Cherished by Christina Bauer

Author:Christina Bauer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Monster House Books, LLC

Chapter Sixteen

I hiked up the castle’s circular staircase. On the third level, I found two guards in red leathers standing on either side of a large wooden door. There were no other entrances around.

I scanned both warriors carefully. Their faces were covered by leather helms; tall wooden spears were gripped in their right fists. As women, the two guards had long and lean bodies. Most likely, they were the wily and fast kind of fighters. That could prove tricky for me, considering how I needed time to pull in magick and speak an incantation. It was true that I still wore Petra’s totem ring, but that thing was only loaded with transport spells.

And I wasn’t going anywhere. No one could keep me from getting answers now.

Focusing my mage senses, I reached out for Necromancer power. The energy flowed into me, prickling across my skin. I flexed my left hand, ready to focus and cast.

The guards saw my movement and immediately stepped aside. “You may enter,” said the first warrior.

I tilted my head. Things are never this easy for me. “Wait…You know that I’m the Tsarina, and that’s fine with you?”

“We’ve been informed,” added the second guard. “Genesis Rex is inside his chambers right now. He’s expecting you.”

“Oh.” The moment the sound escaped my lips I wished I had uttered a better comment. After all, it seemed like a true Tsarina would have something more formal to say than “Oh.” I looked down at the scanty leather scarves that made up my outfit.

Then again, perhaps this Tsarina simply said, “Oh” and got out of view as soon possible. I gripped the metal latch and twisted it. The door slid open easily.

I stepped inside.

I didn’t know what I expected from Rowan’s chambers, but the interior caught me by surprise. The space was as close to being outdoors as possible. All the floors and walls were made of mossy stones that were framed with massive silver trees. Other thinner trunks twisted into furniture shapes. One nest of vines even wrapped about a living fountain. Small and colorful birds played in the waters. More bright-hued flowers decorated the walls, all of them planted to create great swirling patterns.

Warmth filled my veins. This place was lovely.

Rowan stood by a window hole, his body in profile as he stared intently at the castle grounds outside. He braced his right arm against the wall, a movement that also held back what looked like a curtain of living vines. The dying sunlight played across the planes of bare muscle on his chest. Like me, he hadn’t changed since the ceremony. There was no missing the long shadows of weariness that darkened his handsome face. Worry weighed down my heart. How long had Shujaa been stealing his power? I forced my face into a mask of calm.

“Hello, Rowan.”

“Elea.” His gaze stayed locked on whatever was happening outside the window. I stepped up to Rowan’s side. Down below in the gardens, Jicho and Kade were crouched beside Amelia, who was building a sundial out of bits of wood and stone.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.