Free Eramane by Frankie Ash Page A

servants, Eramane. Their only purpose is to do as I command. Do not fear them. I would torture them infinitely if they even thought about harming you.” His words relieve some of my apprehension, momentarily at least. I look down at my food and begin again to eat pieces of everything. The meats, the breads, the colorful vegetables, they all melt in my mouth. I sip on a glass of sweet water infused by fruits and, for a moment, lose myself in the satisfaction of filling my belly. Adikiah sits at the opposite end of the table, eating at a pace much slower than mine. Mostly he is focused on me, as if he is studying my movements.
    The frequency of the sharp clank from my fork hitting the plate slows and soon ceases entirely; I am full. “Are you finished with your meal?” he asks.
    “Yes,” I reply. Adikiah stands from the table and walks over to me.
    “Come with me. I want to show you something,” he says, holding out his hand. I look up at him and realize that there is really no choice in the matter, and besides, he did order my belly to be filled. If he had ill intentions for me, would not it have been easier to let me starve to death in the twinkling chamber?
    We walk down the corridor that leads to the chamber where I awoke. I know that the chamber is not where we are headed only as we pass it. A few torches are lit down the entire length of the corridor. It does not seem to be endless, as it did before, when only a few torches lit my way. Yet even with the torches lit, this place is dark. I stay close to Adikiah, afraid that if I do not, I might be taken by the shadows. Ahead I see another large door. Adikiah makes a quick gesture with his hand, and the doors part. We get closer and I catch the smallest movement: the bottom of a cloak. I did not see it before; it stayed out of sight in the shadows. One of the cloaked servants opened the door, and it must have been a servant that opened my chamber door both times, and the door to the eating chamber. I am glad that I did not see the servants before, for if I had, I might have chosen to remain on the white fur.
    We enter a smaller room, where only stairs occupy the space. They lead up in a circular pattern.
    “This way,” he ushers, and we begin to walk up the staircase. The stairs are stones that protrude from the wall, supported by nothing underneath. We walk up many stairs that take us up inside his mountain palace. Adikiah holds my hand as if not to lose me. This gesture scares me; his hand is what I distrust the most, because holding it makes me feel … powerless.
    We continue up the stairs. I watch the movements in his back as we make our way up. He is defined, powerful. We top the stairs and exit through a door that leads us out of the mountain’s interior. The space is airy, and looks as though the hands of giants carved it from the rock. There are no walls, just ruggedly sculpted columns that support the overhang of rock above us. This open space is a welcoming environment compared to the darkness of the long corridors and dimly lit chambers. It is night and I cannot see beyond the columns, but I hear the sound of waves crashing on rocks below. Large black lanterns hang from the rock columns, and they flicker against what can only be an ocean breeze. This place is a spectacle, but then again, everything about Adikiah’s palace is that way.
    In the middle of this ocean overlook, a sleeping area is situated, similar to the one in the chamber where I woke. This area has more furs, making a larger area to lie in. It looks as if it is a nesting den for a pack of wolves. Five chiseled steps lead up to this area, encircling it. I stare at the fur throws for a few moments; Adikiah’s hand is no longer a matter of my concern.
     

CHAPTER SIX
    Samiah’s Search
    “ W AKE UP, LOVE.” MIRA TUGS on Samiah’s foot. He jerks his leg up to get it out of Mira’s reach, hitting his nose with his knee.
    “Ouch!” Samiah grabs his nose. Mira bursts into laughter and