Chapter 33. Breaking into the Crescent Castle

~REIKA

The passage was just as I remembered, the walls pressing in with damp stone and a faint scent of earth and mildew. Marcie wrinkled her nose but said nothing. Eragon had lit a pitch torch, giving the dark enclosure partial light. Despite the uneven ground, I led the way, my steps swift and sure. Eragon and Marcie followed closely behind me. My hand was closely wrapped around the dagger Arya had given me while the other gripped the wall for balance. Every step we took echoed softly in the narrow space, reminding us that any sound could betray us. We had to be quiet!

“We’ll come out near the lower wing of the castle,” I whispered, breathless, my heart beating erratically. “The exit is an old picture of my ancestor. There’s a storage room nearby. It’s usually empty.”

“Let’s hope it still is,” Eragon murmured, his tone clipped and tense.

We reached the end of the tunnel after what felt like hours, and I carefully pushed the protrud