Excerpt of Shadow Queen
“My Grace, we the
nobles of Alainia feel that the city was not meant to be used in such a way.
When we lose this war—”
“—If we lose this war,” she said, her
voice pouring over them like deep ocean water, sending the blood rushing from
their faces. “We will not let failure be a possibility. Do you have such little
faith in my decisions as queen?”
Lord Belios
snapped his mouth shut, his eyes drifting from Anya’s icy gaze
“May I remind you,
all of you,” she said, her black eyes
gazing into each of the cowering Lord and Lady’s faces, “that I am your ruler
by birthright. You may think you are entitled to these blasphemous opinions,
but let me assure you that such words uttered in my presence again will result
in your death.”
Anya stood,
spilling the red silk of her dress onto the white stone floor. “Now is the time
for conquest. We have cowered from the world for far too long.” Her face
softened into a frosty smile. “Trust in
your queen.”
The crowd of
nobility parted, bowing frantically, as she passed through to slip into the
royal chambers. The heavy door slammed behind her, leaving her to breathe easy
in the peaceful darkness.
“You’re getting
quite good at that,” said Luthen, embracing her in the shadows, letting them melting
together like the pooling of wax beneath a blazing candle.
“I have a good
teacher,” she said, searching for his teasing lips.
Luthen pulled
back, teasing her with his closeness. “Ah, no, first you must do something for
me,” he said. She could feel him smiling in the darkness.
“Must I always
bargain for a kiss?”
Luthen took her
hand and led her to the corridor. She knew where they were going before he
reached the secret door hidden behind the fading tapestry of an autumn forest.
She followed him
down the familiar spiraling stone steps into the belly of the palace. The blue
warmth of the Anvalin peeked into the stairwell as they reached the bottom.
They emerged into the large chamber. In its center was the Anvalin, a massive
blue crystal suspended a short distance from the black iron floor. Tall windows
lined the walls, exposing the world that lay beneath Alainia.
“What is it you
wish me to do?” Anya pulled up her red skirts away from the dusty floor. The
old iron had a way of ruining the best of her silks.
“Nothing out of
the ordinary,” he said, brushing her hair from her face. “I just need us to
change our course. I have something in mind for the southern part of our
realm.”
“Is that all?” She
laughed a cold and hollow sound. It
echoed in the Anvalin’s iron cage. She stepped forward to the crystal, feeling the
vibrations of its power in her chest. She closed her eyes and reached out her
hand. Touching the Anvalin was like dipping her hand into hot water, though it
was not quite to the point of being unbearable.
Immediately, the
crystal came alive in her mind. She fought back its urging to communicate,
dominating it to do her will. The Anvalin cowered and obeyed, shifting the city
beneath their feet.
“Much better,”
said Luthen, gazing out the window, admiring his own work.
“Where exactly are
we headed?” Anya pulled herself away from the crystal, shaking off its
unnatural warmth.
Luthen laughed,
gathering her into his arms. “We’re off to better and grander places, my love,”
he said, his breath tickling her neck. “Now come, we have much to do.”
About the Author
B.R. Nicholson has been writing and illustrating her stories since she was a child. The Shadows of Time series began one night when she was fifteen. Bored and with a bed stacked high with books, she decided to fill a notebook with what would become the first draft of Shadow Maiden. B.R. Nicholson is currently a nursing student at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. She enjoys learning about Appalachian folklore, prodding at scabs, and creating far away worlds.
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