Soulblade: An Epic Fantasy Adventure Romance (A Dance of Fire and Shadow Book 4)
Soulblade: Chapter 35

THE GREAT HALL IN THE palace is packed with dignitaries waiting to witness Sarinder’s wedding and coronation. With all the heightened tension and security, the two ceremonies have been re-scheduled to run one after the other. Witnesses from every corner of Samaran are essential to ensure Sarinder and Varsha are seen to have a legitimate claim to be ruling this country after so much uncertainty and war.

Which makes this vast room full of people, many of them strangers to the Eldrin, a nightmare to keep secure from infiltrators and assassins. There has still been no owl-message from Alina and I am starting to fear the worst. Jantian has no news either, having left Maratic after delivering Shadow to the training cave, badly wounded. His responsibility for Sarinder’s safety meant that his priority was to bring as many Eldrin as he could gather for the security guard.

I scan the crowd yet again for any sign of threat. Marin and Deris are positioned on each side of the hall and we are keeping in close signal contact. Brac and Jantian stand either side of Sarinder and Varsha, just close enough to step forward in time to block any stray blade that might make it past our watchfulness. Several dozen Eldrin bodyguards mix with the crowd.

The place glitters with jewels and rich brocades, not only on the royal couple but also on the so-called cream of Samaran’s aristocracy gathered for the ceremony. Another security nightmare, dazzling my eyes and providing far too many places to conceal a weapon, never mind how carefully we checked everyone as they entered.

Sarinder looks tense. I doubt it is only because of the danger. There has been no time in between security preparations to speak with him but I am sure he is as anxious about Alina’s absence as I am.

Another scan of the dazzling crowd. Everyone was ordered to stand very still in the hope of making it easier to spot an aggressive move––but these aristocrats have no discipline and are already fidgeting and shuffling.

I feel my body react and tense almost before my mind can make sense of what I’m seeing. A dark haze is pushing through this crowd of peacocks, rippling their rainbow hues like the wake of a narrow ship before disappearing again.

Did one of the aristocrats just get swallowed up by that darkness or not?

I signal Marin and follow the shiver of movement out of the hall and into the wide arched corridor. A flicker of black mist in one of the alcoves has me running across to it, drawing both blades as I go.

Alina looks up at me from behind the fading grey of Shadow’s cloaking. “Sissy! Thank the Five it was you who saw us first. Shadow killed him but now we have to get out of here before someone sees us and reports us to those wretched High Council fossils!”

Farang lies dead on the polished marble floor at Shadow’s feet, a fitting anonymous end in a dark corner for the sly traitor. Not even the grim show of a public execution. I step back to avoid the spreading pool of blood.

“Alina, did you see any assassins? The traitor would not act alone.”

“We found them outside and cut their ropes as they were descending from the roof. The guards are scraping them off the paving right now. This was one last desperate act of Farang acting alone.”

“Go now!” Marin steps in front of Shadow, blocking the sightline of the Eldrin guards running toward us. “Ariel will keep lookout for you while you replace your way out of here.”

There is no chance of getting past the doubled guards on all the exits so we weave through the servants’ passageways to Alina’s apartment on the north side of the palace. She locks the door behind us.

“If we stay here until the panic dies down, Shadow should be able to leave from the window without being seen.”

Shadow moves to the side of the window, concealed by the wall as he scans the deployment of the guards in the grounds below.

“The clouds are making enough shade. I can leave now.”