Page 115 of The Court of Secrets
Florence exhaled shakily. “He’s gone, but it’s more than that, Winter.” Her eyes glossed over as she trickled her gaze over me, searching my expression. “Half the court went to the river and—” She teetered on the edge of words.
Adius blew out a tense breath and continued her sentence. “They died.”
I shook my head twice and blinked disbelief. “They died?” I must have heard him wrong.
“There was a man there, and he killed them all. He had powers unlike anyone has ever seen.”
My stomach knotted. I knew exactly who it was.
Florence sighed, tight-lipped. “Many are saying you sent them to their deaths on purpose.”
“I would never.”
“We know you wouldn’t,” she said, interrupting. “But rumors are dangerous, especially now. Truths are emerging.”
I pressed my hands together, pressing the point of my fingers against my lips. “Where’s Nissa?”
“She’s on her way. People have lost all civility in the castle. It’s why we took so long to get here. Some are out for blood. Accusations are flying left, right, and center. There are many who believe you too, but the divide between them and those who believe it heresy is deep, and they’re not afraid to kill for what they believe in.”
“I need to find Morgana.”
“She’s gone,” Adius said. “We already went to find her. She wasn’t in her tower room, and no one’s seen her. Your mother, however, was let out, and she fled from the castle.”
Panic raced my heart to dangerous speeds.
“Many are using more magic than before,” Adius said. “The ones who are on your side are weakened against the other side who will use their staffs. Some are still trying to get to the river to see for themselves, and the figure who was responsible, we are told, is still there.”
I couldn’t have more of my people die, either by one side’s staffs or at the necromancer’s hand. There was only one way to end everything, but it would most likely kill me.
Florence interrupted my thoughts. “If it’s any help, we received word that King Blaise is on his way.”
I kept my next thought to myself. At least he would come in time to bury me. I was responsible for the necromancer being there, and it was my duty to save the kingdom, at any cost. It was my birthright, and suddenly the sacrifice of being queen was real. “Florence, bring me clothes I can maneuver in better. In Morgana’s tower room, there should be a Sword and Dagger… or one.” I wondered if she might have taken them, but just in case she hadn’t, I needed Florence to look. “Check there and bring them to me. We’re going to the forest.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
The Sword of Iimpervius remained in my scabbard on my belt, but the Dagger was missing. Morgana must’ve taken it. Florence had told me how the tower room was covered in pages torn from spell books with scrawled notes about tethers between realms, and the entire place looked as if it had been turned upside down. At first, I worried she’d been kidnapped, but when I learned the Dagger and her staff were missing, I figured she’d probably gone to try and get rid of our problem herself. It was a very Morgana thing to do.
Nissa, Florence, and Adius hurried with me under the cover of darkness. We emerged from the secret tunnel. I gripped a stone and it wobbled under my touch as I breathed in the crisp air. The crescent moon cast shadows under its pale-yellow glow.
“We’ve kept most of the population away from the forest,” Adius said. He’d been approached by my general before we left for the forest and the river within. They’d shared whispers, but I hadn’t heard what they’d said. “Most of the lords’ men who’d gone to protect the forest are dead. The blast from the man inside those trees killed them as well as others, according to General Killian.”
“There are bodies everywhere. I’m not sure how we will get close to the river if the others couldn’t.”
The stables came into view. Neighs and whinnies escaped the stalls. The smell of dung pinched my nostrils, watering my eyes. I glanced at Adius, who held the hilt of the sword he only used during battle. His eyes were focused, his stance poised to attack. His eyes flicked left to right as we walked. He remained one step behind Florence and me. Nissa moved up beside him, struggling to match our pace.
“We should head through here.” I pointed toward the entrance of the west point of the forest. It was known for the occasional anumi attack, but it would mean we’d get the jump on the necromancer if he was expecting people to keep going through the entrance, where the fences met with Keep Out signs to the sacred part of the forest. The bloodworms were another reason people avoided this part of the forest. The one square mile radius was ripe with them.
Nissa scoffed a laugh, pausing in front of the tree line. “I’m not going in there.”
Florence rolled her eyes. “The last anumi attack was, like, two years ago, Nissa. We’ll be fine. We have the same likeliness as coming across one as we do if we go the other way. At least this way we’ll be away from the rest of the lunas.”
Nissa clicked her tongue. “Thanks, Florence.” She exhaled an annoyed grunt. “I’m more concerned about the bloodworms.”
Florence’s eyebrows raised halfway up her forehead. “This is where they are?”
Nissa nodded, and I sighed exasperation. “I can go alone. This is the only way to stay hidden. You all don’t need to.”
Adius pulled his sword from his scabbard and held it pointed upward at his side. “I’m not letting you go in there alone, Your Majesty.”
