Cast Long Shadows by Cat Hellisen

Author:Cat Hellisen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy Novel
Publisher: Luna Press Publishing
Published: 2021-11-20T13:47:00+00:00

Stories of Forests

Lilika was not herself today. Silviana watched her nurse as she paced the room, pretending to clear bits and pieces away. Sometimes she sat and worked at her embroidery hoop, but within minutes she had discarded it again, picked up a book, leafed through that, left it and turned to something else before taking up her pacing once again.

It was because Marjeta was due for her visit. The usurper's presence always seemed to needle Lilika, but now more so than ever. "What is it?" she finally asked. "You're making me dizzy."

Lilika dropped the hoop she'd just lifted and blew out a long sigh. "I have seen something," she paused and looked to the windows, away from Silviana.

"Seen what?"

"I misspoke. I have heard rumours," she said.

"About?" Silviana was meant to be reading from one of the small hymnals her father had brought her when he came back from his secret wars. This one came from a temple to the far north, where great scholars gathered to read the work copied out by ancient scribes. While it was certainly a very beautiful piece of work with its illustrations and careful lettering, the rich gold and the plummy ink, it was a burden. Hard to read, and with every touch Silviana worried that she would accidentally destroy it. She would have preferred a hymnal straight from the printing presses, and perhaps something Brother Milos had not made her read a thousand times already. She closed it carefully and set it on a small table for safekeeping. "What rumours, Lee?"

Lilika shook her head, her face pinching up. "Not ones suitable for the ears of a young lady."

Ah, definitely something about Marjeta, then. Silviana knew she could winkle it out of her servant if her pin were so sharp that Lilika never even felt the prick of it. "Brother Milos says that gossip is the evil of women put into words," she said instead, and was rewarded with a quickly hidden scowl.

Lilika might give Brother Milos her public support, but Silviana was not as stupid or blind as either seemed to think she was.

"How true," Lilika said drily. "Let us speak of something better, then."

"Yes." Silviana smiled widely. "Today Marjeta comes to visit me," she said. "I do enjoy her visits. I never expected to," she carried on, pretending to be unaware of the darkness in Lilika's eyes. "But she's taught me some strange eastern games, and she does sound so pretty when she speaks."

"She sounds like a barbarian," Lilika said. "She mangles her words."

Silviana grinned. "Not true. Sometimes she sounds like you do after a long day, and I think you sound beautiful."

There, Lilika flashed an actual glare at the door, unable to direct her rage at Silviana. "She is not like us," Lilika said. "I know you find her fascinating, but you must be careful. We do not know her heart."

"I do not know your heart either," Silviana observed. She flashed another brilliant smile. "But I know your love for me.

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