Page 31 of Crown of Briars
“Now?”Azure sounded uncertain.
I frowned. “Do you have something better to do?”
I could almost hear her rolling her eyes at me.“Are you sure wandering a bewitched castle in the middle of the night is wise? It might be better to wait until the daytime, when there are staff members about who can assist you. You are to be their queen, after all. It would not be suspicious if they saw you acquainting yourself with your new home.”
The idea of thrashing around in my bed for a few more hours was about as appealing as eating rocks. I couldn’t possibly sit here and do nothing all night. “Look, if you’re afraid of the dark, I can just go on my own.” I strode for the open door.
“You are impossible,”Azure said with a sigh.“I will be right there.”
Fighting back a smile at my small victory, I moved to the balcony doors and eased them open. The cool midnight air nipped at my arms, and I tugged my shawl more tightly aroundmyself. After a moment, the beating of wings reached my ears, and a dark shape loomed closer. Azure blended in so well with the midnight sky that I couldn’t fully see her until she was right in front of me. Her blue scales could lighten or darken depending on her surroundings, allowing her the benefit of camouflaging her appearance. However, she could not change color; if she was surrounded by desert sand, even if she appeared the palest of blues, she would still be visible.
Azure gracefully landed on the concrete balcony before me, her icy blue eyes appraising me. She looked me up and down, as if assessing for injuries.
“I’m fine,” I assured her.
“You look paler than normal,”she observed. Her tone was sincere, as if she were genuinely concerned instead of poking fun at me.
“I’mfine,” I insisted. “Have you uncovered anything useful about the magic here?”
“Only that it’s inconsistent. It feels like the rules of the magic are fluctuating. It’s hard to keep up.”
“How so?”
“The Umbra Mist keeps changing. Sometimes it is thick and powerful; other times it is thin and feeble. I have been watching the guardsmen and how they react to it. When it is thin, they arm themselves and draw closer to the keep. The outer shadows are poisonous, from what I can gather. That’s what they are afraid of. The Umbra Mist keeps those shadows at bay, but not all the time.”
My brow furrowed. “Why are they afraid of their own shadows?”
“Perhaps they are not immune to them.”
“But they come from their king!” I argued. “Do you think he is intentionally trying to frighten his people? Or has his magic become so volatile that he has no control over it?”
“I don’t know.”
I turned toward the balcony doors. “Well, come on, then. Let’s see how much of this castle we can uncover.”
“I hardly think a creature of my size will be able to sneak around this place easily.”
I glanced at her over my shoulder, arching an eyebrow. “Have you seen this place? It’s enormous. They are clearly catering to the largest of unseelie beasts. Besides, it’s very poorly lit. Just darken your scales a bit, and you’ll be fine.”
Azure huffed loudly.“You humans are so impatient.”But she lumbered forward, her talons clicking along the stone floor. I had to push open both doors to let her into my room. She was right; she was rather large, easily taking up half the space of my bedchamber. However, because she had just flown in, her wings were half out. With them folded against her back, I was confident she would be able to fit in the hall. I once poked fun at her rather serpentine shape when her wings were completely tucked in; her body appeared much longer and narrower that way, like a snake’s.
I hastily belted the jeweled dagger on my waist. It felt silly to wear it over my loose nightgown, but I didn’t care. My fingers itched to wrap around the hilt, just to feel the effects of the diamonds once again. Already, I felt more secure. More comfortable.
Azure’s eyes roved over me, and she made a low, throaty sound.
When I touched the amber stone, she said,“You look ridiculous.”
“I don’t care. I’m armed, so I already feel safer.”
I inched closer to my bedroom door, which was slightly ajar, and pressed my ear to the gap to determine if anyone was in the hall.
Nothing but silence.
I looked back at Azure. “Follow me,” I whispered. “And tell me if you sense any fae magic nearby.”
“You mean besides your own?”Azure asked jokingly.
“Very funny,” I muttered. With a deep breath, I inched the door open all the way and crept into the hall.
