Page 58 of Shadow Queen
“Are you hurt?” he asked her. Perhaps that was what he had asked her before.
Slowly, she shook her head, and he pulled her close to him again. They stood for a moment. Then Mikael pushed her back and made her meet his eyes. “You used the dogs?” he asked. “They could have killed you.”
“Cusco and Cavaatsa would never harm Salara,” Soren told him.
“I was already dead,” she said as her voice came back to her. “They were all I had left.” Her eyes welled again as a sob escaped her. “Titus,” she said as the tears started again.
Mikael gave a sorrowful nod. “I saw.”
“Sonal and Javed too,” Soren said quietly. “They were on guard this morning. And likely a number of others, given that these halls are empty.”
A wave of panic hit Norah. “Where’s Vitalia? Serene? And Calla and Cohen?” If anything had happened to them…
“The girl and the mute were outside when we returned this morning,” Soren told her. “They’re fine.”
A painful breath of relief escaped her. They were in her care, and her stomach roiled thinking of what could have happened. But she still didn’t know how Vitalia and Serene fared. Had they been in the castle?
“We’ll find your maids,” Mikael promised. “First, let’s get you to the sanctuary.”
“No.” She shook her head, letting her hand find Cusco by her side. “I want to stay here.” She’d previously thought Soren’s chamber was the darkest place in the castle, a place to be feared—the most dangerous place. Instead, she found it was dangerous for those against her. She couldn’t leave. Not yet. “Please, just find them. Vitalia and Serene. Find them.”
“I’ll return with more of the Crest,” Soren told Mikael. “Stay here with Salara until then.”
Mikael brushed Norah’s cheek. He paused, looking at the bodies. “Please. Salara, let me take you away from this.”
But she shook her head again. “No. I want to stay here.” She felt safe here. And she needed to feel safe.
Mikael nodded. He pulled Norah close once more and kissed the top of her head.
Cusco sat at her feet. The animal’s shoulder was warm against her thigh. Norah dropped her hand back to his head, finding comfort in the fanged beasts—Soren’s hunters of men.
Chapter seventeen
DespiteMikael’sattemptstoget her to go to her sanctuary and away from the bloody room, Norah didn’t want to move. She’d found the place where she could let her mind come back to her, let herself settle, and she wanted to stay as long as she could.
Within moments, Soren had summoned an army to his chamber—the remainder of the Crest who had been on duty, and those off, as well as others. Norah was relieved to see Bhastian was all right.
With an army now by her side, surrounded by those she trusted, she felt her courage start to return. She managed to convince Mikael she was all right and that he should go see what Soren had found out. The Crest cleared the assassin’s bodies from the room, but blood still smeared the floor. She didn’t mind. She needed to see their blood.
They’d been here to kill her. No—notthey.
He. One man.
He’d been here to kill her. But who washe? This man scared her. More than any other.
A woman’s voice caught her ear. “Let me through!”
“Vitalia!” Norah cried, and she stumbled to her feet from where she sat in the side chair. Bhastian pulled the door open for her, and her maid ran to her, throwing her arms around her.
“I was so worried for you,” Vitalia breathed. “Are you all right?”
Serene was right behind her, and Norah pulled her close too. “I’m so glad you’re safe!”
“We were at the seamstress’s this morning,” Vitalia explained. “When we returned, the castle was in chaos. The lord commander found us, told us that you’d been attacked, but you were safe.”
“We’ve taken Calla and Cohen back to their chamber, until things are settled,” Serene added.
Norah clung to her maids’ hands, thankful those she cared about were unharmed. Well, not all of them. Her eyes welled as she looked at Serene. “Titus” was all she could manage to say.
