Soul Bonds Book 1 Circles of Light series by E.M. Sinclair

most humans would have to do. He had long ago accustomed himself to all things to do with darkness. Twenty minutes later, he was before an apparent dead end, but once again he pressed his fingertips to certain spots upon the cold rock. Once more, a doorway swung open and he left it open as he entered the chamber within.
    Taking a taper from a jar on a shelf beside the entrance, he took flame from the lantern and touched it to candles set around the room. It was perhaps five man lengths across, and perfectly circular. The wall of living rock curved gently up to make a high domed roof. As each candle was lit, Rhaki kept his gaze firmly on the flame, never glancing to the centre of the room. When the last candle shone perfectly straight, he pinched out the taper, returning it to the jar.
    Rhaki stood just inside the open door, his eyes on the rock before his feet. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to look on the Sacred Balance. Seven black disks gleaming dully in the steady candlelight, floated chest high from the floor. One of Emla’s Weights WAS lost he thought exultantly, although he strained to keep his mind as calm as he could lest anyone or anything be observing him, unlikely as that might be.
    The Weights had hung in their impossible suspension above an inlaid circle of crystal and gold set into the floor, always level with his eyes. At the end of the last Cold Season, he had come to this chamber and had been stunned to see they had begun to drop lower. It could only mean that Emla had lost one of her counter-weights. Rhaki had fled the chamber then, unable to control or conceal his excitement, but he had returned several times since to verify this unbelievable fact.
    He dropped his gaze again and lifting the lantern, he turned to leave the chamber. Unable to resist the melodramatic gesture, he waggled his fingers as he closed the rock door, causing the candle flames to be instantly extinguished. He retraced his steps only a short way and halted by another door. This was more conventional in that it was clearly outlined on the wall and opened towards him.
    He entered a cupboard that in turn gave into a large room, faintly lit by glow lamps. A door on the opposite side of the room gave access to the household staff who worked in here. They had no knowledge of this rock doorway at the back of the cupboard, from where Rhaki could peep out to ensure he was alone.
    This was where Rhaki kept various beasts. There were hoppers, squeakers, feathered singers and a few, very poisonous, writhers. After checking there were no servants cleaning or feeding the collection of animals, Rhaki swiftly left the cupboard and went to a caged run full of hoppers. They became tame very easily and now rushed to the side of their cage in the hope that this two legs had food for them.
    Unlatching a small door, Rhaki thrust his hand inside, grasped a large black hopper and pulled it from the cage. It screamed eerily with the shock of being so suddenly removed from its brethren, but Rhaki held it firmly and took it with him, back through the cupboard.
    Further yet up the rock passage went Rhaki and the now silently shivering hopper under his arm. Another hidden doorway, and Rhaki was in a room he used for certain rituals, magics, experiments. Putting the lantern he still carried on the tabletop, he then lifted the hopper so that it was face to face with him.
    Rhaki began to chant softly, monotonously, staring into the hopper’s large brown eyes, which quickly became glazed and fixed, its body relaxed and limp. He laid the hopper gently on the table, its ears drooping and its pink nose twitching with each breath. Still chanting, Rhaki pushed his cloak back, freeing his arms, and placed a large goblet upon the table beside the hopper.
    From the hundreds of jars, and pots, and bottles, lining shelves on each wall, he chose certain pinches of needful ingredients. There was a great importance in adding these ingredients in the correct order, disaster could