Page 61 of Shadow Queen
“He didn’t know your justice had returned to the North.”
She paused. No, he hadn’t.
“And he underestimated you, like all other men,” he said softly. He pulled her close. “It’s he who should be afraid.”
Norah drew in a long breath and let it out slowly, nestling against Mikael and soaking in his warmth. But the feeling of safety still escaped her.
Morning brought the sun, and Norah rose without having slept. Vitalia entered and dressed her as Mikael pulled on his leathers. Norah watched her reflection in the mirror as Vitalia tied her lacings. She looked unwell. Dark circles pooled under her eyes, stark against her skin that seemed paler than normal.
“Do you want me to stay with you today?” Mikael asked her softly.
She shook her head. “No. You’ve got things to tend, and I’m well looked after. Go.”
He squeezed her hand and kissed her forehead.
Norah spent the day in the calm of her sanctuary, reading quietly with her maids and trying to settle herself. Kiran had taken Calla and Cohen to look after them and had started them on a training plan, easing at least one thing from her mind. Mikael checked in on her frequently, and she continued to remind him of the army that surrounded her. In the late afternoon, she tried to rest, but rest wouldn’t come. She didn’t feel like herself anymore—easily startled, anxious, uneasy.
She sat by the windowed doors to the balcony, drinking the tea that Vitalia had made, as the afternoon waned. A little brown bird landed on the railing, and she smiled. The bird looked at her, strangely interested, cocking its head back and forth.
Suddenly, her pulse quickened, and her smile fell.
On its head was a small smear of red. Blood.The same that had been on the assassins.
“Salara, are you all right?” Vitalia asked, seeming to notice a change.
“He’s watching me,” Norah breathed.
Vitalia looked out to the balcony and gave a small laugh. “He does seem to be fascinated by you. Cute little thing.”
“No,” Norah said, standing from her chair and stepping backward. “It’shim. He’s watching me!” She flung her cup against the window, shattering it and the pane of glass, and making the bird flutter off.
Hearing the commotion, Bhastian pushed open the door. “Salara, are you all right?”
“No!” she cried. “He’s here!”
Bhastian and three other soldiers swept inside, pushing the doors to the balcony open and looking around.
“Where did you see him? The man?” he asked.
“It wasn’t a man, it was a… a bird.” She knew her words sounded like lunacy as she said them.
“A bird?” Bhastian asked.
She shook her head, her eyes welling. “I swear. It’s him!”
Bhastian nodded. “Of course, Salara.”
But she could see the disbelief in his eyes. She clutched her skirts in her fist. “Leave me.”
Bhastian gave a reluctant bow. “We’ll walk the perimeter again,” he assured her, and then he and the other soldiers stepped out into the hall.
“Close the draperies,” she ordered Vitalia, and her maid quickly pulled the heavy fabrics closed. She sank into the chair in the corner and drew up a quilt around her. What was happening? She bit at her nails until they hurt. Was she losing her mind? Was she imagining it? No, it was real.Hewas real.
There was a knock on the door, and Soren stepped into the room without waiting for an answer. Norah bit her lip as she turned away. Of course he’d come. No doubt he took joy in seeing her weak and afraid. That’s what he relished.
Cusco and Cavaatsa trailed in after, following their master, but she didn’t object. She found comfort in the dogs now.
He glared at Vitalia. “Get out.”
