And not because she was a pawn. It was not about bargains or laws. It was more than that.
Theywere more than that.
Somehow, they had become more, and now she had to set things right. She had to get to the bottom of this mystery surrounding the dangerous shadows that had overtaken this court, even though it might mean revealing all of her own lies in the process. And if he didn’t want her after that, she would understand. But she couldn’t keep pretending. It was too dangerous. Too selfish. She had to make up for those lies, somehow, and then maybe…
She steeled herself. Gripped her torch more tightly, and continued her search. There were at least a dozen cells stretching along the hall she’d reached, and only a few of them appeared empty.
She started to panic, wondering how she might find the ones she was looking for. But then she felt it, that cold breeze of magic stirring deep inside of her, trying to catch her attention.
The shadow fox that had overtaken the guard had returned; it bounded onto the path in front of her, turned several circles, and then set off into the dark.
She followed.
It led her all the way to the end of the hall, to a small alcove that contained a cell set apart from the rest. It slipped through the bars of this cell.
Sephia moved after it without thinking. She was so busy trying to see where it had gone that she was startled when a body slammed against those bars.
She stumbled back, thrusting the torch out in front of her, brandishing it like a weapon.
There was no one there to strike.
The body had already retreated into the dark—but she knew it was still there, just out of sight, because she could still hear it. Its ragged breaths were the only sound she was aware of for several moments.
She gathered her courage and choked out a command: “Show yourself!”
No response at first. But then she heard shuffling movement, and though nobody appeared, a deep voice spoke from the dark: “So the Shadow princess has decided to pay us a visit.”
Sephia threw a glance over her shoulder, eyes scanning the darkness for any guards who might have followed her in despite her tricks. When she was certain she was alone, she stepped closer to the bars once more. “How do you know who I am?”
The being on the other side of the bars began to laugh.
A second being joined it a moment later.
“Stop that,” she hissed.
They stopped.
“I am trying to figure out the cause of the dark happenings in the palace above,” she said, “and I might very well be able to help you escape in exchange for your cooperation. So I am going to ask you one final time:How do you know who I am?”
She didn’t truly know that she could—orwould— help them escape, but she had to say something to make them believe she had leverage over the situation.
“Well?” she pressed.
Another dark chuckle echoed through the cold air. And then the voice finally gave an answer: “I am your sender.”
The words sent a chill winding through her, even though she didn’t understand them.
“Sender?” she whispered, nervously swapping her torch from one hand to the other. “What does that mean?”
“You honestly don’t know who you’re dealing with, do you girl? I thought you would have figured it out by now.” The voice had changed. Suddenly it was no longer deep and cold, but wispy and sickeningly sweet, like…like…
No. It can’t be.
“Come closer to the bars,” Sephia ordered. “Step into the torchlight so that I might see you more clearly.”
The being obeyed. It came so close that she could have reached out and touched it. Her gaze swept over a tall, lean body. Dark eyes. Dark hair. Tapered ears, a sharp smile, a sharper gaze that made her breath catch as it settled on her.
Then shadows started to rise from its skin. And as they engulfed its body, that body began tochange. To shift and to shrink into a hunched figure with long white hair, piercing blue eyes…
