Beyond the End of the World: The Other Side of the Sky 2 by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Author:Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner [Spooner, Amie Kaufman and Meagan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A&U Children’s
Published: 2021-11-18T00:00:00+00:00

THE CHAMBERLAIN

“Are you all right, Nimhara?” The queen’s voice is quick and anxious—but her attention is all on the girl from another world. Her brow furrows. “Or is it Inshara?”

The chamberlain forces his shoulders away from the wall, his body shaking. The fall of Alciel should have been the worst thing he’d ever witnessed—and yet he’d just had to watch the queen ignore her own son in favor of a woman she’d only known a few weeks.

This is all wrong. Something must be done.

He catches the eye of the captain of the guard, who looks back at him with a slight nod. They’ve been friends since childhood and have little need for speech in moments like these.

The chamberlain crosses over toward the throne, clearing his throat in a way that makes both the queen and the so-called goddess look his way. “We ought to prepare our defenses,” he says, inventing tasks on the fly, only half his attention on what he’s saying. “We don’t know what kind of reception we’ll get among those living here Below. If they breach the barrier before we do, we may have to prepare for war.”

Behind the throne, the guard captain is moving. He draws his sword carefully, without any telltale scrape of steel, approaching on silent footsteps.

The queen is nodding thoughtfully. “I certainly couldn’t stand it if anything happened to Nimhara. Inshara. Which do you prefer, my dear?”

“Inshara will do,” replies the woman from Below. “I suppose it doesn’t matter much now.”

“Not to me,” agrees the queen with a fond smile.

The captain of the guard creeps closer … closer… . He raises his blade, braces himself to swing—

And then stops, sword in midair.

The chamberlain can’t help but look, though the glance will certainly warn the two women. His old friend’s face is transformed, tears beginning to form in his eyes and spill down his bearded cheeks.

“Skyfall,” he murmurs, gazing at Inshara with wide eyes. “I—I—I had no idea.”

Inshara doesn’t even bother to look. Her eyes, instead, swing over to land on the chamberlain. Slowly, the corner of her mouth lifts.

The captain of the guard shifts his grip on his sword and follows the woman’s gaze.

He doesn’t hesitate before advancing on his childhood friend.

The chamberlain tries to scramble to his feet, to turn, to run—

Behind him, he hears the woman’s voice say thoughtfully, “Preparing for war isn’t a bad idea, though. Shall we, Beatrin?”

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