Page 34 of The Queen’s Shadow

“Of course,” she nodded, “come, let’s go into the back.” She went to lock the front door before ushering me behind the counter and into the back room.

Raven

Kael’s workshop was cozy and intimate. The walls were lined with rows and rows of different weapons and types of armor, all forged from restructium and waiting for their turn to be showcased in the storefront.

The space was neat and organized. Each of Kael’s tools had their own space or hook on the opposing wall, and the air carried a faint metallic scent. The early morning sunlight filtered in through several large windows, giving the space an energetic and welcoming feel. The forge itself blazed brightly in the center of the room and was surrounded by several work benches with large anvils bolted into the thick wood.

As we entered, Kael was just pulling what looked like a glowing red blade out of the kiln and plunging it into a bucket of water. The blade hissed and steamed and Kael smiled down at the piece as it cooled with a calm look of reverence on her face. She was clearly a master of her craft.

Amon had told me that Sabel and Kael were the best there was when it came to restructium, but watching Kael work was inspiring. Her love of the craft showed through in each of the pieces she made. I glanced fondly down at the restructium blades strapped to my forearms, and wondered if Kael had looked at them with the same loving expression, when she had forged them into existence.

“Over here,” Sabel said, gesturing to a large wooden work table next to the forge. “You can put your…”

“Shadowstone.” I said, answering Sabel’s unasked question as I laid the unique stone to rest neatly on the table. I positioned Bond Breaker next to the raw material as well.

Kael seemed to have noticed and came over to join us at the table. She wiped her hands off on a rough towel covered in black soot, her heavily tattooed forearms rippling with muscle.

“Your Highness,” She greeted me, dipping down into a low bow. My face flushed red and I gestured frantically for her to stand.

“Please, just Raven is fine.” I said hurriedly. Kael’s mouth curled up at the corner in amusement, her dark eyes crinkling at the corners. She nodded her head once, running a hand through her short mop of hair.

“Raven it is.” She said with a small smirk, “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“I have bad news.” I said, and they both frowned at me. I gestured to the items I had brought. “And I need your help.”

Telling Sabel and Kael that Amon had been captured was harder than I had expected it to be. He was loved by his people. The Court of Pride had been the only free court for the past ninety years thanks to Amon and Bond Breaker. His people had not forgotten what he had done for them.

When I broke the news, Sabel had gasped, and her eyes had welled with tears. Kael wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close. I felt a pang in my chest at the tender sight of Kael comforting her mate. The gaping hole in my chest where Amon was supposed to be, ached with such a yawning sadness that I felt tears prick my own eyes. Sabel reached out and squeezed my hand, her tear misted eyes meeting mine.

“What can we do?” She asked, her voice nearly a whisper. I looked over at the pieces of shadowstone I had laid out on the table. I ran my hand over the hilt of Amon’s sword lovingly.

“Do you know what this is? I asked them. Both Sabel and Kael nodded.

“That is Bond Breaker, Prince Amon’s sword. He used it to free us both from our slavery bonds nearly a century ago.” Kael said. I nodded.

“Yes. It is made of the same material as this circlet,” I said, touching my hand to the shadowstone gem that lay quietly on my forehead. “This offers me protection from the slavery bond. It is made of the same material as Bond Breaker. And this…” I said, picking up one of the chunks of shadowstone I had harvested. “Is shadowstone. I believe it is the raw form of the material both of these artifacts were crafted with. I harvested it in a cave I discovered in the underbelly of The Eye.”

Kael examined the piece of stone in my hand critically. She reached out a hand, as if she wanted to touch it.

“May I?” She asked, and I nodded.

“Please,” I said, handing it to her. She pulled a loupe out of the pocket of her apron and held it up to her eye, examining the hunk of shadowstone closely.

“Interesting.” She muttered, turning the stone slowly in her fingers. “It appears as if I am looking through a window into another universe, not gazing upon solid matter… However, it is certainly hard as stone. It feels cold…”

I nodded. Sabel approached the table and gazed down at Bond Breaker.

“Raven is right, the sword is the same. It looks as if someone has slashed a wound in the world.” She ran her fingers lightly over the blade. “What a curious material…”

“Do you think you can make more weapons from it?”

They both glanced at me in unison sharing an expression of what appeared to be excitement, combined with uncertainty.

“It is very different from restructium. I may need some time with it to learn its properties. It might be easier for me to start with gilding an existing weapon than to forge something entirely new… I wonder if that would affect its efficiency in severing bonds?” Kael wondered out loud. I unstrapped the blades from my arms and dropped them, sheaths and all, on the table.

“Would you be willing to try these?” I loved the idea of having my blades upgraded with the power of the shadowstone. I was happy to have Bond Breaker but the sword was much too large for me to wield effectively. The blades were more my speed. Besides, it was Amon’s sword. Something about using it didn’t feel right.

Kael nodded. “Of course.” She glanced at Sabel, “We will need to keep the store closed today. This takes precedence over our other orders. If we’re going to war we will need to master this craft as quickly as possible to ensure our people remain free.”