Arcane Rising: The Darkland Druids - Book One, R Nicole [suggested reading TXT] 📗

of black appeared and began to spread across the surface, glistening with colour that reminded me of a rainbow on top of an oil slick. Finally, it formed the shape of an arched door.

“It’s a portal,” Rory said.

That was the ability the Chimera were so desperate to get their hands on? I stared at the surface, but I couldn’t see what was on the other side.

“You won’t see much through this one,” Rory added. “There’s a tunnel on the other side, then another portal.”

“An extra layer of security?” I wondered.

“Aye.”

“Will it hurt?”

He smiled and shook his head. “Ach, no. It feels like splashing cool water on your face.”

Shrugging, I stepped through the portal and emerged in a dark tunnel.

On the other side, I shivered as coldness trickled down my spine. It felt like walking through a wall of water without actually getting wet.

Rory appeared behind me in the darkness and scooted past, taking the lead. He led me down the passage, the sound of our footsteps echoed off the hard bedrock. I kept close, afraid I’d be left behind in the dark.

There was nothing remarkable about the tunnel—it smelled like damp earth and mould.

“The Druids you will see here are descendants from five families that became lost in the Darklands,” Rory explained. “Elinian, Maerinn, Cuihan, Ariennir, and Odhweine.”

“Which one are you?”

“Maerinn. Mackenzie is my stage name.”

“How many Druids are there?” I asked. “Or is it still a secret?”

“You’ll see…”

He stopped suddenly and I smacked into his back.

“Ow,” I grumbled. “A little warning, please.”

“Past this door lies the Warren,” he said. “It’s a series of tunnels and houses carved underneath Edinburgh, folded inside an illusion.”

“An illusion?”

“Technically, it’s a pocket of reality that’s been separated from the Earth.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, now that you mention it…”

Rory laughed and opened the door. Muted light spilled into the tunnel as another portal rippled into life.

We stepped into another passage, but this one was nothing like the last. Volcanic glass and gemstones made up the walls—shining obsidian swirled with dappled turquoise—and sconces with jagged globes were placed at regular intervals, lighting the pathway. For an underground warren, it was rather bright in here.

“They’re crystals,” I said, gazing at the pointed clusters in the sconces. “Glowing crystals.”

“Aye,” Rory replied. “Quartz. They hold simple prisms rather well.”

“Like batteries?”

“Yes.” He nodded, poking the nearest sconce with his finger and the crystal brightened slightly. “They still need to be charged every now and then.”

“But how do they work?” Science had gone completely out of the window, but I thought I’d read someplace that quartz was good at conducting energy, but was it metaphoric spiritual vibes or tangible electricity?

“Forget about the light globes,” Rory said with a chuckle. “Those are nothing.” He grasped my shoulder and turned me around. “Look at this.”

It was then that I realised we stood on a large balcony which overlooked an enormous cavern. Above, points of light sparkled on the ceiling, but it was the towering willow tree in the centre that had me doing a double-take.

I clutched the stone edge of the balcony and gaped. Not only was it the largest willow I’d ever seen, but a great deal of the weeping frond also hovered towards the roof of the cavern. It reminded me of an underwater sea creature floating in a crystal ocean—the light down here was blue-tinted, but dim.

“The willow symbolises the connection between the earth and sky,” Rory told me. “Mostly between the water and the moon, but down here it’s more literal.”

“But… How does it grow?”

“Magic,” he whispered. Rory chuckled and threaded his arm though mine. “Salle is the centre of the Warren.”

“Salle?”

“The Druidic word for willow.”

My gaze travelled downward, taking in the view below. The floor of the cavern was an underground garden with stone paths, grass, and what looked like flowers. The shadow of multiple tunnels opened in the walls and other balconies appeared all over the walls. There must be a dozen levels at least, and who knew how far those passages led?

“It’s a whole city,” I whispered.

“Not quite,” Rory told me. “But it’s large enough. You’re looking at eight hundred years of construction.”

“You’ve lived here the whole time?”

“Not all of it, but close.” He gestured for me to follow. “C’mon. They’ll be waiting for us in the library.”

I walked through the Warren in a state of shock. There were dozens of passages and rooms leading farther into the volcanic rock. Crystals had been imbedded in almost every surface and runes were carved into lintels and doorways. Wooden boards hung over some entrances, acting as signposts pointing out passages that lead to things like a herbalist, the kitchen, market, gardens, and houses.

Speaking of gardens, here and there, plants had taken root in the rock, growing vines along passage walls and clumps of flowers bloomed underneath glowing sconces, their coloured petals stretching towards the light.

We emerged into the cavern we’d seen from above and stood before a set of large, round, wooden doors set into the rock. Oblivious to the Druids staring at us, I began to get the shakes. It felt like I’d stepped inside a sacred temple and I was the out-of-place non-believer. Vanora’s snide Fae comment didn’t help the situation, either.

Rory rapped twice on the door, then opened it.

The room was large and round, the walls clad with stained wood panels and inset with tall bookshelves overflowing with leather-bound tomes. The floor was carpeted with a thick emerald green pile which looked like springy moss, and desks and various seated areas littered the open space, separated by glass display cases full of delicate artefacts I was desperate to look at.

There were more crystal sconces, though they glowed with a warm hue, giving the library a warm, homely feel.

Looking up, my breath caught as I saw the entire ceiling was made of crystal. A massive amethyst geode dome shimmered in the light, hundreds of thousands of points aiming down at the library. I could feel the Colour radiating off it—or at least, that’s what I