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A spark of heat rushed from Ajali only to be quickly contained. He met Uriah’s eyes and some sort of message seemed to flow between them before it was quickly veiled.
“Ladies, if you will excuse us,” Ajali said and flashed from the room without waiting for acknowledgement.
Subtle tension invaded Xian limbs. She made as if to leave and then hesitated.
“Is all well, Xian?” Shae asked, looking at the door in bemusement.
The smile that curved Xian lips did not reach her eyes. “I had entertainment planned after dinner.”
Tehdra tasted the fear that filtered from her. She hid it well; her expression did not betray her feelings.
“Let’s adjourn to the drawing room. No need to spoil our entertainment because the men left,” the princess said in a jovial tone that was obviously false to Tehdra, and apparently to her alone.
Lady Sascha and Lady Shae laughed, and conversation picked up as if there were no lull.
Three pair of eyes bore into her as she pushed back her chair. “If you will excuse my presence, I will not join you for the evening entertainments.”
The princess nodded, and Tehdra walked away. At the exit Xian’s voice reached her, cool and remote.
“Be sure to be at the battlement arena first thing in the morn, hari.”
Darkness stirred, and pleasure rippled through her. Tehdra lifted her brow as she glided from the room.
Distrust.
Its flavor was so biting her teeth had almost chattered. She would only have a few days at most to uncover the Darkans that spied for the enemy at castle Shelah and remove them. Ajali also distrusted her because she had failed to research all that a hari had to offer.
I have not failed. Ajali had not fallen, and she still resided within his castle walls. She would simply disappear and leave the city if her position became precarious. Then find a way to exist in the shadows without alerting the warriors who were witches.
She flowed through the castle trying to trace Ajali’s steps, dancing with the shadows and darkness to ferret out information. There was no pulse of fear, and other negative emotions for her darkness to follow. She inhaled the shadows inside her with relish, yet there were no flavors of death and pain.
Tehdra stood high on a turret overlooking the castle grounds, opening her mind deeper to her darkness, spearing her chakra to encompass the entire court. Anger flared, jealousy pulsed and…ahhh. Greed rushed to her, and she ate the dark energies with relish. Power hummed beneath her skin, and she welcomed the savagery that filled her mind.
Mine…
Patience, she slid back to her beast.
The suspicions she felt had to be side tracked. Xian posed a threat, yet so did Ajali. The thought that brought the cruel smile to her lips could not apply to him—she could not silence him by ripping out his throat.
She turned her thoughts to the princess. How to silence the misgivings of Princess Xian? How to train and appear naïve in the art of warfare?
Tehdra pulled the shadows to her, sinking inside its obscurity.
All distrust must be silenced.
Chapter Five
The Darkage—Kingdom of Darkness and Shadows
The Northern Keep
Blood, hot and spicy, flowed down Princess Saieke’s throat. She shuddered and clamped down on Drac’s thick length as pleasure bombarded her. His hips snapped hard in a final thrust, and she climaxed in a burst of bliss so intense she released her fangs from his neck and screamed.
Fangs,
He kissed her lips in a tender, soothing gesture.
She still struggled with the knowledge that she now possessed fangs, drank the blood of her lover, had strength and speed that could almost rival the most powerful Amagarian, and most amazing of all, she was the mate of a Darkan. Each morning after breaking her fast, the first thing she did was read the scrolls in the great archives hoping for an explanation. Was she to fully turn into a Darkan, or were the abilities she had glean the extent of her transformation? Could she have a child, and if she did, would he or she, be a Darkan?
