Page 65 of Shadow Queen
Tahla let her lips graze his cheek as she pulled away, and she rose from the bed and straightened her clothing. “Goodbye, Northman,” she said, and with one last smile, she disappeared into the morning.
Chapter nineteen
Norahstoodonthewall, looking out across the city to the north. Despite the chill, the sun was warm on her face, and the wind lifted her hair like a flickering flame behind her. Spring was almost upon them. It had already arrived in the valley, and crops were abundant. Shipments of food had been sent to Mercia.
Caspian had returned weeks ago and, to her shock and complete joy, was appointed captain of the Crest. Of course the commander denied his hand in it, but Mikael had shifted Crest responsibilities underneath the commander after Artem’s death. Kiran had rejoined the guard as well, after he was given proper exception papers. Titus, although still recovering, had taken over Calla and Cohen’s training. Norah still needed to figure out something long term for them after Titus was able to rejoin the guard, but it was working well, and the sibling pair were making progress. Things almost felt complete.Almost.
She should be happy, but she wasn’t. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was still afraid. It had been over a month since the assassins had come, and still she was no nearer to understanding who wanted to kill her, or why. Her stomach twisted in thinking how close they’d come. How had men gotten through the Canyonlands and into the castle, especially so many of them? Caspian wanted to send for more Northmen, but that wasn’t the answer.
Cusco sat beside her and nudged her leg for attention. She smiled and dropped a hand to the large dog’s head. It hadn’t been long since the commander had given her the animals, but she’d become quite attached to them. Cusco was always near, always seeking attention from her. Cavaatsa stayed to herself, just out of reach, avoiding touch, but she trailed Norah wherever she went and slept at the foot of the bed.
Norah looked across the horizon, to the north sky—her home sky. Alexander had gone back to Mercia, back to what felt like the other side of the world. But the emptiness hadn’t stayed empty. The pain hadn’t been quite as sharp as she’d once thought it would be without him. Yes, she loved Alexander, but in her heart there now stood another.
Mikael. This man, opposite of everything she thought she stood for, confounded her. Yet he brought a level of clarity she failed to find anywhere else. Her memories still eluded her, but with him, she felt… herself. Free to be herself, whoever she wanted that to be.
Still, she found her mind wandering back to Alexander. Especially on days with clear blue skies, like today, while she stood on the balcony looking northward, as she was now. As if her thoughts were playing tricks on her mind, she could almost see the Mercian army on the horizon—as if he were returning to her. She gave a sad smile. They were only tricks.
Then she stopped.
Her heart beat faster.
Therewasmovement on the horizon. It wasn’t real, she told herself.
The horn of arrival startled her, and she leaned forward, gripping the wall tightly. Her heart thrummed in her ears as she squinted against the light to see. It was an army unit, and against the sky,the Mercian flag. She knew it was Alexander. Happiness mixed with dismay, and a cry rose in her throat.
Norah caught a sound behind her and turned to see Mikael. She sucked in a breath and looked back out at the approaching army. If Alexander had returned, how would Mikael react? Certainly not well.
The power of his body came behind her, and his arm curved around the front of her shoulders. He spread his hand wide over her chest, running it up to the base of her neck, and he pulled her firmly back against him. He saw them too. She struggled to calm her breath. Surely he could feel her heart racing. Norah closed her eyes as the possessiveness rippled through him.
He dropped his head beside hers, drew a deep inhale, and let it out slowly. She didn’t move. The heat of his anger singed her ear, and she braced for the storm to come.
But he only whispered, “Go.” She turned in surprise. Did he know Alexander would be with them? His eyes brimmed with darkness, and the muscle underneath his skin tremored with restraint. Of course he knew. “Go meet them,” he said, and he nodded.
He knew. And he told her to go. She cupped his face in her hands, pulling him down, and kissed him. Deeply. Then she gave him a reassuring smile and gathered her skirts as she hurried down to the courtyard.
The size of the arriving Mercian army was a significant one. Soldiers parted the way for her, and she greeted them hurriedly as she sought out Alexander. But in the sea of men, she couldn’t find him. Where was he? A weight pulled her heart to her stomach. Had he not come? She’d ordered him back to the North; perhaps he’d stayed.
As he should have.
It was better this way, she told herself, and she stowed her disappointment. She wanted him to have stayed; she needed him to have stayed and to not have her heart wishing him back at every turn. She loved Mikael. Things had changed.She’dchanged.
Then she heard her name.
“Norah.”
She spun to see him walking toward her, and her breath seized on her lips. Alexander pulled off his helm, and the sun caught the gold in his hair. And suddenly she was afraid that nothing had changed at all.
He stopped when he reached her, his blue eyes sparkling. The corners of his mouth turned up. “Hello, Norah.”
She couldn’t stop the rush of happiness to see him, and she threw her arms around him. To have him back, to have him near, to be able to see him and touch him. The return of something lost, ofsomeonelost.
They stood in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by her arriving Northmen.
And then she remembered herself, remembered Mikael on the wall, and she pulled back. A sudden flash of anger twisted inside her as a pain needled into her heart. “You shouldn’t have come back.” She needed him to not have come back.
“I had to as soon as I heard of the attempt on your life.” He stepped closer, and she couldn’t breathe. “It’s the second time, Norah. I couldn’t not come.”
She couldn’t have this argument with him now. She stepped back to put some space between them. “You brought all of Mercia with you, I see.” She struggled to get ahold of her mind as she swept her eyes around them. This was the most Northmen that had ever come to Kharav.
