Free A Kiss of Darkness (Gothos Series) by Selena Wolfcastlin

when another o ne came upon her. The mural moved, giving a low hiss as it slid to the side reveal a dark passage way. Blinking she waded her way over to it for a better look. The amulet she wore lit up the secret hallway. It was strange to her that instead of fear she felt a strange sense of déjà vu and curiosity welling up in her replacing her feeling of shock. Quickly she went back to the side where she came in and grabbed up her removed gown. Holding it above her head she went returned to the tunnel and climbed into the entrance. It was tall enough for her to stand up fully. It was damp and dark, beads of moisture clinging to the empty stone walls. Mold had grown on the bottom and the top, but not so much in the middle. Sliding the dress over her body, it clung to her nude form causing her to shiver a little bit. A part of her advised her not to follow this strange dark passage, but the rest of her wanted to know the secrets that lay inside her natural born curiosity always won per usual. The stone around her neck lit the way down the dark corridor, taking her time to not slide along the moist stone floor, groaning as small insects shuttered over her feet. Sera finally found her way to the end of the corridor and ended up at the foot of long stairs. Turning her head she looked back at the way she came and was only met by darkness. The door she entered had closed behind her without her even realizing it. It seemed that the only way to go was up these stairs. Raising her foot she took her first steps and felt some victory. She let out a soft breath and proceeded upwards.  “How long do these stairs go?” she wondered out loud as she continued to go up and up.  Water dripped from the top of the caverns flowing down onto the stone floor making it treacherous. The caverns itself were hollow going up into the mountain. The healer felt the ache in her legs, but finally she was rewarded seeing two double doors ahead. They were made of Cyprus wood that was water resistant. It was carved with the image of a many branched tree with winged children sitting upon them. She exhaled a tired sigh, her hands wrapping around the handles and pulling them open not taking the time to study the piece of art. The door opened without resistance. She was admitted into a large circular room similar to the style of the House of Clothos. The walls were covered with bookshelves bursting at the seams with more books and tomes then she has ever seen in her whole life. There was a cozy hearth in the middle protected by built up stones around it keeping the scattered decorative pillows from being engulfed.  A small stairway was leading to a hidden second floor. There were high windows that looked out at the Arcadian Sea. The mountain itself was hollow, having been carved out to be made livable. Her bare feet cool against the marble floor as she crossed the chamber and looked out at the dark sea. But who lived here in the mountain? Someone must be living there if there is a roaring fire. The books and tomes looked like they were well kept and cared for.
    “Who are you? How did you get here?” a soft slightly accented voice brushed her consciousness. Turning she saw vividly the man from her recurring dream. He looked equally baffled to see her standing there in his home. For a moment she couldn’t speak as she drank in his whole being in the firelight. “The way to this room has been sealed off with special magic . How can anyone, especially a human enter?” he said in her silence.  The man’s golden eyes looked at her face then down at the amulet around her neck. “I see…”he murmured, a solemnness chiseled in his face. “Do not be afraid of me. My name is Argos Erelius, Prince of the Sythian race”he explained to her his hands moving animatedly, but trying not to scare her. Argos was exactly the way he looked in her dream, but very real. He stood in front of her his expression imploring for her not to turn away.  Finally finding her