Page 20 of The Shadow Heir

“This is Nightsong, the palace of the Shadow King. Tell me your name.”

“Zara Valencia Calderon.”

“Nice to have met you, then.”

The servant turned and walked crisply down the windowless hall, but I planted my hands on my hips and called after him. “Malik. You are mortal. You serve this court, I presume?”

He turned and fixed a stony gaze on me.

“Shouldn’t you be telling me what I can do to survive here?” I asked. “Do you not care that they’re going to try to kill me?”

Malik’s eyes widened but the scowl on his face lessened a bit. After a brief pause, he said, “The other human servants here do not like the entertainers.” His gaze averted briefly. “The entertainers are treated…like kings compared to us.”

“But you just said the trials are designed to kill us. Not exactly kingly treatment.”

A slight pinching of his eyes hinted at an unspoken apology. “Indeed. I believe the animosity arises from jealousy on bothsides. The entertainers envy us our guaranteed safety. And we envy the way they treat you. I’m sure it delights the fae to no end that the mortals in their palace don’t get along. They want to watch us suffer, make no mistake. When they give you the fancy clothes and the good food and the lavish rooms, don’t let it get to you. They hate us.”

I nodded slowly. “I won’t forget.”

“Come, we have no time to stand here and chat. I am sorry, Miss Valencia,” he added.

“Where are you from?” I asked as I stepped after him. I wasn’t used to being calledmiss, though I’d heard foreigners in Leor use the term.

A more genuine smile ghosted over his mouth. “You are Avencian?” At my nod, he added, “I am from Votna. Though it has been many years since I left.”

My eyes widened. “I’ve never met anyone from that far east. Your Avencian is perfect.”

He waved away my enthusiasm. “It’s the language we all speak here. The fae are the ones who brought this language to your lands, did you know that?”

I shook my head. I was quickly realizing there was much I didn’t know.

Malik continued, “You’ll meet many people here. The Shadow lords and ladies travel far and wide to wreak havoc on mankind.”

At those happy words, he led me farther into the palace, which with its lack of windows and cold stone walls felt eerily like it was underground. As we moved through the darkness, white flames leaped to life in sconces along the wall. We traveled up another flight of wide stone steps, to an atrium of sorts that ended in a pair of massive wooden doors braced with ironwork. The ceiling soared over my head, and the white light cast dancing shadows on the stones that appeared to move entirely more than candleflames called for. As I squinted up at the writhing shapes,I sensed that it was not merely a dance of light and shadow but actual forms. Casimiro had turned as black as night and sprouted wings. Perhaps other shadowy beings cavorted in the darkness.

Malik caught me gaping and whispered, “It’s best not to stare. You don’t want to give the fae any reason to dislike you more than they already do.” He sighed. “You asked what you can do to survive? Do not question anything you see here. Do not stand out. Do not anger them. Keep your head down—and fight.”

I tried to respond, but my throat had closed up at his words, and I simply nodded.

Images had been expertly embossed on the walls of the atrium and threads of gilded paint outlined the shapes. Great, sweeping scenes unfolded on the walls as we walked toward the doors—battle scenes, throne room scenes, and one that looked like a winged man blocking out the sun from a panicked crowd below.

Some of the artwork depicted things I didn’t want to see, so I averted my eyes, shocked at what these fae considered art. By the time we reached the tall double doors at the end of the hall, my cheeks flamed with heat. Dread filled my stomach as I contemplated what I’d agreed to in choosing to entertain these creatures.

“The fae are waiting,” Malik said, nodding at the doors crisscrossed with ornate iron bracing.

“Waiting for what?” I asked, throat dry.

“You. It’s midnight. Time for you to perform.”

9

Zara

Iswallowed, lifting my chin. Talia had been brave when she faced the fae. So I would be too.

“May the stars watch over you,” Malik said, urging me forward. The ironwork clicked, and the massive doors swung inward.

A cavern larger than any ballroom yawned before us. The floor slanted gently toward a massive underground lake that stretched out so far into the darkness that I couldn’t see the other side. Round tables of smooth, black stone dotted the sloping cavern floor and stopped at the edge of the lake. Above each table hung enormous, wrought iron chandeliers dotted with glowing lights that looked nothing like any lights I’d ever seen. But as I stared at the nearest chandelier, I noticed something moving within the orb-shaped iron bars. They weren’t just chandeliers. They werecages.

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