Like Courage on a Starless Night by Stacy Bair Ogden

Author:Stacy Bair Ogden [Ogden, Stacy Bair]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stacy Bair Ogden
Published: 2023-10-24T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

A Plot Uncovered

Naya

My heart slowed nearly to a standstill as eyes fell on me; I did not have to look up to know it. I could feel three separate gazes on me as plainly as if there were a trio of flames sprouting up on my person. I was barely keeping my head above the chaotic waves of this whole situation and now this.

I was moments away from making what I expected was a life-altering decision, the weight of which was settling in my chest. All because I had ignored an inner voice telling me to leave the mysterious letters alone.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

The simple breathing exercise, my usual reaction in tense moments, was not working. Every breath came as a ragged pant, as if I were trying to draw in air through a thick blanket. It did not help matters that my lungs felt like they were slowly being compressed through a clothes-wringer. The combined effect of the two led to quicker, more ragged breaths. Oh no, not now. Not here. I had not had a bout of hysteria—my Nanni Venna’s term for them—in months. The last thing I wanted was an audience to my distress if this episode progressed like all the others.

Think, think, think, Naya, I coached myself. I forced myself to keep breathing deeply through the tension in my torso. As I did so, I flicked my eyes around the room, seeking visual distractions. I worked through my senses: hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste. I first found five things I could hear. A distant bird call, a shout from outside the room, a squeak of a floorboard as someone shifted their weight from foot to foot, footfalls above us, and finally a distant dog howling. I moved on, searching for four things I could see. The gleam of sweat on the secretary’s forehead, Creed’s hands clenching and relaxing at his sides, an ink stain on his majesty’s sleeve, dust clinging to a half-formed cobweb high in the corner of the room.

I worked through the rest of the senses, until I found one thing I could taste. I spotted a partially eaten biscuit on the king’s desk, and imagined the taste of it. Now, I was no longer spiraling; I was more in control. As soon as I finished with the calming exercise, I felt the last of the clothes-wringer feeling fade. I took in a mercifully deep breath and felt my mind clear. I was able to finally cast my mind over the dilemma I had been presented with.

The king had asked me to swear fealty to him and the kingdom of Mendlewyn. He demanded it. Just what was behind the letters I had found? It had to have been of utmost importance if this was the reaction to it. What was I to do?

“Miss Gavi,” the king intoned. “I hate to rush you but I need your answer now. Plans have to move forward and your answer is vital to their direction.

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.