Chapter 151 : Hestia’s Lair

*Jared*

King Xander sent me an order to gather a team and clear out the Dark Forest.

I got Archer and Brandt together, along with many of my most trusted warriors, and we headed into the forest.

It was supposedly where Hestia's lair was, but all the searching we'd done in the forest before her death led to absolutely nothing.

Xander hoped that this time, it would be different. If nothing else, we could get rid of any lingering rogues or witches that were still hanging around, hopeful for Hestia's return.

The Dark Forest was crowded with old, thick trees that groaned in the wind.

My heart raced as I stepped onto the path. The air felt so close and heavy between the trees. I felt like there was a weight crushing down on me. The canopy was so dense that hardly any light got through, making the forest dark and eerie.

I had no idea what to expect within the forest. There was dark magic there, and rumors of terrifying beasts.

I could tell that my men were tense. Whenever the wind rustled dry leaves or a gnarled, twisted tree trunk groaned, they whipped around, brandishing their weapons.

Thick vines twisted around the tree trunks, making them look deformed, and some of them even looked like hunched-over people in the distance.

The shadows started playing tricks on us within seconds.

“Jared, there's a clearing up ahead," Archer spoke.

We all froze. His voice sounded so loud and harsh in the quiet, creepy forest.

“We'll start there, even if just to get a glimpse of sunlight. It might take the edge off." I nodded and took the lead, heading down the path to the clearing.

If I thought my mind would ease from entering the clearing, I was sorely mistaken....

Rising up from the center of the clearing was a tall, dark tower that blocked out the sun. It was a single spire, rising up into the sky, made of black stone. There was one door and no windows that I could see.

I tilted my head back and could barely see the top of the tower in the glare of the sun.

“This wasn't here before," I murmured, feeling my brows furrow.

What horrors were hidden in this tower?

“This must be Hestia's lair," Archer suggested.

I nodded and walked up the steps to the door. I knocked, and a loud echo rippled through the inside of the tower.

“It's possible that Hestia cloaked it with her magic, so we couldn't see it before."

“Killing her broke the spell," Archer continued.

“Everyone, on guard. This tower could be booby-trapped. Expect anything!" I ordered.

The men quickly took up a perimeter around the tower and stood at the ready.

“If her cloaking magic is gone, any protection spells she cast might be too," Archer pointed out.

“I'm not taking any chances. It doesn't take magic to put in booby traps and protect a secret lair."

I reached for the doorknob but Archer stopped me.

“Let me."

trap to

creaked open, loudly, sending another

back and

until the echoing stopped. Nothing jumped out at

safe,"

I pointed to several guards. “The rest of

tower with several other warriors at

touch anything. If you

nodded and spread

where the

could tell, there were a few rooms on the first floor and then a spiral staircase that went all the way up through the

the first floor first before we

here!" Brandt called to

voice to another chamber. It was lit up with luminous stones, casting a dim light around the

in the dim light… so many moonstones of all shapes and sizes

so

the room and found an

these moonstones and bring them back to the

through the ancient pages. Most of it was written in another language. I recognized a

book that I didn't need

Hestia's bloodline, showing her long lineage

across the latest entries in the

alone here in

“What do you mean?"

loud wail filled

cry echoed through the tower, a blood curdling

knew that kind of

cobweb-covered tapestry on

tore the tapestry down, revealing a

were two small beds. A boy and a girl, no more than five and six years old, were wrapped in tattered

and I nearly forgot about the grimoire in my hands. The children had wide, terrified eyes, their skin pale and sickly. They didn't look well, but they were

are they?"

looked at the grimoire again. “They're Hestia's children. Orion and

get them out of here." I

scooped the children up and brought them outside

packed up. I want it shipped to the palace. Stay alert and let me know of anything suspicious you find," I ordered as

I'll meet you back at the

arrangements to get the children

to be seen by a healer and nursed back to health. Or… their danger levels needed to be

castle with the children, a

going to happen to

a father, my first instinct was to protect them and get the proper care. But was that the right thing to do? Were they dangerous? What

the case, these children had to be treated

for what they might do? Should we punish them because of who their mother was?"

do the right thing,"

their father might

children to the infirmary and met

children back to my palace?"

Well, word traveled fast.

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