Dungeon of Chance: Even Odds: A Dungeon Core Novel (Serious Probabilities Book 1) Jonathan Brooks (book recommendations txt) 📖

knowing him her entire life, his sister could read his facial expressions better than she could read her own. She had to rescue him before he said something he couldn’t take back; it wouldn’t do to have the daughter of the Mayor mad at the richest family in Chardelia.  They both had enough influence and power that a conflict between them could quickly escalate into dangerous territory.

“I’m glad you’re here, Rosara!” she exclaimed with feigned excitement.  “We were just about to start bringing our catch into the warehouse – would you like to help us?”

The other woman looked down at her frilly, lace-bordered, and nearly sheer clothing and recoiled in horror at the prospect.  While her clothing wasn’t necessarily inappropriate in their hot and humid climate – it was probably cooler than her own durable-but-worn off-white cotton shirt and loose-fitting capri pants – it wasn’t exactly made for doing work.  Straining too much might tear the already-tight fabric, and getting it wet or dirty from handling fish that liked to squirm out of your grasp at the first opportunity wasn’t the best idea to keep it looking pristine.

Jeska knew that.  So did Arcen.  And Rosara quickly figured it out, as well.

“Uh, I’m so sorry, Arcen.  Jeska.  I forgot I have to see to the arrangements for the party at the villa tomorrow—” Rosara began to apologize, when there was a strange sound behind her along the cliff wall about a quarter of a mile down the beach.  About a quarter of their large island was ringed in tall cliffs that reached at least 300 feet tall in areas, and they had been such a constant presence ever since she could remember that she barely looked at them anymore.  However, she couldn’t help but look now, as the sound of falling rocks was loud enough to hear even over the hubbub of Chardelia and the crashing of waves against the shoreline.

Is there a portion of the cliff wall falling?  That worried her quite a bit, since a section of the cliff had broken off the face about a mile and a half down Sunfall Island about a decade ago; luckily, there had been no one and no structures nearby to be crushed by the gigantic slab of stone that had become unattached, though the impact of it against the water had sent a fairly large wave towards her city and caused a few boats to break free of their moorings.  Again, no one was hurt, but most just attributed that fact to the distance it had occurred from Chardelia.

But if there is some indication that a piece of this cliff is going to break off, we need to warn—what is that?! 

“What is that?  Arcy?” Rosara asked, echoing Jeska’s thoughts.  “It looks like some sort of doorway inside the cliff.  I don’t remember seeing that before, do you?”  The conniving woman sidled up against Arcen’s side, pressing herself up against his arm as if seeking comfort – though it was obvious that she was fine.  At least, it’s obvious to me; he doesn’t seem to mind.

On a second look, it appeared as if he wasn’t even paying attention to Rosara; instead, he was totally focused on the strange hole in the cliff that appeared perfectly chiseled out from the hard stone, with a smooth arch along the top of the “doorway” and straight angles along the bottom corners.  The darkness emanating from inside the mystery tunnel allowed them to see it quite clearly against the stark whitish-grey of the surrounding stone, and she shivered even in the hot late-day sunlight at the thought of what evil presence could be lying in wait for them if they were to go in there.

“I think we need to go in there.”

Of course her brother would want to investigate.  “Uh, no, Arcen.  Let’s go tell the—”

“Ooh, yes, let’s go inside and investigate.  And if it gets too scary, you’ll be able to protect me, won’t you, Arcy?”  The other woman looked up into Arcen’s face and batted her eyelashes playfully, but Jeska’s brother only then tore his eyes away from the cave.  He looked down at his left arm in surprise, as if just now realizing there was a woman practically draped across it.

Extricating himself gently by firmly pressing against her shoulder, Arcen said with a distracted tone, “Yes, sure, whatever.  You can come with me, but for some reason I feel that I need to check that place out.”

Now that she thought about it, Jeska could feel a strange pull towards the strange cave as well, but she wasn’t about to let curiosity get the better of her.  “Arcen, we have no idea what could be inside; there are people who are much better equipped to investigate something like that.”

For the first time since the mysterious cave had appeared out of nowhere, her brother looked at her with a grave expression on his face.  She immediately knew what it meant.  “I’m sorry, sis, but I want—no, need—to go.  You can stay here if you want to; there’s no reason for you to risk yourself, as well.”

“Arcen—” she started to argue, but Jeska could tell he had already made up his mind.  He abruptly started walking towards the hole in the cliff face, not looking back.

Rosara, momentarily startled by his departure, hesitated for a moment before she ran after him.  “Hey, wait up.”

Jeska stood there, looking between their catch from the day inside their skiff, to the warehouse where they stored the Golden-scaled Hornblowers before they were sold, and finally to Arcen determinedly walking toward…whatever it was…with Rosara hot on his heels.  She sighed heavily, knowing exactly what she was going to do, but not liking it one bit.  Strangely, she wasn’t worried for herself, but for her brother.

Someone’s got to protect him from danger…and I’m not talking about the mysterious cave.

Mind made up, Jeska