Page 12 of Shadow Queen
“You’re forbidden,” he answered angrily. “Leave this place.”
She pulled back the hood of her cloak. “I’m salara,” she said firmly. “I’ll leave after I speak to the seer.”
“You’ll leave now,” he answered.
Norah bit the inside of her lip. She really had imagined this differently.
The guard pulled up his bladed staff. “Do not make me remove you.”
Barbs of anger prickled along her back. “You can try,” she challenged as she pulled her sword from its scabbard. Then she cursed herself—probably not the wisest reply, as she was pretty sure hecouldremove her.Easily.
Cohen stepped forward with his own blade in hand.
The guard started toward them, and she cursed again under her breath. She had hoped for a more tactful approach, but she wasn’t faring well.
The guard rushed Cohen with an overhand swing, and for a moment, fear flashed through her. The guard was twice as large as Cohen and surely doubly as skilled. But the boy used the arc of the guard’s swing to his advantage, stepping left and delivering a blow that steered the man’s momentum to the side. Cohen spun and swung outward in a move that hooked the guard’s helm and flung it from his head. Then he lunged, whipping up his elbow and catching the man under his chin. The guard dropped to the floor.
Norah stood, shocked at the extraordinarily short fight she just witnessed. Then her eyes narrowed at the young man. “Cohen, I don’t think you’ve been entirely honest with me.”
He gave a sheepish smile.
Footsteps sounded behind her, and she turned to see three more guards running their way.Great. Norah readied her own sword. She glanced at Cohen, and he nodded.
Norah clenched the handle of her sword, calling to it, and it answered with familiarity. The first guard thrust his staff forward, and she spun along it, bringing her blade down and cleaving it in two. He tumbled forward, off balance, and she sliced her blade into his thigh. Not bad, she pepped herself.
Norah met another guard with a counter swing as he lunged at her. The sound of steel rang in the air. To her left, she heard Cohen’s sword working, but she couldn’t peel her eyes to look. The temple guard lunged forward again. She swept up her sword to respond, but the power of his strikes beat her back. She wavered. He was too close. Dangerously close. Mikael’s words came back to her. Her strength was speed, and she needed to protect it with distance. But she had no distance. She stumbled backward, but the temple wall stopped her retreat. The guard grabbed her sword arm. She tried to push him off, but she wasn’t strong enough.
It had been a terrible idea to come here.
Just then, the guard’s head bounced forward from a blow from behind. He released her and crumpled to the ground. Behind him stood Cohen.
Norah’s eyes darted around the hall. There were more than four wounded guards that lay on the ground. She hadn’t even realized two more had come. And Cohen had managed them.
She feigned a scowl. “Now that’s just bragging.”
The corner of his mouth turned up, but it was too early to celebrate a victory. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall.
When they rounded another corner, they skidded to a stop.
In front of them stood more guards, twenty at least. Footsteps rang behind them, and Norah jerked her head to see more. A lot more.
Her spark of hope was quickly snuffed. There were too many guards, even with Cohen’s skill. This was definitely a terrible idea. Now they were caught. She was caught. No doubt she’d be in Captain Artem’s hands again by nightfall, with nothing to show for it. In fact, she’d be in a more precarious situation than before.
Her heart hurt. She’d gotten Cohen into quite a mess, and Calla too. She wondered where the girl was. She couldn’t let them get hurt. They had only been helping her.
The guards closed in around them, and Norah reached back and clasped Cohen’s arm, stilling him.
It was over.
“Let them be,” a voice called, bringing them all to a pause.
Norah jerked her head to see from where it came. The guards parted, and an elderly man walked through. “It’s not very often I’m surprised,” he told her.
Norah looked at the guards. They reluctantly withdrew a few paces but watched her closely. She turned back to the man. “You’re the seer?”
He gave a single nod. Calla had been right, hewasold. He wore a simple brown robe, modest and unpretentious, not at all what she had imagined of the head of a highly guarded temple. His head was shaved bare, or perhaps he grew no hair, but his white beard hung long and straight.
“I’m sorry,” she started. “I don’t mean to intrude… or cause such a mess… but it’s very important I speak with you.” She needed to see these visions he’d shown Mikael. Maybe she could make better sense of them. And if he could unlock her memories…
