Chapter 10

His thoughts turned to the dungeon, a place he had heard about but never visited. Somehow, he could not convince himself that this was an ideal time to become acquainted with it. He decided to take a light cloak should the dungeon be cold, a candle and his staff. Thinking he might have to wait for the High Witch, he picked up one of the books from the library, White Magic. Then he thought better of it and returned it to the table, figuring he would be too tired—or worried—to read.

A deep feeling of foreboding walked along side Uriel as he made his way to the dungeon. The only sounds in the Towers came from his footsteps and an occasional crackle from a torch. The shadows on the walls played tricks with his eyes and added to his apprehension.

He could only come up with a few reasons why Khyrhyelle would want to see him under these conditions, none of them good. The most probable one was the one he feared the most: that Khyrhyelle had somehow found out about the episode with Eyrmysse. Earlier, before he found the note, he had debated with himself over whether he should tell Khyrhyelle about it or not. He decided that he should, but now, faced with the reality of it, began to second-guess himself. Another possibility was that the King decided he wanted his head and that Khyrhyelle was attempting to sneak him out. And then an even darker thought crossed his mind. After another encounter with the SoulSlayer, maybe the Council decided that to eliminate him would also eliminate their problems.

His descent was becoming an act of labor as physical exhaustion and mental anxiety vied for his attention. Nearing his destination of the first level, Uriel heard a loud popping sound. He spun around and smashed into the stone wall, dropping his candle. "Shit! Damn!" He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized the sound came from a torch. Though Uriel wanted to turn back, he continued on and reached the first level without resting, more out of fear than determination.