Page 50 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
Myra awkwardly set down the stack of plates and left the table.
Exiting the dining hall, she strolled through the hallways, her steps heavy as she made her way toward her room. She passed several staff members and warriors scurrying across the castle, their heads tilted together and their whispers a hiss in the air. In their wake, thick anxiety trailed after them.
Myra turned a corner and nearly yelped when she almost ran head-first into the librarian.
Eyes wide, Magnolia reached for the wall to steady herself. "Apologies, Myra. I should have been paying closer attention."
"No, no. I should have," Myra said with a soft smile. The curve of her lips twisted into a frown, though, as Magnoliatried to maneuver past her. She spun around, following her. "Is something going on?"
Magnolia halted. "You haven’t heard?"
"Heard what?"
"A borderland village was attacked."
"Attacked? By whom?" Myra asked, though she had a feeling she already knew the answer.
"Ardentol and Frenzia. The village was burned to the ground. The survivors are on their way here. The entire staff has been asked to pitch in to help prepare the castle for them."
Myra shifted on her feet. The start of a rash began to break out across her neck. "Is there…is there anything I can do?"
Magnolia shook her head. "No, but thank you. The best thing you can do right now is get some rest." She chewed her bottom lip, and fear spread across her countenance. "I…I fear this is only the beginning."
Chapter 22
KALLIE
Beyond the trees,thick, ominous clouds rolled above them. A storm was coming, and the last thing Kallie wanted was to be caught in it.
Wrinkling her nose, she asked, "Are you sure we can’t stay at an inn?"
"We’ve already passed the Borganian border," Ellie said, untying her bag from the grommet on the saddle. "If word has spread that Domitius is looking for you and Rian, then we need to stay away from anyone who might recognize you."
Kallie snorted. "I am not that recognizable."
"Shall we recount the number of times you have been paraded around in the past year alone?" Ellie threw her bag a few feet away from her and dug her fists into her hips. "First at that ostentatious ceremony in Ardentol, then during the week-long wedding extravaganza. Nearly half of Vaneria was invited to your wedding. Next to Rian’s, your face is one of the most recognizable faces in the seven kingdoms."
Kallie squeezed the bridge of her nose and groaned. She longed for a warm bed and a blazing hearth at her feet. She scanned the terrain. Only dirt, decaying vegetation, and variousunfamiliar trees surrounded them. She eyed a small bush. That had to be more comfortable than lying on the ground. It was somewhat pillow-shaped.
A pillow likely crawling with spiders and other insects.
Gods, she was losing her mind.
"So, no inns?"
Ellie tossed her hands up with a frustrated humph. "How daft are?—"
Kallie’s smile broke.
Ellie narrowed her eyes. "I hate you, you know."
Kallie chuckled. "So that’s the real reason you’re forcing me to sleep on the ground when a storm is coming." She grabbed her bag from Winter’s saddle. There had to have been something inside it she could use to shield herself once it started pouring.
"The trees will provide substantial coverage. And if your hair gets wet, so be it." Ellie flicked her ponytail behind her. "I don’t remember you being this annoying the last time we traveled together."
Kallie frowned. "I was unconscious almost the entire time."
Ellie snapped her fingers. "Ah, that’s right. You were much more tolerable that way. How long do you think it would take to send a messenger bird to Terin and see if he can join us? Or do you think he can work his magic through that dream state of his?"
