May Shadows Reign (Book 2 of The Lost Queen Series)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Virelai leaned over the railing of her balcony, closing her eyes. Then she reached for the wind.

A light breeze swirled around her, playing with the ends of her hair, but she couldn't seem to call anything stronger. Her magic ability had never been anything more than average, but this was pathetic, even for her.

She sighed and opened her eyes, resting her chin on the palm of her hand as she stared out over the water. It was frustrating to slowly lose her ability to call the wind. She couldn't understand why her father wouldn't want their queen to return. The longer the elves remained without her, the weaker their powers would become until they disappeared entirely. Without their abilities to manipulate the elements, they weren't any better than humans.

Sucking in one last breath of salty sea air, Virelai straightened, preparing to return inside. A slight movement on the beach below caught her attention, and she paused.

No one should be on the beach.

Gavaran was carefully regulating who could enter and leave the city, and to her knowledge, everyone was forbidden from stepping foot on the beach, including her.

Virelai leaned over the railing, squinting to get a better look. She expected to see some sort of sea creature or another wild beast, but to her surprise, it was neither of those things.

"No, it can't be," she breathed as she watched the scene below.

Those were people shuffling along the sand, and it wasn't just a few people either. There had to be well over a hundred of them down there, a slow-moving mass pouring over the beach. It was hard to tell from where she stood, but they didn't appear to be wearing elven clothing.

These couldn't be humans, could they? Where would they have come from? There would have been gossip if this many of them crossed the portals. She would have heard of it, surely.

A light breeze lifted the ends of Virelai's hair again as she continued watching the flood of people.

This had to be her father's doing. A group this large couldn't pass the city unnoticed, and she heard no cry going up from the walls. The sliver of city she could see from her balcony remained calm, and the wind brought no voices to her.

When her gaze returned to the horde, she spotted a uniform that looked an awful lot like a palace guard. As she scanned the crowd again, she spotted more of them, recognizing the rich colors and gold or silver braiding along their shoulders. They seemed to be staying around the edges of the group and guiding it forward.

Yes, this was certainly her father's doing, but the question was, why? He despised humans.

Pushing away from the rail, Virelai headed back inside, intent on finding out what was going on. She strode across the room and ripped her door open, startling the guard that was standing there. Supposedly, he was at her door for her protection, but Virelai knew better. He was there to watch her, and if she wandered off, he would report it.

"What can you tell me about the people on the beach?" she demanded. She'd learned long ago that it was better to command than ask nicely. It brought more results, faster.

"I don't know what you mean, my lady. There shouldn't be people on the beach," the guard answered, his eyes flicking to her face and away again.

He was young and nervous. Easier to manipulate, she decided.

"I'm aware, which is why I want to know what they are doing there, and you," she jabbed a finger at his chest, "are going to tell me or find out. It could be a matter of my safety," she added.

Let him think she feared whatever was happening down there and was not merely curious.

"But I . . ." he stammered.