Page 72 of Spears and Shadows (Defenders of the Light)
Adam looked at her with furrowed brows.
“Do you need me to come with you?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I think I’d rather be alone. I need a minute to think.”
Adam continued to appear worried, but he agreed.
“Ok, go ahead and use my room. I’ll come fill you in when we’re finished here.”
Nora nodded gratefully and did her best to look worn out as she made her way out of the courtyard. As she passed Antony, he looked up and met her eyes. She looked down at the ground quickly, as if he might spy her intentions in her face. Her whole plan would be for nothing if he guessed it too soon.
When as she was out of sight of the group, Nora quickened her pace, striding purposefully through the halls towards the main entrance. She hadn’t made it fifty feet when she stopped in her tracks and doubled back in the other direction. Just because she was being reckless didn’t mean that she had to be completely unprepared.
Nora was pleased to find that she was able to remember her way through the labyrinthian hallways back to the armory. She pushed open the heavy wooden doors as quietly as possible before slipping inside, leaving the door ajar to light her way.
She looked over the racks of weapons only for a moment before heading to the same case that had caught her attention the last time she was in this room. Now standing in front of the case with the Warrior’s armor, she understood why she felt so drawn to it.
It was hers.
She fumbled with the latch for only a moment before getting the case open. As she went about taking the breastplate off the wooden form, she thanked her profession for making her well versed in dressing and undressing mannequins in ancient armor. She never would have guessed such a skill had applications outside of working in a museum.
She finished buckling the breastplate to herself before deciding to add the grieves for good measure. She got the impression they were not designed to go over skinny jeans, but she made do.
Nora looked longingly at the helmet with its impressive plumage but decided it was best to forgo it. She was already making quite the fashion statement with the bronze armor over her jeans and sweater.
Just as Nora was closing the case again, the room got dimmer, as if the light coming from the cracked door had been blocked.
“I see you figured out who the armor belonged to.”
Nora whirled around so fast that she almost toppled over with the new weight now attached to her body. When she had found her footing, she looked up to see Seraphina standing in the doorway. The woman’s arms were crossed over her chest, and her chin was raised at an angle which suggested she was accustomed to wearing a crown.
“It took you longer than I expected for somebody who so obviously enjoys sticking her nose in other people’s business,” Seraphina continued.
“I’m a historian,” Nora snapped, unable to stop herself. “Other people’s stuff is my job.”
Seraphina acted as if she hadn’t spoken.
“I heard what happened to your sister.” The way she said it was a simple statement, holding neither comfort nor judgement.
“And I suppose you’re here to tell me what I’m doing is incredibly stupid?”
“No. I knew you before and criticizing you when you were doing something rash was never an effective way of dissuading you from anything.” Seraphina’s tone left Nora with no doubt she had disliked her former self as much as Nora’s current incarnation.
“Then why are you here?” Nora huffed, getting impatient with the conversation. She had wasted too much time already.
Seraphina walked into the room until she stood only a foot in front of Nora. “I came to tell you that you buckled this on all wrong.”
She reached down and tugged a few of the straps around Nora’s midsection, none too gently, while Nora looked on with her mouth hanging open.
“You’re…helping me?” she asked, dumbfounded.
Seraphina did not look up from her work. “Surprisingly, yes.”
“Why?”
At this, Seraphina did pause and met Nora’s gaze. Her typical haughty expression was still firmly in place, but Nora caught a hint of something softer in the woman’s pale blue eyes.
“I guess because everybody deserves a chance to save the people they love.”
