Page 5

Shadows in the Palace

C assandra

I’ve been warned not to wander the palace alone. Which, of course, is exactly why I’m doing it now. I hate being told what to do, my mother spent my entire life directing and delegating. Now that I know the truth, I make my own choices, and I will deal with the consequences.

The air in Runic is different, crackling with energy, thick with old magik that coils around my senses and whispers my name when no one’s speaking. It’s beautiful and unnerving. Like the realm itself is sentient.

My feet carry me toward the northern wing, a part of the palace Amara, the Queen Mother, told me to avoid.

“Not until after the ceremony,” she said.

She didn’t explain any more than that which means something’s in there they don’t want me to see. Maybe I should be listening to her warning, but my curiosity has gotten the better of me.

The corridor is dim, lit only by blue flame sconces that flicker as I pass. I don’t need a light. My magik is simmering just beneath the surface now, responsive and alive in a way it never was on Earth. It knows I’m close to something important.

Then I hear them. Voices, whispering softly.

“We must strike before the merging. If we wait until she ascends, it will be too late.” The male voice sounds familiar, but I can’t place it. “She will be too powerful.”

“I thought we were promised cooperation, not war,” another man hisses in return.

“The moment she binds to him, the prophecy will activate. She will anchor the realms. Do you want that kind of power unchecked?” a woman cuts in. “Do you really want an outsider with all that power?”

“Alluvium’s rule dies with her,” the first voice says. “It is time for Runic to lead the realms.”

My breath catches. I press my body to the wall, closing my eyes to focus.

There are three voices. Two male and one female.

They are speaking in hushed tones just beyond a side chamber.

I don’t recognize them all, but the first voice is sharp and biting and makes the magik in my bones recoil. One of them is definitely from Quietus.

I should leave. Go find Niko. Tell someone, anyone. But my curiosity and my stubbornness root me in place. A sudden gust of magik flares from inside the chamber.

“She’s more powerful than they know,” the female voice snarls. “Even she doesn’t understand what she is. But we do. And if she merges with him, she becomes immortal. She becomes untouchable.”

The first male replies, “Then she will have to die before that happens.”

The world tilts as the words slam into me. These people are willing to kill me to keep control. I step back too fast and the heel of my shoe scrapes loudly against the stone. The voices stop instantly, silence filling the hallway beyond.

Suddenly, I hear movement. It’s fast, almost inhuman.

I bolt. I run like hell back the way I came, every instinct screaming at me.

My heart slams against my ribs, my magik swirling but erratic, like it’s just as afraid as I am.

I make it around the corner just as a figure emerges behind me, cloaked and fast, too fast.

“Cassandra!”

I skid to a halt at the sound of Niko’s voice. He’s coming toward me, concern furrowed into his face. Before I can speak, the figure vanishes in a burst of black smoke, leaving behind the stench of sulphur and blood.

“Someone from Quietus is here,” I gasp, clutching his arm. “They know about the prophecy. About us.” He holds me tightly as I get my breathing under control. “They were talking in a corridor, threatening to kill me before the merging ceremony.”

He grips my shoulders, grounding me, anger sketched across his features. “I know,” he says darkly. “And I think they’ve already started planning.”

My heart sinks. “What do we do now?”

“We keep you safe.”

He takes my hand and all but drags me back to our chambers. I can feel the anger radiating off him, but he has closed his thoughts to me.

“I know you’re worried...”

“I need you to just be quiet right now,” he says angrily.

That shuts me up. But the moment he has me inside the room, he slams the door and locks it before leaning against it. His breathing is harsh in the silence.

“Where were your guards?” he asks lowly.

“I don’t need...”

“Fucking hell!” he roars, punching the solid wood door before turning to face me. “You’re in danger, that’s why I assigned the detail.”

His long strides eat up the space between us, forcing me backward until my back hits the wall. His arms cage me in as he glares down at me.

“Do you want to die?”

“Of course not!” I can’t believe he just asked me that.

“Then why do you continue to put yourself in danger?” his voice is lower now.

“I ... I just wanted to have a little freedom.” The words sound silly slipping from my lips but that doesn’t make them any less true. “I feel like a caged bird.”

His eyes soften as he places his hand gently around my throat. He doesn’t apply pressure, just collars me lightly. His lips caress mine softly.

“Once the merging ceremony has taken place, you can go wherever you want, whenever you want. I promise. But in the meantime, I need your guards with you at all times.” His words are even softer this time, almost a caress.

“Please don’t put yourself in any unnecessary danger. I won’t survive losing you.”