Had her parents worked with Jhon? It seemed unlikely, but then, Carth had never questioned why her parents moved cities.
Carth frowned. How could she really know so little about her own parents? And why did it seem that Jhon knew more about her family than she did in some ways?
The people moving along Chalice Road began to part, drawing her attention along the street. Chalice Road had some of the more expensive shops in Nyaesh, dressmakers and candle makers and bakers and carpet weavers and countless others that she would never have the money to afford visiting. The thought of stopping in one of the shops along Chalice Road left her feeling flushed.
Coming toward her were five A’ras.
That explained why the crowd parted.
Carth considered hiding. Standing out in the open when the A’ras came through would put her in danger, especially if she had somehow managed to draw their attention, but she didn’t want to hide. She wanted to see them, and wanted to know what they might do. They served the royal family, but they also served their own purposes. That they were willing to leave the docks alone when bribed told her that they were not nearly as holy as she had been led to believe, though the brutal way they punished others didn’t fit with their holy appearance, either.
The A’ras paused at the intersection. Standing alongside the lamppost, she tried to shrink against the metal, slimming herself as much as possible. She wanted to watch to see what they would do.
The A’ras paused at the corner. One of them caught her eye and looked her up and down before turning away from her, completely dismissing her.
Carth sighed as they passed. She didn’t want any more attention from them anyway, but for her to be so quickly dismissed… Hal and Vera had warned her that once the A’ras identified her, she would be in danger. Here she had allowed herself to be seen, allowed them to notice her, but they hadn’t shown any real interest.
Maybe it wasn’t her they cared about at all.
As the A’ras moved along the street, still following Chalice Road, she decided to follow. Doing so would be dangerous and she knew better than to attempt it, but a sudden urge compelled her to do so.
Others all tried to keep out of the way of the A’ras. She used that as a distraction, letting herself drift from one area of congestion to the next, always staying just out of sight, yet close enough that she could tell where the A’ras were. Trailing them wasn’t difficult; all she had to do was stay behind the spreading bubble cleared of people as they moved along the street. This time, she played the role her father had usually played, and she was the one who followed behind.
She hadn’t learned his tricks for doing so as well as he did, but she knew the ways that she had used to detect him, and thought that she could mask herself so that they wouldn’t pick her out quite so easily.
Quick movements were dangerous, but if she could time them to when the others around her moved more quickly, she wouldn’t have to fear anything. Other than that, the challenge she had would be that she moved against the flow of traffic. That alone would cause her to stand out. To combat that, she moved in a zigzagging way, hoping that it would appear as if she followed the flow of others around her.
What was she doing, anyway? Why did she risk herself following the A’ras? She couldn’t hope to learn anything other than that they were deadly and dangerous, but she already knew that. The only thing that she would discover was that she could suffer with them.
Two of the A’ras branched off, leaving the other three moving on their own. Carth debated which way to follow. If she trailed the group of the three who appeared to head toward the royal palace, she might get to see where they trained. But if she followed the pair of A’ras, she might discover what else they did in the city.
Carth followed the three.
People continued to give them space as they moved through the city, but Carth was surprised that the farther she went into the city, the less concerned people were about passing them. Whereas near the docks, people hid, the streets completely clearing, the closer she got to the palace, the less space formed around them. They still moved unencumbered, but it wasn’t anything that made it seem like people were actually worried about them.
Carth followed more easily now, no longer having to seem as if she moved away from them. Now she could flow with the pace of people on the street, moving along the street behind them, tailing them closely enough that she didn’t really fear being caught.
The palace gleamed in the distance. Carth had never been this close to it before. Many in the city made a point of visiting, if only to lay eyes on the royal family’s home, but since living along the docks with Vera and Hal, she hadn’t had the need or desire to come this deep into the city. The exposure to the man who had nearly killed Kel had been enough for her.
The A’ras passed through the gate. Carth waited, staring after them, wishing she could follow them through, but the gate led into the palace grounds. Entering through it in the daylight risked more exposure than she was willing.
She trekked on, making her way slowly along the wall before stopping. There was nothing she could do that wouldn’t draw too much attention.
As she looked up at the wall, curiosity about what happened on the other side nearly overwhelmed her. She might not be able to climb it in the daylight, fearing that not only would the A’ras see her, but others along the street would and might alert the A’ras. If she waited until it was dark… then she might be able to venture over and discover what the A’ras did, and maybe how they managed some of their magic. Maybe she’d find a way to learn why her parents were gone. Either way, it was time to stop waiting around and get on with what needed to get done.
15
Night fell quickly when the sun finally descended. In some parts of the city, night came on as a gradual change, a descent from the light of day to the steadily rising moon. Near the palace, it felt more abrupt. Carth decided that was good, as she didn’t think that she could wait much longer.
She should have returned to the Lyre. Remaining here instead of going back to the docks would only leave Vera and Hal worried, but Carth feared that if she did go, she wouldn’t have the strength of will to return. At least by remaining, she forced herself to focus on the A’ras. If she went back to the docks and to the Wounded Lyre, she wouldn’t come back tonight. It was possible she wouldn’t come back at all.
The longer she remained near the tall wall separating the rest of Nyaesh from the royal family, the more she thought about the A’ras. While waiting, she struggled to remember all that she could about them, trying to remember what it was her parents had taught her.
The A’ras were users of a kind of magic they were born to, something of a blood magic. Her father had told her that once, though Carth didn’t really know what that meant. There were other types of magic, some that she doubted that she’d ever experience, from people who could use different metals to create power to those with enhanced vision. Even men and women who could glimpse the future. Most power came from a combination. A person had to be born with a certain potential, and if they were, they had to find the right trigger for their power.
Carth worried that her presence here would draw attention. The longer she remained, the more she wondered if others on the street would notice her and comment about her presence, but so far she didn’t think anyone had. She didn’t stay in one place for too long, but didn’t make any attempt to collect scraps while she was here either, not wanting to run the risk of drawing any more attention to herself than needed. Every so often, she squeezed the hilt of the knife she carried, using it as a reassurance that she would be fine.
As the sun set and the moon began to rise, a strange drumming began to build.
Carth listened, wondering if it came from the other side of the wall, but then realized that it came from within the city. Other instruments joined the drumming, lifting into the night with a celebratory energy that had her foot tapping before she realized what she did. Her body felt pulled by the mus
ic, drawn away from the wall.
She followed the sound, a mixture of curiosity and the knowledge that she had time to spare pulling her along the street. It came not from a tavern, but from a small square where a crowd of people danced along to the music. The sounds built, stronger and stronger, a steady drumming that mixed with piercing horns and the sweet sounds of the lyre. A fire leaped toward the sky, giving a bright light to the night.
What festival was this?
Men wore costumes, masks over their faces, and most had long robes as well. Women were dressed more scantily. More than a few barely covered their breasts, and had chosen tight wraps that left little to the imagination, revealing their curves. Carth’s plain dress was out of place here.
Street vendors had set up shop. Some sold roasted meats and breads, and others had mugs of ale available. The festivities drew her in and she longed to be a part of them, but that wasn’t the reason she was here.
Carth pulled herself away from the festival, hoping she would have time to return before the night was over, but she intended to climb the wall. With the revelry, there was already a distraction, one that she could use to her advantage.
When she reached the wall, darkness had set in fully, and she quickly scaled the wall, not wanting to linger any longer.
She didn’t let herself think about what she did. If she considered the climb, and the fact that it would take nothing more than a few people noticing her to draw the attention of the A’ras, she would have gone running back to the docks. A desire for answers—or if not answers, at least knowledge—pulled her over.
On the other side, she clung to the stone, searching for shadows, but there were none. Ivy crept along the stone and copses of trees grew in places, mixed with rows of hedges lining walkways. Lanterns fought against the darkness, each blazing with a bright yellow light that pushed back the night. She ducked behind the hedges, using them as a barrier to keep from getting noticed as she slipped through the palace grounds.
With each step, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she shouldn’t be here. If the royal family discovered her, she would be dragged off to prison, or possibly a much worse fate, one where they would torment her. Then the prospect of losing a hand for collecting scraps wouldn’t seem quite so bad.
Yet, if she could understand the A’ras, then she could chase down information about Felyn and eventually learn what had happened to her parents. That was all that she cared about anymore.
Carth moved carefully along the grounds, but no one else was out. The walkways were empty and she saw nothing, not even any sign of guards. She might as well follow the paths openly rather than hide as she did.
She trailed along the hedge. The music from the festival pressed against her, a pulsing sort of rhythm that became more muted the farther she slunk away from the wall, but she still could hear elements of the music, like the occasional loud shriek from one of the horns, or a heavier drumming as the music reached a crescendo. It gave a sense of urgency to the night.
The lantern light faded as she neared the palace, the space between the lanterns spreading, casting greater shadows that stretched longer. Carth lingered in the shadows, using them to obscure herself, thinking of how her father had taught her to use the darkness to her advantage. That had been another game, but one she had only been in the early stages of learning.
A flicker of movement caught her attention.
Carth hesitated, wishing she could drape herself in darkness, wanting to pull it around her like a blanket to hide within. She refused to move, not daring to risk exposing herself here. There came another movement, but she couldn’t see what it was.
Her heart hammered heavily—and probably loudly. If she didn’t move, she would be caught. She was too in the open, too exposed, but moving—even a little—would draw more attention.
Letting out a slow breath, she thought of what her father had taught her of sinking into the shadows. Let it surround you. Shadow is as real as light, only shadow you can use.
His voice drifted to the forefront of her mind, making her miss him more than she had in some time. She could almost hear his words the same as she had heard them when he’d whispered them in her ear when she had first learned.
Sink into the shadows. Draw them around you like a cloak.
Movement appeared closer. Carth considered making a run for it, but that would definitely draw attention. What she needed was a way to do what her father had instructed.
Think like the shadow and become a part of it.
A flush washed through her and her skin felt warm. A cold sweat beaded on her brow and she barely considered wiping it away.
Find the edge of darkness and use it.
Carth’s gaze darted around the grounds. A muted voice came to her, as if through a fog. Near one of the lanterns, she found an edge of darkness, but how to use it?
She stared at it, focusing on it, wishing to be a part of it so that she could hide.
Night thickened around her.
Carth didn’t move.
Footsteps tapped along cobbles, but the sound seemed to come from a distance, different than what it should have been. The voice came again, at once more distant and closer, a strange combination. She stood unmoving, a statue in the night, praying that shadows would remain around her and keep her hidden.
Slowly, the sound and the movement eased.
This had been the stupidest thing she had ever done. Why risk coming here? What did she really think she could learn? The A’ras might find her, and if they did, she would be dead before she could get any answers.
With her heart still hammering, she turned and slowly, steadily, made her way back toward the wall. She stayed hidden between the shadows of the lanterns. Thankfully, they seemed dimmer than before, more willing to hide her. As she climbed up the wall, she paused near the top, the crawling sensation along her spine making her think someone had noticed her. Without waiting any longer, she dropped to the other side and hurried into the crowd, praying that she hadn’t been seen.
As the throng of people out celebrating surrounded her, she saw a shimmering cloak and a flash of maroon behind her, and realized that she must have been.
16
Carth hurried forward. As much as she might want to run, she knew that running would only draw even more attention. At least by going in a controlled fashion, walking at a fast but reasonable pace, she could blend into the crowd. She made her way toward the music, wanting to let the rhythmic sounds of the festival help hide her and knowing that the busier that it was, the easier time she would have of hiding.
A shout from behind her told her that the A’ras neared.
Carth moved more quickly. She bounced off a few people and slipped around others. There would be no hiding in shadows here, nothing of the darkness that she could use to protect herself. Finding her way to safety meant getting free of the A’ras tailing her, if she could.
She thought of how she had always managed to follow her mother. Carth had used the sounds of her footsteps and the color of her hair or her dress to keep a visual connection. With the sound of the festival, she didn’t have to worry about noise, but her dress stood out. What she needed was a costume.
And quickly.
She bumped into another man, this one with a well-cut robe, his face shielded by a mask made of black lace that surrounded his eyes. Carth dipped her hand into his pocket as she bumped into him, pulling out his coin purse before hurrying away.
At least now she had a way to pay for a costume.
She hurried to the side of the street, searching for the vendors. They were less frequent here, though as she made her way toward the music, the crowd thickened, making it more difficult to move quickly. The A’ras would have no such challenges. People moved out of their way, not wanting to suffer their wrath or risk their sword. What Carth wouldn’t give to have that kind of power.
There! She saw a vendor selling masks… and gowns.
She tipped the contents of the purse into her h
and and counted. Five silver vens. Would that be enough?
It seemed a fortune, especially considering how excited Kel and Etan got when they managed to find a couple coppers, but this was near the palace and there would be a difference in price.
She hurried to the stand, risking a glance over her shoulder.
Not only one A’ras, but two. And they headed toward her.
“How much for the mask?” Carth asked the vendor quickly.
The man had a bulbous bright red nose, and as he leaned toward her, a leering grin crossed his face. “Girl like you out for the Laseer Festival alone?”
She shook her head, thinking quickly. The fact that he commented on her age made her suddenly aware that she was the youngest person around. There had been no children at this festival.
What had she been thinking?
There would be time for berating herself later. For now, she needed to hide.
“Girl? I’m nearly eighteen,” Carth said, pulling her back straighter and thrusting out her chest slightly. There was no way that she could pass for eighteen normally, but maybe with the festival and with people drunk on ale and wine, she might have a chance. “And my future husband is…” She made a show of looking around, noting that the A’ras were within two dozen steps of her. The crowd was thicker here, slowing them, but there was little doubt that they came in her direction. “Over there.” She pointed to a muscular man near her. “How much for the mask?”
The vendor’s gaze drifted to the man and then back to Carth. “Four vens.”
Carth gritted her teeth. Four. The money was not hers and she didn’t really have the time to bargain with him anyway, but the price was outrageous. “Throw in the gown and I’ll give you five.” She set the stack of silver on the counter in front of him.
The man started to look past her. If he saw the A’ras, he would be less likely to finish the transaction.
“What do you say? Or should I have my future husband come make a bargain?” she asked sweetly.
Shadow Blessed (The Shadow Accords Book 1) Page 13
