Page 11 of Shadow Queen
He dropped his hand to the thick neck of the beast, patting it underneath the silk of its white mane to settle it, or maybe to settle himself. It had been a difficult journey to Aleon, in more ways than one, and while he wasn’t eager to return to the Shadowlands, he was eager to return to Norah. He ignored the beauty of Aleon’s capital city, Valour, with its manicured gardens and fountains that wound through the silver-stone structures that seemed to reach to the sky, its patinaed domes that covered the hills in additional layers of green. None of it mattered.
What mattered was that Norah would be safe here.
And out of the clutches of their enemy.
He urged his mount down the mainway, under the blue banners of the lion. Once past the front gates and posted city guard, he turned and headed south, back to the Shadowlands.
Alexander hadn’t wanted to come to Aleon, but the council’s task had been clear, and one he couldn’t refuse. Not just because of the council’s authority. He knew he had to come.
Norah wanted peace so badly—enough to sacrifice herself for it. But he wouldn’t let her. It was only a matter of time before the alliance fell apart, and he wouldn’t let her fall with it. It wasn’t easy choosing between what she wanted and what she needed, what was best for her and what was best for Mercia. But he’d made a vow. He’d sworn himself. And more than that—he loved her, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her, nothing he wouldn’t give, even if it broke him. It was already breaking him, over and over again, as Norah was taken from him. He’d lost her, and he kept losing her. Over and over again.
He would bear it, and continue to bear it, so long as she was safe.
But she wasn’t safe now. He cast a last look over his shoulder at the Aleon capital as he rode out. He would do what he had to. No matter the cost.
Chapter five
Thejourneywaslongbut relatively peaceful, save for Calla’s continuous conversation. Norah didn’t mind. She found herself growing quite fond of the girl, who was confident, proud, and fiercely loyal. She noticed Cohen’s smile as he watched his sister talk, and his admiration for her.
By the end of the day, Odepeth loomed into view. The city stood like an ancient oasis, a stark contrast to the barren high desert around it. Stacked stone formed the foundations, but it wasn’t dark like Ashan, Kharav’s capital city. It was bright, golden even, and it glistened in the sun. Not at all like she’d expected.
Calla pointed to the temple in the center. “That’s where the seer is.”
Norah frowned. “That’s it? He just spends his days in the center of a small city in the middle of nowhere?”
Calla shrugged. “Pretty much. How are you going to get in? Only Kharavian royal blood may enter the temple.”
“Well…” She hadn’t thought it through entirely. “I was just going to walk in.”
For once, the girl was speechless.
“What does the seer look like?” Norah asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him.” Calla wrinkled her face. “Old, I bet. What are you going to do about the guards? They won’t let you in, even if they know you’re salara.”
Norah puffed a breath through her lips. She really should have thought this through. “What do you propose?”
Calla was silent for a moment. “I can distract them in the front by trying to enter there. I’m good at making a spectacle.” She grinned mischievously. “And you and Cohen can slip inside from the back. But I’ve never been inside, so I can’t tell you what you’ll find there. More guards, likely.”
Norah moved her hand to the hilt of the sword at her side. She was thankful that Hamed had lent it to her. She looked at Cohen. “How good are you with a sword? Really?”
He shrugged and gave a flat wave of his hand.
That wasn’t comforting. And she wasn’t entirely sure how goodshewas with a sword. She supposed she’d find out on both accounts.
They left their horses in an inconspicuous hitching area. Norah worried the mare might draw attention, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. It wasn’t easy to hide a horse. They split up, Calla curving around and making her way through the streets to the temple from the front, and Norah and Cohen approaching from the back. Although small, the city was dense, with the buildings mostly connected to one another. The structural faces of the houses varied, making it easy for Norah and Cohen to slip stealthily from corner to corner. They reached the point where the structures ended, and a long sweep of stairs started to the temple. Two guards stood at the top. Norah looked at Cohen from his hiding place across the walk, and they waited.
True to Calla’s plan, her exaggerated attempted entry from the front of the temple pulled the attention of even the rear guards, and they left their posts to aid their fellow guardsmen. Norah and Cohen moved quickly, racing to the top of the stairs. They paused outside a set of large double doors.
Norah struggled to listen over the pulse of her heart pounding in her ears. This was it. She had risked a lot to come here. And what if they couldn’t find the seer? What if the seer refused to see her? Worse, what if she was caught and turned back over to Artem and the Crest?
Cohen put his hand on her arm. While he was deaf, he seemed toseeeverything. He gave her an encouraging nod. He wasn’t asking her if she was all right—he was telling her. All without words. And her strength returned.
They pulled open one of the oaken doors and slipped inside, finding themselves in a hall that ran along the perimeter of the temple’s base. High arches made up the inside wall that opened to a large center, filled with delicately carved stone pillars. Norah followed it around, with Cohen close beside her.
The temple seemed empty. They turned a corner, and a man surprised them. A guard. He wore a crimson robe and was armed with a bladed staff. “Halt,” he said to them.
“I’ve come to speak to the seer,” she told him, as confidently as she could muster.
