Page 91 of All the Chaos of Constellations
Icy panic slid down her spine as the realization jarred her from her languid state.
The shadows.
That was how he moved without being seen, how he seemed to vanish without a trace. Logic slipped into place. No wonder he was the Shadowblade Assassin. It wasn’t only because he had a blade of death that left behind fatal wounds.
It was because hewasthe shadows.
Novalise’s eyes flew open, the shadows dispersed, and she found herself staring up at a sleeping dragon.
Mist unfurled around Svartos, and terrifying glowing eyes opened, locking onto her. The beast stretched, the might of his wings cutting through the overhang of evergreen leaves and dense branches. His claws sank into the earth as he awoke, plowing through the soil while he prepared himself for flight.
Carefully, Prince Drake set her down.
She glanced down. Shadows crawled at her feet, obscuring them. Whirling around to face the shadow prince, she jabbed him in the chest with her finger. “Whatareyou?”
Prince Drake snared her by the waist, plucking her off the ground, then deposited her in the seat upon the dragon’s back.
“I already told you.” He hoisted himself up behind her, grabbing the reins. “A monster.”
Svartos rose, twitching off his previous state of slumber. He craned his long neck, those piercing yellow eyes zeroing in on her. Novalise edged back in the seat, her back pressed firmly against the solid wall of Prince Drake’s chest. Though Svartos seemed amiable enough toward her, he was still a creature capable of breathing fire and launching her off his back. She would take no chances. The dragon ambled forward, stretching his intimidating wings, and in the early hue of dawn, they glinted like decadent obsidian.
His massive claws dug into the ground as he picked up speed, kicking up dirt and debris. The trees rattled, their leaves scattering from their limbs like frightened birds. Mountains trembled as bits of rock and cliffside tumbled down from their carved peaks. At once, Svartos beat his wings, sending them soaring into the early morning sky. They sifted through rosy pink clouds, aiming east, toward the glow of dawn where House Celestine stood perched on a mountaintop, outlined in shades of gold.
Novalise turned her head toward Prince Drake, her eyes never leaving the head of the beast guiding them over Aeramere. “Can I ask you something?”
“If you must.”
“You spoke earlier about an impending war and how the threat could come from within.” She paused, sensing the shift behind her.
“That is not a question.” His arms barely grazed hers as he steered Svartos, but it was enough for her to detect the rigidity in his motions.
“Obviously.” She pressed her lips together, willing away the sigh of annoyance. “What if this supposed threat came from House Celestine?”
He stiffened, his chest expanding behind her. Dark power pulsed through the air and the breeze cooled. Shadows pooled around his hands. “What are you implying?”
“Asher said something tonight, something awful.” Novalise couldn’t lose her nerve. Not now. Trepidation shivered along her spine. “He thinks my mother is conspiring with Prince Aspen to oust Queen Elowyn.”
She stole another hasty glance at Prince Drake’s gloved hands. They were tight on the reins, the black leather pulled taut across his knuckles.
“Is that so?” His voice rumbled like distant thunder.
“Yes.” Unable to look away from the shadows that slowly unraveled, wrapping around her wrists like threads of midnight satin, she swallowed down the knot of anxiety clogging the back of her throat. “And there’s something else.”
“Let me guess,” he drawled, the darkness he summoned ebbing. “Lord Firebane thinks I’m involved as well. Because why else would your mother and brother ever agree to marry you off to a notorious assassin?”
“Yes.” The word escaped Novalise on a breath, and she pitched forward slightly, angling herself so she could see his face. “That’s exactly what he thinks.”
His eyes, as dark as a forest in the dead of winter, focused on her. “And what do you think, Lady Novalise?”
Uncertainty warred with her thoughts. To agree with Asher was to condemn her mother and admit she thought Prince Drake was involved in the treasonous undertaking as well. But the idea of denying Asher’s claims caused her skin to crawl. The entire situation kept her on edge, fraught with a continuous plague of worry. It was a dangerous, disconcerting game. One where she knew at some point, the time would come to choose sides.
“I think my mother is innocent in all of this, and I’ll continue to believe as much until I speak to her on the matter.” It seemed the safest option, even though the words tasted foul in her mouth. “If she is indeed working with Prince Aspen, then I need to uncover the reason behind it. He must be coercing her. She would never ally herself with him of her own free will.”
She should’ve said as much to Asher, asked for the chance to prove her mother’s innocence. Instead, she’d assaulted him with her words, spewing contempt.
“And what of me,kearsta?” Prince Drake asked, amusement dripping from his tone as he guided Svartos toward the cliffside near House Celestine. “Do you think I play a role in this scheme as well?”
“You make your own decisions, Your Highness.” Novalise rolled her shoulders back, locking her spine into place. “I would never underestimate you.”
