Chapter 23
I twisted it, having to push my weight against it as I shoved it open. I coughed and choked on the dust, and the draft here was so much colder. Ice cold and made me shiver. Stone steps led up. Climbing them, I stopped halfway up the spiraling stone steps to a stained glass window.
I peered out and saw the back of the castle lands but that wasn’t all I noticed. It was road. I was high enough to see over the forest and I could just make out with my heightened vision a road snaked between the forest as a car drove along the narrow-looking path.
That could be my escape, yet I wondered how it led into the castle grounds or if it did. Ascending further up the steps, I find I am in a round room. The pointed ceiling told me I had found my way to one of the castle towers. By the time I got to the top. I was covered in cobwebs and dust.
The wooden floorboards creaked as I stepped inside. Boxes covered nearly all of the floor when I noticed a figure that looked out of place amongst the boxes. Kalen laid on the floor, his cheek pressed against the floorboards. He was murmuring t o himself in a language I hadn’t heard before, or maybe it didn’t exist because his words held no sense to me.
“Kalen?” I murmured but he didn’t move, and the feeling I got from him was cold and numb, shadowed with darkness.
I called out his name a couple of times before giving up and laying on the ground beside him; I laid on my side facing him. His eyes were closed and his lips moved as he spoke to himself in a barely audible whisper. I reached out and brushed his cheek gently with my hand. His eyes flew open, going to mine. I don’t think he had heard me calling his name or felt my presence. He seemed to be in some trance-like state before I touched him or maybe he still was, I was unsure.
He grabbed my hand on his cheek, kissing my palm, and he looked so vulnerable, desperate as he clutched my hand. My hand cracked in his tight grip, but I just gritted my teeth through it instead of jerking it away.
you really here?” he whispers, kissing my
real. I can even smell your scent,”
but he mumbles to himself
here? It is freezing,”
cold?” he asked. I wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or me. His eyes stared at me, but it was like he was
to go with them,” he
I ask him, and he wiggles
Scanned with CamScanner
shouldn’t be
wants you back,
his words made no sense because I was right in front
can’t see
T2R51a81abNcI32q8Owu8SmAUI4lddJw2aIZu//ec8TQ+9SRr2mi3BtAAKhGbWqzWz99oZwGkW0zMP1h2PoVqQKKSXp1zlWoA9SdvHGDK4BEeGbbdKHJa0wOhGixOvG1/enDZVMmECjdNtrJFxbx5ZIUdb582ZJ8cyFlkshmPwsuRfVmEzCMMaxVlPTgzZWKuWVd0PDPE3pmXfZh1e8nBZlct0zX/jS0lyBvB8BxYwa8TwF7iSa/vjiygP60ot+SdR0OA8qtFu+0pW4rJgY5n+maNRVp5GNnhrN17AP2jkNGw2+m2JtdeMBLR4NPmAqUZtb6m9yHrKyTjHc2Rya2ruyvegLJSydNG84fCF45B6B5kYfOx9BujR5fcvUCz7XfjKiMYjKfBHS43WavFW3/zGiHb35nQvuatuXrxIEjPsHqdy25xST1Vp3nNaLwFMxghidUpA+C0Zc1xZwZ3kTWS32fQCggUkcJk2s02K9gur3OctAOFW/zMk+D08uAv+B4NxcE8iES5VPuGKxZbiTPszOmcW+pMBEfmLvgODjk8Lx/DICqfBv3Q9kDw5UH8AK3PNinHL80agjgRjTRN6LsO3o0BQCUoHMU0m4dKUTJzzrujMoreuixUoNsV7GymeTmk/EXCuN33dZVqAsemWoRT4Zz2nAOetnS8lA7+RbQMRiEu0tt417M7sqiYNyHDNAt2Pe4MbFjnDpgj/Vuu+jpaB9O/uHAK5Q6AiJsCGuealF5e+f54AcayASBbRNlR/RbzfeiEXQ8iQQ0l2fyKja8hYQuEaCmS5zUGQmVxpezy8lepcs5mmrKAvG5rBC/i4kX2Ng4OGFsHIOkqlXXNBTd16p1PmN+L7WCiNVSF2bfXBtTlHcU1GqBFezZUAxXL4S2bXwj7Sup3cfUJdYBLLQrZEsZuh8TaCdUk/QL+h6fIoGLmuE3qmuT8pt6rfLmSb/6bIvg/qWNzQ1SL0++n+9SJWbniZyvyhqLoPkaaANRuwgvvizOK6wxp5+s/QdWyDG5AjkzE0B5FB319wrg6U5UWrYl0Cue1Pi2+F0oxx4VJUF9kptSsV5jrPkd1PUHXHEitDIxsGuHCo7VBAZt011vxA4JkXHTnNoZl32tP541eys7GmTXWYJoghKz1xHP63JbglnugrfucXqpqOSeNpS5iyd42fjAzRQDHge9sg0hmsG2tG/NzcWDjKAZaBAO16rvkfyTTDHYc2CTtH/jeiL+dyYGurVT3RcaaXA06/fQr5e6o4n99KW0lriNKsJGzhdm1we/gbSkwbAZNyZIL5FRqPlYi9XJCG06B9CKVLf660xtbkKPuhVc0wq9Beb3OLfImBARZr5HwvNIKnyECNZPcXvasXpWShhFho92JQ3gtJT0jjI7gPmbgeFC8xEiTc3RHdaQxxDxZkneQ6PU6gE6hxqInTyFiIpKpMguDW0T/+HUOaAFpJUxivO73Qk/pAnOG3dRZgRfuYVL7EqzCc0G8SdHCX7GzrbAOyPISihsGFrmL5+Qd4LQxdnMfMMvrt3mjOW9Vzf4tsLDqPRzqTrNowLJFCXo1uhTgNWRe9UnTY36hi2IdsAMw7wOpFjGTEN4V54FBI+DHjmKd+0LHctM7QrAZbpnqq/Y/2yy9Lx8iw803MTSf9neTAyIALDtWVdtZGksVjq0tpMQm9ho9G7kDtUxL+HnVY9++/BVdfPll5/vUwIc/5ovvA54TFQU+Kqjn3ifUVQG2v9XhlctSKah70uh1hwd2e1i7TyxkVvKL9JyXg4aaMFmZ3R2AnUiNDvFUzXRpJWk9wfZ5xJC0T/oCEKyUJG3gxoHv/1V+xG2uc+Sz6aqhf+PNOM/6IEt6+jsZFhXUi/DqQMXogyjzAB6p4ZHRJmeM+It0vCGQW2zVHbGdOFIt1DufOhpvJHsbTYhssw1STeFvPMcTNg8XgqcpcUoNEZ1/zG/ihl1z2t0hPB/9A2knChSLqE4IaTvnbWpnz/5gtOoT1GXcqgwki7SiOd6uXp0WxNJxITVsmpx/JZFlXNtKEuaCYoh38/Y5EyXrEBNdu13gZuLkJPjhowVyN9NtIHi2052ugpSeBAOtS42pn9FijNMNsFs8tl2PIgqRP+FFT0ZuLlfMGP+QOKnRGBa5o9fvsG4Cun4JO4AB91sEAG1R4b/vwzpXmv+yJozXhKHfLvXVamlbRX2fhpu0oGn4HOJ33V5Vw02Tr8+fEKkLQIEX1dwcNiweffIAH7CpZ2FR3ZXL7VLSdx+KZZoU9Y+d6UqRiAGPTEIMK4hDx92CWTcWGOQmdSZ+lol0A6WNJN2DDLIfmUbHOYKWBds9ILDfvUA+1ugoSigr6DfnzN3Zh+H9GuVTA9FGlTrAYSU9jSe1Q5xXWATsWV6yJWbjSvdXEqCECHsj4qhtDxJVZZFsN1AHdvCBydL/F9APeUYQ9wZRvC8weC+RQ42mLqh8PUVhjp5lVW4jr4odQTWuRGjCg5e0Yh/grl4aRL1Ayq5NF/FtJ9YzPqlpWKGwp4WyzdIyhIi6sRt81IECZumD7buCfSf81TjQ6CAf8UHkyILoqtEOicuP+bEjM28RrJmd17Rah46YB+RS+3dA//CwcWHSrUqpR5PJgaCMJXv9Rlc1yJxswxZLB6yew2CkLa1/2Y+kEyXWViJgBSq6w+90oxeu1YqGTehj6aCmkVaCu5E/fBosR4aiFQ4qJIImbFrpSQU7K5Yacvsnkdvw3m9YP8A1OJPhtEVMT6R2OotDuzqkexm+iqqMqNBEimgZQxkfpQ5BVxGbcJ8HGpRhn9iTOHnycfehc5Q+NyZeZQ+t3s1CC4NczYe6fo0SIXAm7cV6X3ZJPB7Ecqw18NxDRaEHMW83lWF5Gq8n/b2fpAY5b1LtJsIgpU/0jq7GvgunIz/vuvqa2S98uG+SddUUEXI1AbFgXZfOtO7MqLA081Q/epFTk3A/RyT4H/6mR9mp1StxUd1KhuwUhZ0br5g4pwytUFXzF+NgdP5xT21N43KxDIyuHj8Ea6CM0psYHwBanfW93c8HYZyT+/lDtlj+YWaB5eq0XEKwjq3cOMM7m9emPiO0jbppA/dE7T3USFgwuA4ckFFE4t0+/OU4Rpz3btFUNvLGqajm70L22nRuPRr/aRqh5uRCsJ7ofETZhS8IlY2OGON6i6awuR6CdAPHL9V1ck14C2vnCWmgzgJNCibIS7wLvVlbFe3enKGQlxWsI8dq78ycUFKcFlXM617NeXsHAKEMzrcSGOm9it5hYSnwr3YHPdkSlQaYdYsi7fTFZSGDP8Hq4OgBN1QCNe4zaB24vFuDmYHxeEguAeWuo3CjuqqLY33mjWfPWGbKdhTEzA+K4zlmXuAe5Kjl2TYJNUp1MCSNIyLBZe9cgxM6jAR4U2QFhSC4by/LawtDFC2W3D2UREHG3hs5J15YuXYc+d28fUrX1SSR14vy2ZZ+i5tK7qnxQT8NgCc3dfu/B45irostNd77Km9u+zPvWHpkYXrEpoxO9Os5Ned5m7jrFpgbQnRLz8w4fqdYhW7M/AWDo60hT/YoBEEimc6ho+nA+UsnkrDXPOWYBk1Ws0O2saHWmC2CYmFP82QlBY9FvI89GMDf3Y+5NjSPWJztT2dSxL19HAzV7CRLZ+S6rSXE7G1mq56pf/X57IzFdl8Ndk4ZRBu0D7dtwUgSMQUIGrYpK7thVIkkQSc+AbD/1CoJeNJ72PBNrOeL0MRMcqG4ddZMNPXwDFBHChQiLmWYhpS8K6mDRJ0m1BHcKVhYWpJR6tnIIqPDr1xq2NudYb7yHQRaLxbLbzZ65nJvGWQJbnXU+bRefyWjtjOC21dHPZlg5oPot6Pj9nN0txszHGGHwKX+p51imtL/ejRXwwDl9XREit9nrS/dYWFDFTe2uC0aNXPbIMLCLiPA5xugUdS+ylTlpx41W+r/boV7puG7sff3f8tTETLMS6bTOmBTdklfWq2fqgM0/68bKjPF8NbUvVtyyCKYnRQ+8ye+jvKG1sDn/8UOEMrq0LpkrWdtLLMoO8T4T4V9UTEDgBq9P1pmqmWP+T36xIvRwFBVxHpPhHhRdg7u9pSteIuPI6pmKl5LVkdQZCADyM42eoEwkmVqiIKYzAwSvChvYaHsLbDSSn0Fvp/ZBKyYUkgEHxkCmh6lTO1f/oW8y6X2JpS8S3BRIH8L2BB63LwXsha04W4DgfhE+1qm0250qul1b2JqkDXD+lsQzZ/8BqkCym61+ZDp/ojqMb8qpyLUut4S3OlxfCBhBKXnV5iVRxludOBk/qt0P+T+jazZMzu6p+N0HUUdR82mxPgWtkHStVYvRAGw306YMulZcvbc5ujPpYza9uus7Q1BoGCevWU90dliY/sBxOJVoZI3QuXzLMQgZZ/xG/jii/L86jyntbOt4ooSQqfd20YidwcdoaVhFdtdPwBrCy/93RLNpFHfhrOJrvRAe4FxSAK0+8XwkHgaYzTpXlIvYJEbBKQY0iiT+mUpStDFzK0xClADiJOWyRgxDX8likOKe2cExKT1fVGrQcoHEm7GSBqMqZ7PMtraf3gJ8IsDtOq+V3s19AGTMcnJfGildxIzO21LSOLMq5EihmFfwl/1Ix2Pbwtmc+p++OGGsphIul97YGl/WgpviMTgcZUMfHJFRC+m+bFysql7Fm3WG93ZuR/SWB/v+P4Xn+9sKOP5yK1a8jZpfAtYpX/zRVUpj2X+PvAILGr/IQnmePlwtttz7X1iaKlWfvPp6knW5m+3Vc=
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!