Page 71 of A Dance of Shadows

It has, but nothing I can explain to them. I waver for a few seconds longer.

I asked for my godlen’s assistance. It appears he’s decided to give it to me. Even Prince Neven reminded me to follow the signs of the gods.

“I believe Elox is beckoning me in a new direction,” I say and set off after the strange spark on foot. The road it flitted toward is too narrow to admit my carriage.

I stride along at a swift pace, enjoying the chance to really stretch my legs. Contrary to Raul’s concerns, the fatigue of the early months of pregnancy has left an unexpected energy in its place. My belly is hardly large enough to constrain my movements yet.

It’s as if every part of me is keyed up to protect the new life growing inside me every way I can.

My guards trot behind me, drawing closer as I enter the narrow street. Up ahead, the red spark flares as if to demand my attention. I pick up my pace even more.

The glint of possibly divine magic flashes brighter every few moments. It draws me down several more streets, across a major thoroughfare, and into a residential neighborhood of sparse gardens and crooked but vividly painted fences. Every time I catch a glimpse of it, my heart skips a beat, but my guards don’t give any indication that they’ve noticed the roaming light.

Is it appearing just for me?

I emerge from the last meandering street into a crossroads. On the corner directly across from me, a massive oak towers over the nearby buildings.

Two of those houses are merged right into the immense trunk. The tree’s lower branches meld with their roofs. The roots that jut from the soil provide doorsteps and the edges of the front walks.

Someone with a gift for growth must have lived here when these homes were first constructed. I’ve seen buildings partly created out of living plants before, but none quite as imposing as this.

Childish laughter bounces from one of the windows. The smell of fresh-baked bread drifts through the air.

As I take it in, the red spark gleams amid the branches. It swirls through them and then seems to absorb right into the trunk before me.

A clammy sensation closes around my lungs. This is what that glowing sign was leading me to.

When I blink, a sudden wash of pinkish light fills my vision, streaking down through the tree to its base. Pooling in a ring before vanishing again.

My guards don’t stir. They didn’t see anything at all. But the afterimage remains burned into my eyes.

Is this the actual hiding place of Sabrelle’s relic? Elox concealed it within a tree?

Why is he showing me now? What am I supposed to do about it?

Does he truly think I should bring it to Linus?

A tinge of relief colors my uncertainty. If I did, I wouldn’t have to worry about passing off a fake. Linus would be appeased for now.

But to get anything out of this tree… I’d have to order it chopped down. The families who live on either side of the oak would have their homes destroyed—quite literally uprooted.

My initial relief buoys me past that concern. We can order new houses built for them, can’t we? It might take a few days, but that’s a minor enough matter.

I’m their empress, acting on their emperor’s orders. They can’t be upset by a little disturbance over a long-lost treasure?—

Those thoughts have barely passed through my head when I recoil, taking a physical step backward to match my inward flinch.

Great God help me, what am I thinking?

No one deserves to have their house—let alone a home that may have passed through generation after generation—torn apart to cater to the emperor’s whims. Haven’t the common folk of the city suffered enough because of him?

As empress, I should be focused on how I can maketheirlives better, not how they can spare me a little discomfort.

I spin on my heel and press my hand to my temple. All the bowing and pledging and fawning words must be starting to affect my mind. Would I ever have gotten caught up in that selfish attitude even a few months ago?

“Your Imperial Highness?” one of my guards says uncertainly.

I square my shoulders. The idea of Linus getting his hands on anything that would make him stronger sickens me.

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