Page 61 of Queen of Serpents and Shadows

We turned to see Aspasia and Selena emerging from the stables.

“It is if you want to survive the upcoming attack,” Laera said.

Aspasia sighed dramatically. “Fine.”

“There’s a convergence point here with a shield stone. There’s another in the orchard. We need to turn them on,” I said. “Can you help?”

Aspasia slowly began to remove the bangles on her wrists. She held them out toward me. “Hold these. Gold isn’t the right conduit for this kind of magic.”

I took the jewelry and waited while she removed the heavy gold necklace at her throat. She handed it to me, then turned to her daughter. “Let’s get this over with. You interrupted my nap.”

Selena followed behind the queen, and Laera led them toward the stone. I watched as the three fae women formed a circle around the convergence point. They held hands, then all of them lowered their heads as if in prayer and closed their eyes.

They were silent. There was no chanting or dancing as we’d heard from the stories of how women sometimes used magic. But I knew they were using it. Goosebumps traveled up my arms and a chill ran down my spine. The air tasted like a storm and something seemed to buzz with energy all around me.

Wind whipped around us and all three women’s hair rose the way someone’s would when they were too close tolightning. I took a step back, heart racing. I was so close to it the hair on my arms stood on end.

The stone began to glow. Brilliant white light lit the rock until it was the same luminous quality as the stars in the sky. It flashed, the intense light making me close my eyes against the brightness. I could see the light through my eyelids, and then it faded.

Carefully, I opened my eyes and saw that the stone had taken on a warm golden glow. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining things or if I could actually feel the vibration of the stone from where I stood.

The women released each other’s hands and dropped their arms to their sides. “It appears to be working,” Aspasia commented.

“Thank you,” I said.

She smoothed down her hair, then did the same with her green peplos. “You’ll hold my jewelry until we ignite the second one.”

It wasn’t a question, it was a command. I bristled, resisting the urge to remind her that I was also a queen. Instead, I smiled sweetly. We needed her help. “Of course.”

“We’ll get the next one turned on and meet you back in the palace,” Laera offered. “Thebes has arrived.”

23

Cora

“You don’t haveto trust me,” I said, not hiding my frustration. “You can stay here and wait for the fae if you’d rather take your chances.”

“We already defeated the fae once. We’ll do it again,” the woman said through the crack in her door.

“That was a decoy. Don’t you understand? They’re going to return with their full forces.” I was getting tired of arguing with people who had no sense of survival. Sophia had much better luck than I had. Nearly everyone she’d encouraged to leave had packed their belongings onto their backs and headed toward the palace. Meanwhile, I’d been spit on twice and had a door slammed on my face.

“Fine. Stay here. I don’t care what you do.” I turned and marched to the next home, hoping I’d have better luck.

The door opened before I arrived, and a timid woman peered out. “Is it true? They’re evacuating to the palace?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “Please, please just go. Even if I’m wrong, the worst thing that happens is you go back home in a couple of days.”

“I have children,” she said.

“Bring them. And bring only what you can carry. There isn’t much space,” I replied.

“Alright. We just go to the palace grounds?”

“Yes, they’ll be waiting for you.” A knot in my chest loosened. Finally, someone was going to listen to me.

Suddenly, she let out a yelp and slammed the door on me. I jumped back in surprise, colliding with something behind me.

I spun quickly to find Bahar glaring down at me. “Why are you out here unaccompanied? Where are your guards?”

---