Page 81 of The Shadowed Oracle
“She’s a Magus?” Dean asked angrily.
Callinora held up her hand, pleading for patience. “She is. But her influence lies in her trickery. Not her power. I assure you, once in her court, you will be able to move freely. If you give her no reason to try and manipulate you into doing what she wants, she won’t waste any power infecting your mind.”
Dean and Raidinn kept stone-like faces, listening.
“I will provide everything you need,” Callinora said. “And my father will delay any decisions until word of your success, or your failure, reaches his ears.”
“And if we refuse?” Raidinn mused.
Callinora started into a slow, elegant stroll to her bed, plopping herself on her cloud-like duvet and placing a hand over her forehead. “Then you have two choices. Go elsewhere, or estrange yourself from the only person standing between you and those conniving, Earth-hating snobs my father calls advisors.” She raised her head up, as if something just occurred to her. “Oh, and I’ll need an answer by sunrise tomorrow.”
“Sunrise?” Dean asked incredulously, gears already grinding in his mind. He was already on edge, and now he was expected to make a decision involving the lives of his team within just twelve hours.
Callinora nodded in answer, flipped herself on her side, then flicked the silver service bell that had been hung permanently under her wooden bookshelf. Two knocks instantly rapped on the door, but Callinora didn’t move. It was Ingrid who finally asked the princess for the key, received it silently, and let the two lady’s maids inside.
“See our guests to their rooms,” Callinora ordered.
The maids stepped to the side and offered a hand, ready to lead them.
Tyla was the first to make for the door, closely followed by her brother.
Dean stood stubbornly for a moment, clenching his fist, yet decided finally on a bow before he started to leave.
But Ingrid—Ingrid stayed put.
That thought she’d stashed concerning Callinora’s whereabouts earlier that day, it was now begging to be explored.
“I have one more question.” She strutted brazenly to the enormous bed, pausing for dramatics as she parked herself directly next to the princess without permission.
Callinora rustled, but smirked with amusement as she took in the show of arrogance. A show, just like the one the princess herself had put on in the throne room.
“Ask away,” she purred, not yet giving Ingrid the respect of sitting up.
“You say that your father would rather ally with Wranes than world-walkers?”
“You heard that right,” Callinora confirmed after a moment of contemplation.
“And you claim your father won’t quit. If he truly wanted to make peace with Makkar, then he’d have done it already?”
Callinora leaned in, propping herself up on an elbow. Her face had resorted to that cold indifference once again. “What is your point, girl?”
“Well, your majesty, my point is that I don’t believe you.”
The worry and intrigue from Ingrid’s friends burned brightly from the other side of the room. All eyes were on her, waiting anxiously.
“I think you want the throne for yourself,” Ingrid continued. “And before you try and convince me otherwise, think about what you said. You almostwantedus to figure it out. You saidyour father thinks our army is full of cowards.” She wiped her hands together as if she’d just accomplished something easy. “This business about rescuing your husband, it won’t change his mind. You made that up. I think Nestor might not even care about having an heir. He is a peaceful ruler. He has avoided war at all costs. Meaning, he’d probably want his successor to be the same, no matter if he was related to him or not. Am I right?”
Callinora sat upright in anger, scowling at her ungrateful subordinate. She flashed a white smile that felt sinister under her violent eyes. Dean closed the gap in no time, readying to separate the females, and Tyla and Raidinn soon joined his side.
But then… then something strange happened.
Something no one saw coming. Not even, it seemed, the princess.
In a flash, Callinora burst into laughter so loud and unbecoming of a Viator in her position that it unsettled even her maids standing at the door.
“Please,” the princess said in between snorts. “Go on. Is there more?”
Ingrid nodded and pushed through, all too happy to oblige. “You were walking the city when you found us at the gate. Which wouldn’t be that odd… if the guards hadn’t apologized for not knowing you were outside the safety of the castle walls. You snuck out. And, I’m guessing you do that a lot.”
