08-21-2020, 12:46 AM
Aiden’s eyes opened slowly. A blazing pain throbbed at the back of his head. He vaguely recalled the cave and then the strange fall. Had the ground collapsed upon them? The Mound had been excavated decades ago, but the structure had reportedly remained intact. Then again, the gate had been locked. Aiden had assumed it was to keep out vandals or those without a tour guide.
The sky above shimmered with a strange, thick haze. How had they gotten outside? And why did the clouds have such an opalescent tone to them?
With an effort, Aiden sat up and groaned loudly. He closed his eyes and rubbed at the sore spot on the back of his skull. Did Jaxen know how to Heal with the Power? Aiden chuckled despite himself, if Jaxen possessed the skill it was unlikely he would use it to aid Aiden.
“What the fuck just happened?” He called out as his eyes opened back up, taking stock of his surroundings. Jaxen and Sage seemed fine, apparently Aiden had been the only one to take such a tumble. Ethelinda was nowhere to be seen.
They sat in a large stone chamber, glittering walls rising high into the air and the ceiling opened to that strange sky. Raw gemstones and precious metal ores dotted the room. There was light here, enough to see by, but no visible source save the sun-less sky. Thirteen doors lined the round room, leading off into dark tunnels. There was nothing else remarkable about this room that Aiden could see. There was no possible way this room was located beneath the mound, not with that alien sky.
Aiden staggered to his feet and walked over to Sage. He looked his boyfriend over, checking for any serious injuries. Sage, thankfully, had no visible wounds. Aiden took him into his arms and cooed into his ear, “You’re okay? No pains or anything? Fuck… Where the fuck are we?”
A rustling sound came from one of the many doors and Ethelinda came into the circular room, looking completely normal. Aiden felt himself tense. He opened himself to the Power and held on to the raging storm of energy, ready to pounce at the slightest hint of aggression from the woman. She had something to do with this, Aiden wasn’t sure how, but why else would she tackle them so? And what of that strange hood that had enveloped her head? Where had it gone? What was it? What was she?
The sky above shimmered with a strange, thick haze. How had they gotten outside? And why did the clouds have such an opalescent tone to them?
With an effort, Aiden sat up and groaned loudly. He closed his eyes and rubbed at the sore spot on the back of his skull. Did Jaxen know how to Heal with the Power? Aiden chuckled despite himself, if Jaxen possessed the skill it was unlikely he would use it to aid Aiden.
“What the fuck just happened?” He called out as his eyes opened back up, taking stock of his surroundings. Jaxen and Sage seemed fine, apparently Aiden had been the only one to take such a tumble. Ethelinda was nowhere to be seen.
They sat in a large stone chamber, glittering walls rising high into the air and the ceiling opened to that strange sky. Raw gemstones and precious metal ores dotted the room. There was light here, enough to see by, but no visible source save the sun-less sky. Thirteen doors lined the round room, leading off into dark tunnels. There was nothing else remarkable about this room that Aiden could see. There was no possible way this room was located beneath the mound, not with that alien sky.
Aiden staggered to his feet and walked over to Sage. He looked his boyfriend over, checking for any serious injuries. Sage, thankfully, had no visible wounds. Aiden took him into his arms and cooed into his ear, “You’re okay? No pains or anything? Fuck… Where the fuck are we?”
A rustling sound came from one of the many doors and Ethelinda came into the circular room, looking completely normal. Aiden felt himself tense. He opened himself to the Power and held on to the raging storm of energy, ready to pounce at the slightest hint of aggression from the woman. She had something to do with this, Aiden wasn’t sure how, but why else would she tackle them so? And what of that strange hood that had enveloped her head? Where had it gone? What was it? What was she?
Russian Dolls and Broken Gods, a new Fantasy novel by best-selling author, Aiden Finnegan, out this December! Preorder online and instore today!