Chapter 73

Chapter 73 Dangerous basement
CA SSANDRA
Asher’s gray eyes darkened instantly and his nostrils flared.
“Absolutely not,” he growled. “No, Ca ssandra. We’ll find another resolution. There’s no way I will allow you to set foot in the viper pit.”
“Your Majesty, we’re running out of time,” I insisted, “We need to find out what’s going on down there.”
need you here to treat the guards,” Asher said, but I shook my head.
“Becky is here and she’s more than capable of handling it while I’m gone,” I
pressed.
The Alpha King ran a hand through his dark hair and shook his head.
“There has to be someone else,” he murmured. “Anyone else.”
“There’s not,” I said firmly. “You heard your men. Every guard you have at your disposal is too strong and large to make it down that corridor. I’m not. If the size he indicated is accurate, I should have no issue making it down there. Besides, I’m the best choice anyway. I know the vipers well. I’ve been studying them for years and I know how to protect myself.”
Asher shook his head again. “Ca ssandra-”
“Please, Your Majesty,” I pleaded. “Please let me do this. If not for you, then for the rest of the guards. I need to know what we’re going up against if we’re going to get everyone out of here alive.”
Emmett’s words ran through my mind. Lcouldn’t let my patients die in front of me. It was my duty as a healer to do anything in my power to save them. It was my responsibility.
“Your Majesty, the healer might be right,” the leader said gently. “She seems of proper size, and from what I’ve seen and heard, we need to act fast. We need to know what we’re up against.”
Asher’s nostrils flared, and for a moment, I thought he was going to roar at the both of us for defying his decree. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his
eyes.
We all waited in silence until finally, Asher opened them again and turned to
“Fine,” he said quietly. “Fine.”
He turned to the leader. “She’ll need a suit and a mask. I won’t have her go in there exposed, you got that?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the leader said, and after he offered a salute, he approached his team and gave the orders. A pair of them left the house to retrieve
the suit.
While we waited for the guards to return, I continued working on my patients. One, an elderly gentleman, had lost all of the color from his cheeks.
“Hang in there,” J urged him gently as I wiped the sweat from his brow with a cool cloth. “Just hang on a little longer.”
“I’ll try,” he whispered. “Thank you, Healer Ca ssandra.”
“Of course,” I whispered back, and I fought back tears as I studied him. I knew I was getting myself into a bad situation, but I saw no other option.
The guards returned soon with the suit. It was a little dated and worn, but much to my surprise, it fit me like a glove. I tucked my hair back and then turned to Becky.
“Keep them comfortable,” I said. “Everything you need is in the kit.”
“Be careful, Ca ssy,” Becky urged me. “Please.”
I nodded. “Of course.”
Before I sl*pped the mask on, I glanced at Asher. The color had drained from his face and his eyes were weary.
“I’ll be back soon, Your Majesty,” I a*sured him.
“Be safe,” he urged, and then he softened his tone. “Please, Ca ssandra.”
My name was like honey on his l*ps and I wanted to run into his arms. But I had a duty to fulfill.
The guards escorted me over to the stairs. After they wished me well, I took a
I long deep breath, sl*pped my mask on, opened the basement door, and stepped
onto the stairs.
As I descended, my heart began to race and my hands trembled. No part of me wanted to do this, but I had to be brave. People were counting on me.
Once I reached the bottom, I spied the narrow corridor. Sure enough, it was a tight space. It was unsurprising that the guards couldn’t make it through.
I took a long, deep breath as I lingered. It was now or never.
I turned myself sideways and maneuvered until I could get through. It was a tight fit, but I managed to do it. I held my breath as I walked through spiderwebs. I wanted to crawl out of my skin as they tangled around me, but I managed to keep myself calm. This corridor was beyond disgusting. This house had been abandoned for a long time.
After I pa*sed through the narrow corridor, the space opened up, and I could breathe a little better. I stretched a bit, but relief turned to fear.
gor
Everything was dark. I could barely see a thing and I began to panic. Danger could be lurking in any corner. I remained quiet and listened carefully. No hissing or slithering could be heard.
I carefully lit the torch I’d brought with me. Once the fire was burning, my
surroundings were illuminated, and a small gasp escaped me.
The basement was surprisingly tidy. There was a long table by the wall with two chairs neatly tucked in. A small stack of books and some bottles rested on the table. I was reminded of the locked room I frequented at the royal library.
It was as if someone had just been here reading.
Just as a sense of calm crashed over me, I pointed the light in the corner and nearly jumped out of my skin when I spotted the pit. Dozens of vipers if not more surrounded the area. Just as I’d expected, the snakes all had black scales like the one that’d attacked Asher in the garden.
The good news was that I could treat the guards easily if their venom was the
same.
Luckily for me, the tubes of anesthetics the guards had thrown into the chamber had reached the corner. The snakes moved very slowly, and when I took a few steps forward, I heard some hisses, but they were too tired to reach me.
Once I was sure they wouldn’t strike, I moved a little closer. At the center of the pit were a few snake eggs. I shuddered.
Just beyond me, I spied a large tarp. I walked over and grabbed it with my free hand and then made my way back to the pit. I flung the heavy covering over the pit. The fabric was dense enough that the snakes weren’t going anywhere.
I
Once I was sure they weren’t following me, I approached the table and glanced at the books. The volumes were old and quite weathered. Curious, I opened the one on the top of the stack and was surprised to see that the pages were covered in characters I couldn’t understand. I frowned.
What was this language?
I then turned my attention to the bottles. They all had the same pattern on them along with a character. As I squinted, I realized the pattern resembled the head of a snake with its teeth sticking out.
I stared at the character at the center of the bottle. It was familiar somehow, but I couldn’t figure out why. After what felt like an eternity of searching my mind, I realized where I’d seen it before.
I’d read this character in one of the books I’d found in the royal library.
This strange symbol meant “Udosyn”.