Chapter 24: The Undercity Breathes
As they entered the small house, a musty wave of rot and mildew hit them like a wall. The interior was dim and dismal, the flickering light from a lone lantern barely revealing the decaying wood that made up the walls and floor. Dampness clung to the air like a second skin, the creaking boards groaning beneath their feet as they stepped in.
Cobwebs veiled the corners like old curtains, thick enough to catch in their hair, while faint smears of dried blood—some old, others disturbingly fresh—stained the warped floorboards and climbed up the walls in erratic streaks.
Not something Rose and Corven really expected.
"Is this it?" Corven asked dryly, his voice laced with sarcasm.
"Of course not." Leywin laughed, unfazed, and strode confidently into the center of the decrepit room.
"Care to do the honors, Quentin?" he called, gesturing to the silent figure lingering near the doorway.
The other vampire, Quentin, let out an audible sigh, clearly less enthused. "Don’t you get bored with that act?" he muttered, but clapped his hands together with a snap.
In an instant, a trapdoor burst open just behind Leywin with a mechanical whir and a sharp clang, the panel springing back at an unnaturally high speed. The sudden motion sent a rush of air spiraling through the room, disturbing the heavy cobwebs and kicking up fine dust that danced in the lantern light.
"Of course not. Anyway, let’s go," Leywin grinned, already descending into the darkness with casual ease, his boots echoing down the wooden steps.
Corven and Rose paused for a moment, exchanging a glance before turning to Quentin, who was now pulling a rickety wooden chair into place.