Page 47 of Shadow Kissed
“He died?” I repeat, shocked.
Orna nods. “I don’t know what happened. All our carers told us was that he had died of a sudden illness. They said the queen didn’t visit after that for at least a year. I think she found it too hard to be around children whilst grieving for one of her own.” Orna wipes a solitary tear from her eye. “Anyway, enough talking! I need to get on with my chores and you need to get down for breakfast before the mistress comes to find you!”
I nod my head, pulling myself from my confused thoughts. Everything Mother had told me of their kind was to do with how evil they were, and how they would take Asen children as slaves to serve them. My mother’s eyes would fill with fear whenever I even mentioned any of the stories about the Shadow Borne and she would tell me to stop asking questions about them and change the subject.
I rush downstairs, aware that I am late for breakfast. I pause outside the door to the dining room when I hear his dark and powerful voice. He’s here for breakfast. Annoyance and a hint of excitement knot in my stomach. It’s bad enough that I have to suffer his presence at night, but in the mornings as well! I’m not a morning person. Morning Eretreya is grumpy and doesn’t like to engage in conversation. I take a steadying breath and reach out to open the door. I yelp in surprise when it flings open and dark, willowy shadows creep from around the door.
“Are you planning to remain there all day, young lady?” Moryen barks from her seat at the head of the table without glancing my way. I roll my eyes and catch Raegal watching me with his head tilted and a curious smirk on his face.
“Good morning, Miss Lockwood,” he greets. The way he says my name has my toes curling.
“Is it?” I grumble as I stride into the room and take the seat beside Saveya. I sense Moryen’s critical eye on me. Nodoubt she’s internally criticising my posture and unladylike demeanour.
“Did you sleep well?” Saveya asks me, and I don’t miss how the commander waits with interest for my answer.
I force a smile at my friend. It is impossible to be mean to Saveya. She is just too sweet. “How did I sleep?” I repeat her question. “I had a fitful night's sleep. I kept imagining there was an evil and uninvited presence in my room watching me sleep.”
Saveya’s smile drops and she shivers, wrapping her arms around herself. “That doesn’t sound pleasant. Perhaps you’ve been reading too many of those monster romances you like.”
I almost choke on my juice, some of it spurting out onto the table cover. Moryen glares at me. She looks like she’s envisaging throttling me.
“Mother Goddess, help me! Your table manners leave a lot to be desired, young lady!”
“Monster romances?” Raegal asks, his tone dripping with amusement. “Tell me more. I am intrigued.”
“Oh, you know,” Saveya says. “Monstrous beings that rescue the damsel in distress. Only the damsel falls for them, seeing their true character rather than being afraid of them. I prefer my heroes with less horns and claws, but Reya here devours those books like sweets. Ow!” Saveya shouts out when I kick her under the table.
“You find monsters attractive, Eretreya?”
Why does my name on his lips sound like a soft caress? I shake my head, snapping myself right away from that thought. Nope! I am not attracted to him. Not one ounce.
Frowning, I glance across the table and meet his eyes and sure enough, that amused smirk is gracing his handsome face. I mean his plain and uninteresting face! He is not attractive. Not at all.
I shrug my shoulders. “Depends on the monster. In the books, the monsters have suffered through no fault of their own, and have known prejudice because of how they were born, but they have redeemable qualities. The monsters I don’t find appealing are those that take and steal from others because they feel they have some God-given right to do so.”
Moryen grimaces. “I think I need to have a word with our librarian about the book choices in our library.”
I bite off a piece of toast as I continue to glare at the commander, who continues to smirk at me like he is enjoying every word of this topic of conversation.
A loud rap on the dining room doors pulls everyone’s attention. Moryen tells the visitor to enter, and a flustered shadow soldier enters the dining room.
“Lord Commander. I have an important message to deliver.” He glances towards where Saveya and I sit. “I would suggest this is not a conversation for delicate ears.”
I cannot hold in my snort of disagreement.Delicate ears!
Raegal gets to his feet, wiping his mouth with his napkin. The soldier glances toward Moryen. “The mistress may want to hear this as well, Commander.”
Raegal nods his head and pulls out Moryen’s chair for her to stand, then the two of them follow the anxious soldier from the room, firmly closing the doors behind them.
Saveya pulls her eyes from the closed doors and leans into me. “What do you suppose that’s all about?”
“Let’s find out,” I reply, jumping out of my seat to creep towards the closed doors. I hear Saveya whisper-hiss behind me not to pry, but seconds later she’s at my back, leaning in at the door to listen with me.
“I apologise for interrupting your breakfast, Commander, but captain Loring said I was to deliver the message at once,” the young soldier tells him.
We wait in anticipation.
“Blasted rebels!” Raegal curses. “They attacked the convoy of onyx last night. They destroyed all of it except for one carriage load.”