Shadow Seer [18+]

~ Seven ~

I made some changes to the plot so had to rearrange the chapters. This is what was originally the second half of Chapter Six. If you've read Chapter six, then there are some slight additions to the end scenes between Amir and Ghassan and Amir and Sanaa. If this is your first read through, then that won't matter to you!

Enjoy

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Sanaa searched for what felt like hours but she came up with nothing. Absolutely no mention of any children born to Amina or Ghassan other than Amir. Odd.

Could the previous book have been wrong? Perhaps she had an outdated edition of the previous book, or someone would have corrected such an error. Possibilities raced through Sanaa's head as she tried to understand what she'd read and most importantly what she could do with the information. At the moment, she hadn't come across anything that would help her evade Ghassan's advances, but there had to be something.

Movement behind her shocked Sanaa out of her contemplation. Sanaa froze, listening intently for any sounds until... voices. Panicked, Sanaa dropped the book she held onto the thankfully carpeted part of the floor. She didn't know how long she had been reading, but she needed to return before anyone caught her. Hastily, she gathered the books she'd taken and placed them on random shelves. The voices drew closer, but she couldn't immediately tell from which direction. The acoustics of the library played tricks, but Sanaa knew if voices could carry to her, then any sound she made could carry the other way.

Desperate to avoid detection, she peered around the corner of a shelf, making sure the coast was clear before darting across the room and back towards the tapestry. She made it, hurriedly pulling back the material to crawl through the small door. She closed it as gently as she could before turning to pick up her candle that was almost burned down and took off into the passage.

When she was far enough away from the library, Sanaa slowed her steps and tried to catch her breath. No one had seen her, but her heart raced anyway. It wasn't until her breathing returned to normal and she walked unhurried that she smiled. She had snuck out of her room without being caught! It exhilarated her beyond measure and she could hardly contain her excitement. Giggling to herself, Sanaa continued walking through the dark tunnels until she came to the junction once more. She eyed the chalk marking she'd made to show her the way back to her chambers, but as she turned, something caught her eye.

A faint glow up ahead, that could only mean... light. She'd assumed the tunnels simply ran adjacent to the palace walls, but if there was light, then there might be somewhere that opened... outside. Unable to contain her excitement at a plausible way out of the palace, Sanaa rushed forward, uncaring about the time and getting back to her rooms. Her candle almost out, she hurried toward the ominous glow until it was directly in front of her. She saw immediately that it didn't lead outside. Disappointment teased but with freedom never really being an option for her, it faded fairly quickly. The light was coming from some kind of vent. Now she was much closer to it, Sanaa could see that there were more thin rectangle openings cut into the stone of the floor that descended slightly. If she lay on her stomach, she could shuffle along and look further in. Carefully, Sanaa lowered herself onto the floor, thankfully dry, and crept forward to peer into what she could finally see was a large room.

It seemed to stretch for miles, as far as her eyes could see. She was looking at it from above, but low enough that she could see to either end. There was a door to the left, a door she'd seen before on her walks around the palace but knew she had never entered. The walls were adorned with intricate patterns of gold and precious gems, but dimly lit from a series of small braziers that dotted the room. It was then she understood the holes were for ventilation. Tapestries and banners made from the finest silks hang from the walls, their threads woven with silver and gold. The flickering braziers cast dancing shadows across the polished marble floors. Massive pillars rose beneath her, their surfaces encrusted with jewels that sparkled like stars. Piles of golden coins rose like small hills, reflecting the flames in a dazzling display. Precious gemstones, each one more vibrant than the last, lay scattered across tables and pedestals. Ornate chests with intricate locks lay haphazardly around the space, their surfaces adorned with delicate engravings depicting mythical creatures and heroic deeds. The chamber seemed to hold the collective wealth of civilisations throughout Cotai's history, all gathered in one place. Grandiose was not unfamiliar in the palace, but as Sanaa stared in wonder, she realised where she was.