Emira stared at Ryn for a long moment, before asking in a low voice, "This is on Stormhold land?"
Ryn nodded slowly. "Yes. Or at least, it used to be considered part of Stormhold." She hesitated, then added, "Actually... this place is more like a forgotten no man’s land now."
Emira frowned at that but Ryn continued slowly, "Many years ago, some witch ordered that these prisons be closed off. She claimed there was a negative energy here. Something old. Something that could seep into the pack and slowly poison it." Ryn shrugged lightly. "At least, that’s what I understood from the records."
"After that order," Ryn went on, "they shut the prison down completely. They sealed the entrance with spells and stone. Everything that was here was moved to the other side of the pack lands. Guards, prisoners, records. All of it." She paused. "Over time, people stopped coming here. Then they stopped talking about it. And eventually, most forgot this place even existed."
"And you?" Emira asked quietly. "How do you know all this?"
Ryn went silent.
For a moment, she did not look at Emira. Her fingers twisted together in her lap, and the earlier excitement in her expression faded into something more serious. More careful.
"I know," she said slowly, "because I was tasked with looking for a safe place for you."
Emira stiffened slightly at that.
Ryn finally looked up at her then. "When the Princes starting executing the plan for the mating, they wanted me to find a safe place for you. So, they gave me the map of the entire place to choose the safest place. I was studying them and found about this place. It was marked on it but did not specify what it was. So I took it to His Majesty. He gave me permission to explore it...
She hesitated again, then spoke more softly. "I was planning to turn this place into a home for the Princes and you..."
Emira’s eyes widened slightly at that. Ryn had not known that the Princes and her were mates and yet, she had been preparing so much....
Even as Emira felt touched, Ryn continued," I later discovered the reason and so abandoned the thought... But now, after seeing the Grandwitch here, I think she must have been the one to ask them to close this... Wanting to use it as her own base..."
Emira sighed, "If Shiqi was the grand witch then it is indeed possible.. if this place is far then we might not be able to escape..."
As Emira said the words, her gaze lifted to Ryn’s sharply," You know something..."
The expression on her friend’s face was quite smug so she could only stare as Ryn stood up and said slowly," See, the thing is, I had already started working on creating this space for you so..."
Without saying more, Ryn tugged at her hand and went towards a hidden corner of the cell. She frowned. This place was covered wits Spider webs....
Ryn brushed the webs aside hurriedly and even as Emira watched, Ryn’s fingers moved over the stones with quiet certainty as she counted under her breath. Then she pressed against a brick that looked no different from the others.
There was a soft click.
Before Emira could react, the wall shuddered. Stone shifted slowly and a narrow gap appeared where the brick had been. The opening widened just enough to reveal a dark tunnel beyond it, sloping downward and disappearing into shadows.
Emira’s breath caught. "There’s... a hidden exit here?" she asked, disbelief clear in her voice.
Ryn smiled proudly, "Yes."
She stepped aside, allowing Emira to see it properly. The tunnel was narrow but looked solid...
"I dug this space over the last few months... I did it so that in the future, you and the Princes’ could be together without anyone knowing. Somewhere safe from prying eyes and those spies that Ramona might stick to them.
Emira stared at her. She had no idea Ryn, who did not even know much about her relationship with them, had thought more about it than she had.
"And this isn’t just a simple exit," Ryn continued. "It won’t just take you out of this place."
She reached out and gently pushed Emira toward the opening, just enough for her to feel the pull of the tunnel.
"It will take you directly to the Princes’ door," Ryn said softly. "Straight to them."
Emira turned sharply. "What?"
Ryn nodded. "Go. I will stay here."
Emira shook her head at once. "No. We go together."
Ryn’s expression hardened slightly. She shook her head in return. "No. If the Grand Witch comes back, there has to be someone here. Someone to delay her and keep her attention away from this place."
Her voice lowered. "If both of us are gone, she might find the tunnel."
Emira grabbed Ryn’s arm and almost tried to drag her along, "She is not a good person. If she finds out I have escaped and you helped me--- she might..."
"Then I will deal with it," Ryn cut in quietly. Go, Emira... Quickly...
Emira’s frown deepened. "No. We should go together...."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"Go," Ryn said again, more firmly this time. "If you’re worried, then come back before she returns. All right?"
Emira hesitated.
"And after what just happened," Ryn added, "I doubt she will return anytime soon. Not after that confrontation."
Slowly, Emira nodded. "Okay," she said at last. "I’ll go. I’ll bring help as soon as possible."
She took a step toward the tunnel, then stopped. Just as she was about to enter, Ryn reached out and caught her hand. Her grip was tight, almost urgent.
"Emira," she said quietly.
Emira turned back.
"Be careful," Ryn continued. "And remember..." Her voice dropped even lower. "There is something wrong with the Princes too. So stay alert. Make sure that they are... alright."
Emira frowned then. What could be wrong with them? But before she could ask more, Ryn had pushed her in and the door started to close....