Page 4 of The Sorcerer of Shadowholde

Verian rolled his eyes.

“Too bad we didn’t get on party duty,” he said, turning his attention to Vita. “You should be careful if you end up going.”

She wasn’t sure who she was supposed to be careful around, her employer or the mysterious High Consul.

“Very true. I heard the man loves pretty girls like you.” Drusus’ icy gaze penetrated her once more.

Vita may have heard that rumor as well, but there was all sorts of gossip about the High Consul: that he never left his palace because he was allergic to the sun, that he had wings and could fly, that he kept a bevy of servants to assuage his carnal lust.

Rumors that brought a flush to her cheeks if she thought too long on them. She took in a breath, shaking her head at the two guards.

“There is nothing to worry about. I doubt the Domina will let me come along, anyway. I’m sure she’ll choose one of the other maidservants.” She shifted her stance and looked at the ground, ready to get to the market. “I should be on my way.”

“Be safe, Vita.” Verian’s voice was soft.

He looked as if he wanted to say more, but simply bowed.

“And if you ever wish to join us for an evening of revelry, I drag Verian to the tavern at least once a week,” Drusus added with a wink.

Vita smiled and nodded at the two men, walking past them and heading through the archway into Shadowholde. She pondered Drusus’ invitation and blushed.

It had been many years since she’d been in the city after dark, not since Mariana had passed and she took the job with Praetor Amulius. Though she didn’t partake in ales often, there’d been many fun adventures exploring the city’s underbelly with Verian as a young girl.

The idea of an evening at the tavern with two handsome men was certainly tempting.

With each step along the main thoroughfare, she could feel the energy of Shadowholde pulsating through the pavement beneath her feet. Though evening approached, the city was still bustling with activity, workers preparing the central forum for the Aonalia celebrations. The street narrowed, winding Vita through colorful market stalls and vendors hawking their wares. The scent of sizzling meats and aromatic herbs filled the air as horses and carts clattered across the cobblestones. All around her hummed the chatter of merchants and the lively tunes of musicians.

As Vita looked on, the dark palace looming overhead caught her eye. A mad imperator had built it on the rocky crag many centuries ago, on the very edge of the city overlooking the mountains beyond. The palace had passed through many families, though it now acted as the primary residence for the High Consul.

An imposing setting for the Feast of Aonalia.

Little was known about the High Consul, though of course, there were rumors. He was very private, and it was rare to see him roaming Shadowholde, even rarer to be invited to his palace. This was part of the reason the feast was the talk of the city as of late. She hoped the Domina would allow her to accompany them, even if it was just to rub it in Verian’s face.

Vita turned suddenly, sensing an intense gaze heating the back of her neck. Her eyes locked with a woman standing at the far end of the street, an elf with golden irises that pierced right through her. She had dark brown skin and plum red hair braided in intricate plaits that stretched down to her lower back. As she examined Vita, her scowl curled into a smirk.

The woman was beautiful, statuesque and dressed in finery one wouldn’t expect from someone wandering the streets of Shadowholde. Her dress skimmed the ground, dark blue and sleeveless, a well-placed cutout emphasizing her ample breasts. Fine jewels hung from her pointed ears and clung to her neck, a single golden rose tucked into her hair.

Vita held the woman’s gaze, unable to tear her eyes away. A presence infiltrated deep into her bones, probing and prodding, and she couldn’t move, her control over her body completely lost.

The world around her grew quiet, a ringing in her ears the sole sound, even as people babbled around her. Just as suddenly, the woman broke the spell and was gone, a flash of dark blue darting down a narrow alley.

Vita gasped in a breath, the air finally returning to her lungs. There were a few odd glances directed her way, but she tried to ignore them.

Whoever that woman was, she had powerful magic; Vita was certain of it. She had never experienced a force rushing through her like that, her entire body frozen with electric energy.

Magic that authoritative would be a death sentence for anyone caught using it. She’d never met another person cursed like she was, at least as far as she’d known. Had the woman somehow sensed that she and Vita were alike? Was that the reason for the strange probing?

A shiver ran down her spine as she continued on into Shadowholde, eager to finish her business and get home.

Mariana would have to wait until next time.

With her errand complete—eggs secured in the basket—Vita hurried back to the front gate, nodding to the two new guards standing watch as they let her pass. Her mind returned to the woman on the street. What had she wanted? What type of magic could render a person motionless, breathless?

A shrill voice interrupted her whirling mind as she entered the villa.

“Took you long enough, girl!”

Vita cringed at the words, hustling into the kitchen and ready to face the Domina’s wrath.

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