Page 32 of Pawns of Fate
“A shady tree branch?” Lyla asked softly. Her fists clenched.
“Yes, it was very shadowy. That’s why I thought it had to be one of you,” Nicholas retorted.
Lyla shook her head. “I can’t travel through shadow. Only a handful of shadow mages can manipulate the magic to that extent, and my talents lie elsewhere.”
“You can, though, Syzman?” Nicholas asked, hope still in his voice. “It’s not that I’m angry about you spying on us. That’s part of your duties as a bodyguard. I just need to know how to explain it to Rose. I want her to feel safe.”
“It wasn’t me,” Syzman replied.
The shadow mages exchanged another concerned glance.
“Then what did Rose see?” Frustration clawed at Nicholas’s neck. His shoulders inched toward his head.
“I don’t know much about the aural plane, either, my lord,” Syzman replied with an apologetic shrug, “But it sounds like another shadow mage, a skilled one at that, was spying on you and Rose.”
Nicholas cursed.
“How much do you know about Rose’s abilities?” Lyla asked.
“Not much. Why?”
Lyla’s shoulders slumped, ever so slightly. “I’m worried they’re after Rose, not you, my lord. Auras like Rose’s are rare and very useful. She was able to spot a hidden shadow mage today, and that’s just the least of her abilities.”
“How much doyouknow about the soothing aura, Lyla?” Nicholas struggled to keep the suspicion out of his voice. He trusted Syzman and Lyla, but at the end of the day, they were still shadow mages bound to the rules of their tower, and if a rival tower was after Rose, things could get out of hand very quickly.
“I’ve done some research since you assigned me to guard her,” Lyla replied coolly.
Nicholas fidgeted with a pen. “Go on.”
“Some soothing aura users can control monsters, to an extent. One of Rose’s ancestors famously used his aura to increase the mana flow of his comrades during the heat of battle.” Lyla bit her cheek, then added, “You can see why I’m concerned. Power like that is very… tempting.”
Nicholas nodded. “You’ll go with her to the Ojoh.” He gestured to the visible runes on Lyla’s arms. “Disguise that you’re a mage a bit more cleverly.”
Lyla pushed down her sleeves.
“That will make communicating with the soldiers we send to the swamp very difficult!” Syzman argued.
“Do you have a better suggestion?” Nicholas snapped.
Both shook their heads.
“Dismissed.” Nicholas waved Syzman and Lyla away and fought the urge to slam his head on the desk. How was he ever going to send Rose to that damn desert now?
Chapter 10
ROSE
Rose took her dinner in her room that night. Solitude was a familiar blanket; she needed it to sort through her thoughts on the day’s events.
Her eyes strayed to the window—the best part of the room because of the scenery beyond it. The sun was setting behind the mountains, painting the sky with brilliant shades of orange, pink, and yellow. Just looking at it was a mental balm.
So much had happened. The tea party with Lady Dahtey and Ava felt like a lifetime ago, especially after seeing that…thingin the garden. Nicholas told her it was probably justLyla or Syzman in their shadow forms. Rose wanted to believe him, but the maliciousness radiating from that creature was something she would have sensed in Lyla or Syzman before today. The physical and aural planes were connected more than most people understood. If either of the shadow mages had borne her and Nicholas that much ill will, Rose would know.
She dove so deep into her own thoughts that Rose had no forewarning when Ava burst into the room with wine, snacks, and servants in tow. She was shocked and, at first, annoyed. How had Ava gone this long in a noble family without knowing that a person dining in their room was sending a signal to be left alone?
But her sister-in-law’s wide grin and the assortment of tasty snacks melted away Rose’s apprehensions. She realized this might even be fun. The last time Rose had commiserated with a friend was when she lived at the orphanage. Instead of clutching onto her solitude, she relaxed, welcomed Ava, and let the servants pour them each a glass of wine.
“Lady Dahtey was nice,” Ava started the conversation as sweetly as possible, though Rose knew her sister-in-law wouldn’t want to talk about their tea party for long.
