.”
She nods. “If we find him, we might break Henry’s control. And if we break his control, his magic becomes unstable. That gives us a chance.”
“For Marc,” I murmur. “And for all of us.”
We dismount and enter the archive, its doors creaking ominously. Dust hangs thick in the air. Rosemary leads me to the hidden passage she discovered—a narrow crack behind a shelf. With enough force, the stone shifts, revealing a staircase spiraling downward.
The cold breath of the labyrinth greets us.
I inhale sharply. “Stay close.”
We descend into darkness.
***
The labyrinth stretches endlessly—twisting corridors, dripping ceilings, walls carved with runes I don’t recognize. The deeper we go, the colder it becomes, as if the stone itself remembers every dark deed committed within it.
Torches flicker sporadically along the walls, each one a cruel reminder: Henry lives here. Moves here. Breathes here.
“Sebastian,” Rosemary whispers behind me, “this is more than a hideout. It’s a fortress.”
“I know.”
We move cautiously, checking every corner. The silence here is suffocating—a silence that promises violence.
After nearly an hour, the passage widens into a chamber. Something shifts in the shadows.
Rosemary grips my arm. “Did you hear that?”
“Yes.”
We both lift our torches. Light spills across the stone floor—
And a silhouette steps forward.
Lord Henry emerges from the darkness as if he had been waiting for us. His posture is relaxed, almost casual, but his eyes gleam with malicious amusement.
His voice slices through the air.
“Well, well… I see you ignored my request.”
My hand goes to my sword.
Henry tilts his head. “I told you to come alone, Sebastian.” His gaze slides to Rosemary. “And unarmed.”
Rosemary bristles. “You’ll forgive us if we don’t march to our deaths politely.”
Henry chuckles—low, slow, unsettling. “Oh, I don’t expect politeness. Only realism.”
I step in front of Rosemary. “We’re done with your threats.”
Henry lifts an eyebrow. “Are you? Because I still intend to destroy everything you care about.”
“That won’t happen,” I snap.
Rosemary takes a step forward. “Where are the boys?”
Henry’s smile hardens. “Ah, I see. Your knight is impatient.”
“Answer her,” I growl.
He spreads his arms lazily. “They are safe.”
The word twists my stomach. Safe—coming from a monster like him—means nothing.
I draw my sword in one swift motion. “You’ll tell me where Marc is.”
Henry smirks. “You’re trembling, Sebastian. Is it fear? Or guilt?”
“Neither.”
He laughs softly. “You came here believing you had a chance. How naïve.”
I glance at Rosemary—just long enough for her to understand the signal.
She moves subtly behind me, one foot sliding back, shifting her stance without drawing attention.
She understands the plan: find the boys. Get them out. I deal with Henry alone.
I turn back to him. “Let’s finish this.”
Henry’s smile sharpens. “Finish?”
“Yes. Me against you.”
Rosemary inches backward.
Henry’s eyes flick to her, but I step forward sharply to distract him. “Your fight is with me, Henry. You won’t harm my kingdom, or my family, while I stand here.”
He studies me for a moment—really studies me—before something like amusement flickers across his features.
“Is that what you believe?” he murmurs.
“Yes.”
His lips twist. “Your family… your kingdom… you still think those shields matter.”
I lift my sword higher. “They matter to me.”
Rosemary moves farther back. Almost to the corridor. Almost out of sight.
Henry notices.
“Sending her to find the children?” he asks airily.
I say nothing.
Henry smirks. “Bold.”
Rosemary slips into the darkness of the next corridor—silent as a shadow.
Now it’s only the two of us.
I raise my sword. “It’s me against you now. You will not touch my kingdom or my family while I’m standing in front of you.”
For a moment, Henry simply looks at me.
And then—he laughs.
Not loudly. Not mockingly.
Quietly.
Dangerously.
I grip my sword tighter.
He steps closer, confidence dripping from every movement. “Sebastian, Sebastian… do you truly believe this is about my strength? My magic? My hands?”
His eyes burn with something feral, something triumphant.
And then he says, clearly, deliberately—
“Did you really think I am my own best card?”