Infiltrating The Castle Novels & Stories

Don’t slow. None of us do. I don’t know how long we navigate through the forest but then Dom stops. Abrupt. He throws his fist up in the air—closed. We halt instantly, crouching low, training instincts kicking in. I creep to his side, heart still hammering. And I freeze. So do the others. There, just beyond the thinning edge of trees, nestled in a cradle of mist and shadow, is a castle. Not a fortress. Not a ruin.

I told myself that I would find a way, but I was lying to myself even then. Dartmoor was filled with unfamiliar scents. They became more pungent and bitter the further I went, until they were almost overwhelming. Never were they stronger than when I reached a dark, crumbling castle. It sat high on a hill, the ground around it barren save for dead trees. Thin red vines ran up the castle’s decaying stone walls, and as I neared, I noticed fleshy tendrils rising like towers from its base, waving in the wind. Were these the “anomalies” the book had referred to? Did that mean I was too late?

Opposite the entrance was a massive imperial staircase, the railings were made of real gold. We didn’t stop running, headed directly for the staircase just in time for a loud explosion to echo from the west side of the palace. Followed by south and east. The northern side remained quiet. It was the mountain to which the castle was attached to. And then the outcry of war began. Vampires ready to retire to the bed were woken up by the explosion. We took advantage of the situation. While the distraction captured their attention outside the palace, we had the castle to ourselves, making it easier to reach the quarters.

The interior walls of the Silver Ridge castle were a vertical labyrinth of freezing, jagged stone chutes and narrow iron ventilation shafts. The pitch-black air inside the stone shaft was ancient, thick with the suffocating stench of centuries of soot, stagnant grease, and dry rot. Elena crawled upward against gravity, her fingers raw, her knees scraping brutally against the rough granite blocks with every agonizing inch she gained. Her thin linen shift was torn to tatters, soaked in a mixture of her own blood and the black grime of the castle's inner infrastructure.

“And you were the one who said this castle was a fortress. Fortresses need defenders, not decorations. You needed a plan. I had one.” He stared at her, his chest rising and falling with a quickened breath. The ice in his eyes was melting, replaced by a turbulent, furious admiration. “The cave. The underwater entrance. How could you possibly know that?” “Because while you were learning statecraft, I was learning how to break into places I wasn’t supposed to be,” she said flatly. “It’s what infiltrators do. We find the cracks.” The word hung between them. Infiltrator. It confirmed everything he’d suspected and more. “You are the most dangerous woman I have ever met,” he said, but the words wer

Then we took off into the woods, desperate to claim our kingdom back before it was destroyed completely. “How do we know what guards are for us and are working with Sheila?” Neil whispered my exact thoughts. We were hidden in a corner behind an oak tree, just a few feet before the castle, scanning the clearing ahead. The castle was only a few miles away, but that didn’t mean we were safe. Sheila had infiltrated the ranks, her spies could be anywhere. “We don’t,” I admitted in a low whisper. “But if they hesitate when I give them an order, we’ll know they aren’t with us.”

Belle Rose knew that she would have an adventure while at the castle, and she sticks close to Fatima as they and everyone else had to walk around to the castle entrance. Belle Rose felt someone staring at her, and she didn't know who nor where the person is staring at her from. Annabelle gave the information and the drawing of the castle. Belle Rose place the information and the drawing of the castle in her backpack. Annabelle started the tour on the grounds, and they had lunch. Annabelle led the tour inside of the Hohenzollern castle, and Belle Rose felt something bad would happen.

Three royal guards stormed inside covered in blood. “Your Majesty,” one gasped urgently. “The eastern defenses collapsed.” Kael’s expression darkened. “How many breached?” “At least twenty rogues inside the castle already.” Twenty? Lyra’s stomach twisted violently. That wasn’t an attack. That was an invasion. The guard’s eyes flickered toward Lyra briefly. “They’re specifically searching for the girl.” The room fell silent. Kael’s wolf surged dangerously beneath his skin. Silver-black flashed through his eyes again. “Seal this floor,” he ordered sharply. “Kill anyone who reaches it.”

She tightened her grip on Lycan's hand, drawing strength from their bond. Luna, her eyes gleaming with determination, forged ahead, leading them deeper into this treacherous realm. As they traversed the barren landscape, they came upon a towering castle, its dark spires piercing the sky like claws of a beast. Silently, they approached the castle's foreboding gates, which creaked open to welcome them with a bone-chilling groan. The interior of the castle was shrouded in shadow, and the air grew frigid as they made their way through its winding corridors.