TruthStone by Mike Shelton

Author:Mike Shelton [Shelton, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-02-14T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Upon awakening after a brief rest, Shaeleen noticed her brother was not in the room. Orin told her Cole had gone back to meet with the prince and the wizard Faegon. She was worried that her brother was being manipulated by Prince Calix.

A note had been left for them, inviting Shaeleen, Cole, and Orin to attend dinner with the prince that evening.

A small basin in the corner of the room allowed them to clean up as best they could. Shaeleen stared at herself in a small mirror and tried to smooth her hair down. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were puffy and tired. It had only been that morning when they’d left the ship—and the day was still not over.

Taking a deep breath and clearing her mind, she approached the door with Orin in tow. A guard escorted them to the dining hall. Although Shaeleen had thought it would be a private affair, around the room sat at least ten small tables, with groups of two to four people at each. As her eyes flicked in quick succession over each one, Shaeleen was surprised at the presence of Lord Bancroft, Galena’s minister of relations with Gabor. She hoped he wouldn’t recognize her from Lord Gregory’s birthday party.

In the back corner, two women sat talking with heads close to each other. Both wore exquisite gowns, making Shaeleen grateful they hadn’t forced something nice on her to wear. One of the women had dark, shoulder-length hair, curling lightly at the shoulders, while the other’s hair was gray, slightly covering her ears.

As if feeling Shaeleen’s attention on them, both women glanced up at her at the same time. Shaeleen let out a small gasp. The dark-haired one was the queen mother—mother to Basil and Calix—still a striking beauty, with smooth skin and intelligent eyes. The other woman looked directly into Shaeleen’s eyes, and Shaeleen felt the world spin faintly.

“Shae!” Orin held on to her arm. “You feeling all right?”

Shaeleen broke eye contact with the other woman and turned her head to Orin. “Yes, yes, I am fine.” Though her stomach began to sour.

Shaeleen flicked her eyes back to the older woman for a brief moment, but the woman had turned back to her conversation with the queen mother. Shaeleen was still sure the woman was the TruthSeer of Galena, a woman who had served the two prior kings and, by the haunted look in her eyes, had gone through numerous bouts of pain.

Is that how I will end up?

She cursed the keeper who had given her the TruthStone, although, upon thinking about it, her hand had crept into her pocket and felt the weight of it there.

Still scanning the room, she spied Cole at another table, in conversation with Faegon. They were laughing, and Cole seemed relaxed. He looked over and beckoned Shaeleen and Orin to their table.

“I don’t like that man, Faegon,” Orin grumbled.

“Because he was faster than you?” Shaeleen teased him.

Orin reddened. “Not just that.”

“I know what you mean.

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