Her Demon's Soul (The Shadowborn City Duology Book 2) by Avelina Kelde

Author:Avelina Kelde [Kelde, Avelina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Though the new rooms were a far cry from a dungeon, they nonetheless were still a prison. That was clear enough from the moment they arrived, from the presence of the guards who waited outside the beautiful carved doors. And the moment Prince Kaion took his leave, the door shutting behind him, Tanitha strode to the window, pushing the shutters ajar.

The window was perhaps forty feet from the ground and there was, of course, no possible way to climb down. Not that it mattered; Tanitha already knew that she wasn’t going to attempt to escape. No matter how much Darius had urged her to flee, she wasn’t going to do that to him, and she wasn’t going to do that to herself. She wasn’t going to spend one more moment than she had to fearing that Naratha, the threads of fate, or anything in between, were going to endanger her or the people she loved. Running now meant running forever. She wouldn’t do that. And she suspected Naratha knew it, too.

She took a deep breath of the fresh sea air, the scents of salt and life a welcome reprieve after the close stillness of the dungeons. She could see the harbor from here, the ships and the people working them. Beyond it, the veridian sea shone in the morning light. It all seemed peaceful, but there was a strange disconnect between the everyday beauty of the scene and the dangers that she knew still waited for her.

She stepped back from the window, then decided to take inventory of her new quarters, more to stop her mind from traveling down a road of worry and fear than anything else. The main room of the suite was circular, and though it wasn’t large, it was still well-appointed. The walls were smooth plaster, the lower portion decorated with a beautiful geometric mosaic mural. The bed had a thick mattress densely stuffed with what felt like fine wool. The windows were framed with curtains of finest linen that rippled gently in the sea breeze. There was a smaller adjoining room similarly appointed, likely a maid’s quarters, as well as a water room with an absurdly large bathing basin, the entire thing tiled in alabaster.

Tanitha returned to the main room and paced around its perimeter, her footsteps muffled by a plush sheepskin rug. It was beautiful, yes, but again, it wasn’t any less a prison than what she’d just left. She closed her eyes, her heart aching as she thought of Darius, trapped in the darkness of the dungeon. She’d spent more time in darkness than was fair herself, much of it at Darius’ insistence, but she couldn’t find it in herself to be angry about that, or to take any satisfaction in their respective reversals of fortune. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her. He’d never wanted to hurt her.

Against her wishes, her mind turned back to what he’d told her about why all this had happened. Oracles, a prophecy of greatness… it all felt so empty, so meaningless.

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