Chapter 37: Betrayal (2)
The old chamber was now visible under the rays of the sun. Time had not been kind to it. Moss crept along the broken edges of the walls, beams cracked and leaning under the sun. Dust floated lazily in golden shafts of sunlight that peeked through the crumbled ceiling. But none of that mattered now.
The mess inside was undeniable.
The scorched remains of the Lekar, its massive body still smoldering under the sun’s touch, lay sprawled across the stone floor like a twisted, broken idol. Smoke curled gently off the carcass, forming a light fog within the chamber, adding to the haunting stillness of the moment.
At the center of it all sat Lady Fares.
She was motionless, perched in a wooden chair that looked too fragile for its occupant. Her right hand was unconsciously placed under her jaw, her elbow braced against the armrest. She stared blankly into the distance, eyes wide with thoughts she couldn’t yet gather.
The silence felt oppressive.
Dominic’s words echoed in her head, pounding over and over like the ringing of a bell after the last strike. Words that tore at the very foundation of what she believed.
"Then explain how the Stolks got into the inner city so fast and no one could detect their arrival until they were too close."
That voice... that accusatory tone...
Damn it all. That actually made some sense.
She had replayed that moment a thousand times in her head already. She had seen the look in Dominic’s eyes, the conviction, the fury, the hurt. She had seen that same kind of look before — in warriors who’d lost their comrades, in brothers betrayed by those they trusted. That wasn’t mere suspicion. That was belief.