Page 17 of Ties of Shadow

“But-but she is my ward, servant to my crown!”

“No longer.” The Shade smiled, a wicked sort of thing. “I have claimed her. Now. Go.”

A burst of black wind from the manor swept past us and filled the courtyard with impenetrable smoke. The prince and his men shouted something, but I couldn’t see through it. The crook of the Shade’s arm shifted my head, and I turned my face into the warm, smooth fabric of his shoulder.

“Rest,” the Shade murmured. “You will not die now.”

I didn’t believe him; the cold had seeped into my core. But speaking required energy that had bled out onto his stoop. I should probably clean that up.

The Shade turned to enter his home. Shivering, I sighed in a strange sort of peace as sleep dragged me under. My heart slowed its rhythm, and the mortal fear tugging in my belly halted as our gazes connected. Possessing, studying, disapproving. Green and ethereal. His eyes were bottomless. His face was as sculpted as his mansion. He was like marble. Blackness clouded around the edges of my vision.

At least staring Death in the face was a beautiful way to go.

Chapter ten

Introductions

Darkness. Only darkness. My body felt weighed down as cool liquid poured over my cheek. Something large gripped my thigh, and it burned like ice pressed against my skin for too long. My arm was tugged and twisted. I curled my fist, but it felt so weak.

“What have you done?” a chirping voice asked.

A low grumble vibrated the very air. “What was required.”

The small voice sharpened. “But how will we—”

“Our plans remain the same,” the low voice replied. “Nothing has changed.”

“You are a fool,” the first voice muttered.

A deep hum was the only reply.

Nightmares wrestled within my mind, reviving the flight from the temple in vivid pictures. The prince of light. The hope of the whole nation. Except me. Awareness returned with a stab of pain. Betrayal sliced through me. Sucking air through my nose, I sat up, making a heavy blanket fall to my lap and tug against my waist. I blinked. My eyes were gritty and sore, and I rubbed them to clear my vision.

I was in a bed with black sheets and a fluffy, deep blue blanket. My burned hand, cut arm, and damaged leg were bandaged, but the pain was surprisingly mild. A fire burned on the far side of a large and otherwise dark room. I pulled my legs back to sit more comfortably, and my skin slid along the glorious silk. My hands dove beneath the blanket, and I nearly squealed with delight as the fabric glided over my fingertips. Silk like this was reserved for the royal family, while the rest of us used various qualities of cotton. My sheets at home were like corn husks comparatively. These sheets were impossibly black—as black as the Shade’s magic.

Reality dawned slowly. Oh my. I was in the Shade’s manor.

The stone floor around me stretched in panels of blue-gray slate, ending in deep blue, almost turquoise walls—like the last moment of twilight. Unlit wall sconces glittered in the firelight. The room had no windows. An arrow lay on the bedside table beneath a lamp.

“Like what you see?”a chirping voice asked from beside me.

I jumped and turned to see a tiny, upside-down face hanging from the bedside lamp, blinking back at me. My jaw dropped.

The bat fluttered its wings, shifting to wrapping them around its tiny body.“I said, ‘Do you like what you see?’”

Air passed through my throat, but no sounds emerged. I coughed hoarsely, my throat raw and aching. My head dropped into my hands as I whispered, “I’m dead. A bat is talking to me. I must be dead.”

The bat snorted a breathy, snotty sound. Was it…laughing at me? “Lass, you are not dead. You should be, but your heart yet beats on this side of the moon. Despite my very excellent advice to the master, you still breathe.”It turned its head a bit to the side.“And breathe so loudly. Who knew something so pretty could snore like that.”

“I do not!” My cheeks flushed. “I’m a lady. Ladies do not snore.”

His claws loosened and tightened on the metal brace.“If that’s true, then I’m a crocodile.”

I smiled despite myself. “Nice teeth.”

The bat’s lips split into a wide grin, displaying tiny daggers for teeth with prominent canines.“Why, thank you!”The moment passed, and the bat’s black eyes squinted.“What is your name?”

“Aelia.” I swallowed, uncertain if talking bats also had names. “What’s yours?”

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