Page 56 of Shadow Queen
“No, I suppose that’s what family’s for.”
Again, his words confused her. “What do you want?”
“Is it not obvious?” he sneered, walking toward her. “You.”
She bared her teeth. “Well, then, I’ll have to disappoint.”
He drew his sword as Norah stepped back, trying to devise a plan. She didn’t have a weapon, but there was the downed man’s dagger in her chamber. She spun and ran back toward the room, and he chased after her.
What had happened to her guard? She reached the chamber in only a few steps, but he was close behind. She tried to swing the door closed behind her, but he was already in the doorway. He bellowed as it caught his arm. Norah threw her weight behind it, but he surged forward, forcing her back. She lunged toward the dead man and pulled the dagger from him, then spun to face her attacker.
He swung his sword, and she jumped back. His blade caught the fabric of her gown and sliced it open. He swung again, high this time, and she ducked. It hit the post of the bed and lodged itself into the wood—a mistake. She jumped forward, slicing the dagger into his forearm. He released the hilt and staggered back, and she was ready. She jerked the sword free and advanced her attack. He wore no armor or leathers—cocky bastard—leaving his only defense to avoid her swings. She brought the sword down hard. He reached up to shield himself and the blade cut into his arm, partly severing it. He bellowed again as she whipped forward with the dagger in her other hand and plunged it into his gut. Then she arced the sword in a final blow, slicing open his neck. He fell back against the wall, spilling blood in fading pulses onto the stone floor.
Norah fled the chamber, trying to keep the fear from taking over. That had been close. Too close. It was by luck she had escaped them. They hadn’t known her skill with a blade, and she’d caught them by surprise. The dagger and the sword were sticky in her hands, but she clutched them tightly. She passed a side hall. And froze.
Titus lay crumpled on the floor.
“Titus!” she screamed as she ran to him. She dropped the blades and pulled his face to look at her. But he didn’t move. Norah let out a sob. “No! Titus!” she cried as she held his head.
She needed to find help. She stood shakily, grabbing her sword and dagger again, and using the wall for support as she staggered back into the main hall. She’d almost reached its end when two men turned the corner.More attackers. Where were they coming from? How were there so many? And where was her guard?
“You keep surprising me,” one sniggered at her, as if continuing the conversation.
“Who are you?” she screamed in rage.
“As I said, an old friend. But not a friendly one.”
Norah shook her head, trying to catch her breath through her tears and steady her mind. It was as if they were all the same man. And they were here to kill her.
The man to her left attacked first, cutting his sword upward. She jumped back and swung down, meeting it with her own. Then she turned and broke past, fleeing down the staircase. The men were fast, and one caught her at the bottom. She wrenched free but didn’t run again. She couldn’t escape them, and she clenched her blades as she faced them.
One of the men charged forward, and she turned just in time to escape his intent, but as he reeled past, it put her in between them. One chuckled, and they both backed up a couple of steps, giving space, taunting her.
Norah stood with her back toward the wall, looking left and right to keep her eyes on both. Panic threatened. Where was Bhastian? Sonal? Javed? Anyone? Was she all alone?
“Salara,” the man to her right taunted. “Not queen of Aleon. Even I didn’t realize the vision of you on the Shadow throne meant a marriage to the Shadow King.”
How did he know about the vision? And what did he care? “You’re from Aleon?” she asked between her teeth. “You’re here for revenge?”
“I’m most certainly here for revenge,” said the man to her left. “But I’m not from Aleon.”
She was confident now that only one man was speaking to her. “How are you doing that?”
“I have many talents,” the assassin replied, now speaking again through the man on her right.
He was playing with her. Her skin burned in anger, and she attacked, driving him backward with her sudden onslaught. He wasn’t quick enough, and she sliced her sword across his side. He fell to his knees, but it wasn’t a fatal wound. She spun to meet the second man, and their swords clanged as she was forced back, toward the dining hall.
“I was disappointed initially,” he said between strikes, “until I realized.” His eyes smiled. “I can break both the Shadow King and Alexander with the same blow.”
Withher.
Norah paused. No one called Mikael the Shadow King in Kharav. And no one called the lord justice Alexander. These weren’t men from Kharav. They weren’t from Aleon. And whoever was talking to her knew Alexander well enough to call him by his name.
“Why?” she asked. “Why have you come?”
“They’ll suffer, as I have suffered. Especially Alexander.” His wrap couldn’t hide the quaking breath of his anger. “Where is he? I want to see his pain. The pain he feels when he realizes he couldn’t save his queen. Just before he dies.”
Norah bared her teeth with an angry satisfaction. “You won’t find him here. He’s gone.” She smiled when she saw the rage flash in his eyes.
