From Victory and Glory by Lyra Glass

Author:Lyra Glass [Glass, Lyra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2021-12-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Sands

“The war is over.”

“The battle is won.”

“Orish is dead.”

The cheers and statements echo in my head, as I shrug off the distinctive jacket with its royal colors, peel off my jewel-encrusted scabbard and sword, then release a breath that I feel like I’ve been holding for months as I let go of my magic, sloughing off the illusion I’ve been wearing. First my muscles shrink, stealing the strong breadth of shoulders that inspire confidence in my armies, a few inches disappear from my height so that I no longer loom over my enemies, my golden-blond hair fades and then darkens to a less remarkable brown and the eyes that make ladies swoon shift from blue to brown. I stare into the mirror, at the slight man who moments before was a god. The face that looks back at me has a softer jaw but sharper cheekbones, my brows no longer golden arches but dark slashes over eyes that are harder and darker than Sands’s could ever be.

I quickly change my clothes, opting for simple, worn fabrics and slip through the secret passages that line the walls, leaving my Sands persona safely hidden in a room deep within the bowels of the palace.

I take three lefts and a right, passing through what look like solid walls; nothing is what it seems among the forest fae. Tales around campfires feature us as creatures of nature flitting through the forest, nurturing small animals and guarding sacred groves of trees with gentle tricks that lead unwary travelers astray. Those creatures were here long before the fae, they were there when we first settled in the forests of Fal’ka. The forest fae are actually the creatures we never mention, those that flit through the shadows, unseen and unheard until it’s too late. We are the beasts that eat unwary travelers, the monster under the bed. In truth we are as drawn to shadows as any dark fae, but we just have better stories. With our illusions we can stand wrapped in darkness even in the full light of day, surrounded by illusions within illusions, and lies within lies.

I dart down a narrow passageway, counting my steps. On the eleventh step, I turn sharply right and walk through another wall and enter a simple space that holds a wooden table surrounded by comfortable chairs. I’m the last to arrive. I stroll halfway down the table and take my seat, sinking into the soft cushions. Far above our heads a similar meeting is taking place in a lavish meeting room. The participants will debate the issues facing the kingdom as they sip from golden chalices, but the real power is here in this simple room. Illusions within illusions.

“What news from the front?” rasps Master Holden.

“The war is won and Orish is dead, the asura armies broken and scattered.” I state coldly.

“And in reality?” the musty old master questions.

“All our plotting, plans, lies, and illusions may have been for nothing. An unknown power took the orb from

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