Page 6 of A Song of Shadow and Starlight

"What do we have here?" He smiles down at me before whistling softly, signaling the other two to reveal themselves.

Panicked, knowing I've been spotted, and without thinking my reckless plan through, I plunge the dagger into the man's chest, hoping to buy myself time to escape. But I'm not that lucky. I'm struck over the back of the head as I try to flee and the last thing I remember seeing is a pair of muddy leather boots stomping toward me before everything goes dark.

Three

I'mgoingtovomit.

That mortifying thought has me shooting up to a seated position in an instant. My vision is hazy, and I feel dizzy – is my room spinning?

Blinking several times and rubbing the heels of my palms against my eyelids, I finally get a glimpse of my surroundings. To my horror, I'm not in my bedroom, but in some kind of tiny, wood-paneled closet. It's rocking back and forth like it's adrift at sea. Not that I'd know what that feels like since I've never left the Golden Palace, but I've had swimming lessons all my life, training in one of our dozens of pools. I understand what the sloshing of water feels like, but how could this ugly, salt-smelling closet be on the water?

My aching head draws my attention and I run my fingers through my disheveled hair and discover a small bump. Why would I have a knot on the back of my head? And why do I feel seasick?

It all comes back to me in a flash. The two intruders, Selene's deception, an assassination attempt, I stabbed a man, and then nothing. It all went dark.

It's abundantly clear I'm not in the Golden Palace, but where am I?

Were the assassins successful?

Who are they and why did they kidnap me?

I have so many questions I desperately need answers to.

I glance down and see I'm resting on a narrow cot that feels like one of the stone benches in our garden. Stars! Does someoneactuallyconsider this a proper bed?

Pushing myself to my feet, the closet suddenly sways to the left and tosses me roughly against the wall. I hiss in pain as my shoulder connects with the paneling and I slide down to the scuffed-up floors. It's dirty, dusty, and cluttered in the small room, and a measure of claustrophobia I didn't even know I had, takes over and sends me into a panic.

I need to get out of this room. Now!

Crawling my way back onto my feet, I realize I'm still in my favorite silk nightgown and there is a tear from my right thigh all the way down to the end of the garment. I close my eyes, tilting my head upward to the low ceiling, and internally scream. These kidnappers have ruined some of the finest silk in Midori and what's worse is I'll have no choice but to burn this slip the moment I return home. I was hoping Bastian would see me in this after we were married, but that fantasy has been dashed.

Determined to get out of this pantry-sized room, I slam my hands on either side of the narrow closet, and march toward the door. I grab a hold of the brass doorknob and twist, but nothing happens. I jiggle the knob again and tug the door, but it disobeys my command to open. I'm locked in this windowless, cluttered closet, that my captor calls a room. I'm trapped, scared, and thoroughly enraged.

Who the hell woulddarekidnap me?

I'll see every last one of these vagabonds strung up by their toes and slowly lowered into a pool of piranhas. Or maybe, I'll have them thrown into a pit of venomous snakes. Or better yet, have them stripped naked and left in the middle of the Midorian desert to agonize in the heat until they die of dehydration, heat-stroke, or at the fangs of coyotes ripping them limb from limb. Yes, so many ways to execute these ruffians, and each one brings a smile to my face.

I could comply and remain a good little kidnapped princess, or I could raise hell and make these bastards regret every decision they'd ever made.

"Let me out of here!" I kick the wooden door, just now noticing I'm barefoot, and feel instantly squeamish about what I might be standing in. I will need to soak in a hot bath for weeks to remove this filth from my skin. I smash the wooden door again, causing such a ruckus, they won't be able to ignore me for long. "I said, let me out of here! You can't keep me locked in here forever!"

Suddenly, the door flies open, knocking me backward. I land on the hardwood floor with a loud thud, which steals my breath. I glance up and see the man I stabbed in the Golden Palace staring back at me. His hazel eyes are filled with a playful mischief.

"You!" I seethe, confused as to how he isn't dead. "How are you alive? I stabbed you!"

“I’m afraid it will take a hell of a lot more than stabbing me to kill me.”

He flashes a set of perfectly straight, white teeth at me, and I'd like nothing more than to knock each and every one of them out. He has three dots tattooed on the side of his left eye. Half of his head is shorn to the skull and the other side has long black hair that he flips over his shoulder. He has so many weapons strapped to his person that I lose count after twelve. If he survived me slamming a dagger into his chest, then it is clear he is some kind of demon, and I need to maintain a healthy distance from him. Of course, that's impossible since he's now in the closet with me. He takes a step toward me and I extend my hand, as if I have the power to stop him, and to my surprise, he halts.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"You're looking a little seasick, Princess." He backpedals into the hallway and stuffs his hands into his pant pockets. "Follow me."

"I'm not following you anywhere."

He shrugs. "Suit yourself, but if you throw up in Atlas' bunk, you'll never hear the end of it."

As he walks away, I'm shocked he leaves my door wide open. I poke my head around the corner and call after him.

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