Page 25 of A Court So Dark
“I know where King Kalyll is,” she said, turning her full attention to Jeondar, the highest ranking of all of us.
“Where?” the Summer Prince demanded.
“He is in Nerethien.”
Jeondar narrowed his eyes.
I shook my head. “No, he’s not there.”
Shadow turned her face in my direction, her movements slow and calculated. A shiver went across my back, and a slash of fear stabbed my gut. It was ridiculous. How could I feel afraid of someone so tiny? And yet, I did. Some instinct told me this was the kind of person with whom you needed to tread carefully.
“My source is trustworthy. King Kalyll is in Nerethien,” she reiterated.
“I don’t know who provided your information,” Kryn stepped forward and placed his closed fists on his hips, “but ours comes from the Envoy.”
Shadow scoffed. “That trickster? Then I know for a fact you are mistaken.”
“I’m sorry, Shadow,” Arabis said, “but we have all visited the Envoy and received accurate information, including the king.”
“That may be so, but you cannot deny that she isn’t necessarily forthcoming. The King is being held in Highmire at this very moment. We shouldn’t waste time. We should make plans to go immediately.”
“We, huh?” Kryn said. “And how do we know we can trust you?”
“I was loyal to Queen Eithne for a long time. How can you doubt me?” Shadow sounded injured at the suggestion that she was being anything but honest and loyal to the crown.
“Queen Eithne wasn’t exactly a bastion of virtue,” Kryn said.
One moment Shadow was hovering in midair and the next she was rocketing toward Kryn’s face. A sharp spear appearing in her hands, which she aimed directly at one of his eyeballs.
A collective gasp swept through the chamber. Arabis opened her mouth surely to issue a Susurro command, but Shadow was too fast, even faster than Kryn who had started drawing a dagger from his belt at the same time as he tried to duck.
To everyone’s surprise, it was only Larina who was able to match Shadow’s speed, and it was her magic that made the sprite’s spear vanish and saved Kryn from ending up looking like a pirate for the rest of his life.
Somehow, Shadow put the brakes on her plummeting advance and stopped mere inches from smashing into Kryn’s nose. She stared at her empty hands for an instant, then flashed in Larina’s direction barely avoiding a slash of Kryn’s dagger, who seemed ready to murder her for daring to attack him.
“How dare you, pixie?” Shadow demanded, flying toward Larina. “Give it back.”
It might not have been the best idea, but I took a step sideways and blocked Shadow’s path. I braced for a collision, but her control was amazing. She stopped on a dime, or more likely an atom. Veering left, she tried to bypass me. I lifted my hands and waved them around. She pivoted from side to side, trying to get to the pixie, but there was no way I would let her hurt my friend.
“Stop, Shadow,” I commanded in an authoritative tone that surprised me.
The sprite literally froze in midair as if by some sort of magical spell. I blinked up at her, wondering if Larina had done that, but then I noticed Shadow’s stern expression.
“Thank you,” I said.
Shadow frowned at my words of gratitude.
What now? What would a queen do? Okay, Kryn had insulted her, so diplomacy was needed.
“Um… Kryn didn’t mean to doubt you, Shadow,” I said.
“The hell I didn’t,” he growled, dagger still in hand.
I shot a loaded glance in his direction.
He seemed ready to argue but must’ve thought better of it because he pressed his lips into a tight line and batted a hand as if to dismiss the entire situation.
“He needs to apologize,” Shadow said.
