Page 44 of Sun, Moon & Shadow (Fate of Aemoria #1)

Nova woke to the taste of leather and the stifling sensation of something being pressed over her mouth.

She cried out, but the sound was smothered by a gloved hand clamping down even harder against her lips.

She clawed at the attached wrist, fingernails scraping against the soft material.

Her breath came rapidly through her nose as her eyes adjusted in the darkened room, lit only by a sliver of daylight creeping in through a gap in the curtains.

After a few seconds, Idrian’s face came into focus, hovering above hers. Nova widened her eyes at him. His expression was grave, his mouth a grim line and his brows knitted together.

“I’m going to remove my hand, but you must be quiet,” he said, his voice a rough whisper.

Slowly, he lifted his hand from her mouth, and Nova bolted upright, swiping the back of her wrist over her lips.

“Idrian, what are you doing here?” she hissed.

“Quiet.” He shot a glance over his shoulder at her chamber door. His hand hung in the air as if he meant to cover her mouth again, and Nova leaned away out of his reach. “Spies from Raven’s Isle have infiltrated the Estate. Come with me—now. You are in grave danger.”

“Nox.” Her stomach turned, immediately fearing the worst. “Where is Nox?”

“Commander Lucan is with him. The Noble Lord is not my concern. My only concern is getting you out of the Estate without being spotted.”

“Where will we go?” She rubbed a hand across her forehead, her thoughts still foggy with the cobwebs of sleep. How long had it been since she’d retired to her chamber?

“I know of a secure location. No one will find you there. Come, we’ll join up with some of my soldiers on the way.” He stood beside the bed, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His eyes flicked back and forth between the chamber door and the terrace. “Get up.”

Nova obeyed, scooting along the satin sheets and sliding her legs over the side of the mattress. Her sleep-addled mind struggled to process all he’d said as she crossed to the armoire. He grabbed her arm and tugged her back.

“There’s no time to dress,” he cautioned, his tone growing impatient. “Here.” He snatched her black woolen cloak off its hook and tossed it at her. “Put this on and follow me.”

Nova threw the cloak over her shoulders, fastening the clasp with trembling hands and slipped her feet into a pair of flats she’d carelessly discarded beside the bed.

Idrian gripped her painfully around the wrist as he dragged her across the room. Nova nearly asked him to loosen his hold on her, but she bit her tongue. He was clearly distracted.

As quietly as possible, Idrian eased the door open enough to peek his head out, surveying the hallway for a breath.

The Estate was silent. Not necessarily surprising, Nova thought.

Everyone was likely asleep. Even so, there were usually at least a few servants awake and walking the halls at all hours, weren’t there?

Idrian opened the door further, allowing them to pass through into the corridor. Instead of heading left toward the main staircase, he turned right, rushing toward a dead end. They moved soundlessly, apart from the soft rustling of Nova’s nightdress dragging on the floor.

“You’re going the wrong way,” she whispered in protest. Wrenching her hand from his grasp, Nova spun in the opposite direction and headed for the stairs.

A cry rang out in the Great Hall below, the sound quickly followed by the scrape of a blade being drawn.

Nova halted immediately and listened as ragged, wet gasps trailed off into silence.

Idrian grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down the hall.

Nova followed without question, hastening her steps to keep pace with his long, determined strides.

When they reached the far wall, Idrian laid his free hand on the smooth stone and pressed.

A section of the wall gave way like the one in the library, revealing a hidden doorway in the black rock.

Idrian stood aside and shoved Nova into the gaping mouth of the secret passageway.

Following immediately behind her, he pulled the stone slab closed with a click, the sound echoing in a blackness that swallowed her whole.

Wherever she was, it was chilly and smelled of damp.

A trickle of water dripped rhythmically in the distance.

Nova heard the faint clinking of metal behind her, and suddenly she could see, though not very well.

Idrian took hold of her wrist again, and she twisted to face him.

A silver medallion inlaid with a moonstone hung on a long chain around his neck.

The cloudy stone was engraved with the crescent and star insignia of Silvergard.

It barely gave off any light as it was still daytime.

Idrian pushed past her, and Nova turned back to find herself perched at the top of a steep staircase and caged in by a low ceiling.

The stone steps disappeared into the darkness looming at the edge of the moonstone’s pale light, only a few strides ahead of them.

She took a deep breath of stale air and followed Idrian, as if she had a choice in the matter.

They descended the staircase for what seemed like an eternity.

The train of Nova’s nightgown gathered all manner of dirt and grime as it mopped each step behind her, erasing her footprints as she went.

Moisture seeped through the soles of her silk slippers.

Her toes began to go numb. It was clear they were the first souls to pass through the tunnel in ages.

Nova wanted desperately to prod Idrian for information, but she continued to bite her tongue, afraid to speak in the oppressive silence.

Finally, they reached the bottom, and Idrian hurried her along the narrow passage. The glow of his moonstone bounced off the walls as they ran. Nova lost her balance once and fell to the ground. Idrian barely paused long enough to haul her back up onto her feet, then kept going.

He stopped short suddenly several minutes later, and she nearly collided with his broad back.

They’d hit another dead end. As he had before, Idrian pressed his hand against the wall of stone, and a hidden doorway opened.

Daylight drenched Nova, temporarily blinding her as she burst out into the fresh air.

When her vision cleared, Nova threw a glance over her shoulder, craning her neck to take in the massive black mountain rising behind her, the jagged peak silhouetted against the gray blanket of the overcast sky.

The passageway had led them through the heart of the very mountain into which the Silvergard Estate was carved.

“Where are we going?” Nova asked, a bit less afraid of the sound of her own voice.

“A horse is waiting for us up ahead,” Idrian said, looking back at her with a stern nod.

Within minutes, they arrived at a copse of leafless trees.

Slipping between the bone-white trunks, they walked until they spotted a gray stallion tethered to a low branch.

Idrian finally released Nova and rushed to the horse, swiftly untying the reins.

Nova cradled her tender wrist against her chest, brushing her fingers over the reddened skin where a bruise would likely form.

Idrian turned to face her, scanning the forest around them and urging her to mount.

Something caused her to hesitate. A flicker of apprehension in the pit of her stomach.

She looked back in the direction they’d traveled, nervously spinning her mother’s ring on her finger.

Nova sensed Idrian’s presence beside her an instant before his gloved hand clamped down firmly on her shoulder.

He gripped her chin with his other hand, forcing her to look at him.

“Nova, I know you’re frightened and confused, but I need you to trust me. Get on the horse.” His words had a sharp edge to them. He smiled weakly and released her chin, his hand dropping to his side.

Nova swallowed hard, forcing down the lump in her throat, and gathered the filthy fabric of her nightgown. She hoisted herself into the saddle. He mounted behind her and kicked the horse in the ribs, sending the animal racing between the trunks of the skeletal trees.

Nova stared back over her shoulder as they rode north, the distance between her and the Silvergard Estate growing with each passing minute. After a time, her eyelids grew heavy and fell shut despite her better judgment, the rhythmic pounding of the horse’s hooves lulling her to sleep.

The horse slowed suddenly, the abrupt change in pace waking Nova some hours later.

She couldn’t determine the exact time of day through the thick cloud cover, but she estimated dusk was only a few hours away.

She tried to sit up higher in the saddle, but Idrian’s arm lay coiled tightly around her ribs.

He released his hold on her, taking the reins in both hands to meet a rocky incline a short distance ahead.

The horse picked its way carefully up the steep slope toward a ruined structure at the summit.

Idrian dismounted when they reached the cover of the partially collapsed walls of ashen stone.

He grabbed Nova around the waist and pulled her down from the saddle, setting her on the ground in front of him.

The warmth of his rapid breaths puffed against her forehead.

Nova backed away and turned in a slow circle, surveying her surroundings.

The Estate was no longer visible in the distance.

She silently scolded herself for falling asleep.

It was impossible to gauge how far they’d traveled or if they’d changed direction.

An unfamiliar mountain rose out of the horizon to the north.

She couldn’t see what lay beyond from where she stood.

“This is where we agreed to meet,” Idrian said distractedly, coming to stand beside her. He raked a hand through his hair as he scanned the barren landscape stretching out around them in every direction. “Something is wrong. They should have been waiting for us.”

Nova bit the inside of her cheek, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable under the wide, gray sky, clad in nothing but a thin nightdress.

A chill wind blew through the ruins, and her skin prickled, sending a shiver darting along her limbs.

Idrian slung an arm around her shoulders, guiding her to an intact corner sheltered from the wind.

“Rest now,” he told her.

Nova sank onto the damp ground, gathering her cloak around her bent knees as she huddled against the remnants of cold stone.

Pulling her hood over her head, she studied Idrian as he paced back and forth, wearing a groove in the sand.

Her stomach cramped with hunger, but they’d brought nothing to eat.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and, before long, her body defied her by drifting off to sleep once again.

A drizzling rain fell, the cool drops moistening Nova’s cheeks and waking her from a dreamless sleep.

The sky had gone dark. The moon was new, the stars obscured by thick clouds.

Idrian sat on the ground nearby, leaning against a crumbling stone column.

He appeared to be resting, but Nova sensed he was fully alert, sharp eyes scanning the perimeter, keen ears listening for any indication of an approach.

The faint sound of tumbling rocks startled them both.

Nova swallowed a gasp, and Idrian sprang to his feet, hunching low as he silently drew his sword from its sheath.

He took several measured steps in the direction of the noise, turning his head to Nova, a finger pressed firmly against his lips.

Nova nodded wordlessly as he disappeared from view.

Minutes ticked by slowly with no further noise and no sign of Idrian.

The rain came down heavier, fat drops gathering into rivulets that rushed down her hood and onto the shoulders of her cloak.

Nova thought of her blades, laid out on the vanity in her chamber—gods only knew how far away and utterly useless to her.

She flexed her fingers, sluggish and slightly numb, before clenching her hands into fists.

My only weapons , she thought wearily and cursed under her breath.

A male voice rose above the pattering of the rain. A grunt of pain. She was on her feet in an instant, crouching low to the ground. Her heart thumped wildly, an untamed bird flinging itself repeatedly against the cage of her ribs.

Nova willed herself forward across the sodden ground toward the source of the noise. She peered over the collapsed wall on the eastern edge of the hill. Without the light of the moon, the world was blanketed in darkness. Nova’s breath halted as she stared silently into the night.

A sudden flash of pale light.

Idrian’s medallion .

By the glow of the moonstone, Nova spotted him halfway down the incline, sprawled on his back in the sand, scrambling for his sword.

Two figures emerged, their cloaks peeling away from the surrounding darkness as they loomed over him.

One kicked the sword out of his reach and yanked Idrian up by the neck of his armored vest. Steel glinted as the other produced a dagger from the folds of his cloak.

A gasp escaped from her lips before she could stop it.

She clapped a useless hand over her mouth as the hooded figures turned their heads in her direction as one.

She didn’t think they could see her, but her blood iced over just the same.

The figure with the dagger hauled Idrian onto his knees, tugging his head back by his hair and pressing the blade against his throat.

The second figure began an unhurried climb up the hill toward Nova’s hiding place. She remained rooted to the spot. Idrian struggled against his captor and shouted into the darkness, a single word cutting through the thrum of the blood rushing in her ears.

“Run!”

Nova shot to her feet and stumbled backward, immediately bumping against something solid.

A pair of sinewy arms wrapped around her middle, pinning her arms to her sides.

Her mind flashed to her early training sessions with Callan, and she threw her head back instinctively.

A sickening crunch was chased by a pained cry. She’d broken her assailant’s nose.

The arms around her loosened but held fast despite her violent thrashing.

She struggled to get free, growling through clenched teeth like an animal caught in a snare.

The night was so dark and her voice so loud that a second figure appeared directly in front of her before she even realized someone else was there.

She saw the fist wrapped around the hilt of a dagger as it sailed through the air before striking her in the temple.

Then she saw nothing.