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

Chapter Twenty-Five

Sterling stifled a yawn as she followed Kai through Daralis. It was a long walk from the inn where they were staying to the palace, but Kai hadn't wanted to bring the horse. He thought it would bring more attention to them, but it seemed to her they were drawing plenty of attention, anyway.

She felt eyes on her with every step, but whenever she looked around, there was no one there. The two of them had darkened their hair to a muddy brown the same day they'd arrived, so there shouldn't have been anything about them to stand out. And yet, she couldn't help feeling there was a sign hovering over them, pointing them out as different.

"Are we almost there?" Sterling asked. Her feet ached in the too small slippers that pinched her toes. While she'd been asleep, Kai had gone to the market and found them clothing suitable for an audience with the king. For her, that meant a dress in a soft peach color with little purple flowers embroidered along the hem. Nice enough to appear respectable, but not too nice as to stand out.

"Soon," Kai responded, his hand going to rest on the coin bag she'd advised him to bring. They might need to part with a bit of money if they wanted to be let into the palace.

"What will we do after this?"

"That depends on what we learn here." His eyes flicked back and forth across the road ahead, taking in everything. "Assuming we learn where the missing people are, we can visit them and locate Seraiah's father."

"And if we don't?" Sterling noted the use of Seraiah's father and not your father. In her mind, Papa was still Papa to her, no matter how she might try to distance herself.

"Then we leave."

Sterling almost tripped over the hem of her dress. "So soon?"

"There won't be a point in staying if there is nothing more to learn."

"But—"

"We're here," he announced. "We can talk about this more after."

Sterling tilted her head back to take in the palace before her. They hadn't quite made it to the palace itself, but they'd joined the crowd of their fellow petitioners shuffling toward the entrance.

Kai motioned her to the back of the group. They wanted to ensure an audience with King Berenger, but they did not want to be the first ones to see him.

The columns at the entrance to the palace were ornately carved with the faces of the gods or at least Sterling assumed they were the faces of the gods. For all she knew, they could be faces of past kings. Either way, she swore it felt like they were watching her, judging her every move just as the people in the street had been.

Perhaps Seraiah's paranoia had rubbed off on her.

Sterling ducked her chin and hurried after Kai.

The sandstone floors gave way to polished marble run through with veins of sparkling gold as soon as they stepped through the doors. It was so shiny, Sterling could see her reflection in it. She didn't doubt that it was some poor servant's sole duty to ensure the floors stayed that way.

Sterling clutched Kai's arm to keep herself upright on the slippery floor as they passed through the space. Maybe it was the king's intention for the petitioners to fall and crack their heads, so he wouldn't have to listen to their grievances, Sterling thought darkly. She wouldn't put it past him.

The king's attendants ushered the stream of petitioners toward the large double doors of what Sterling assumed was the receiving hall. A scene of a man wearing a large golden crown while decapitating a beast was carved into the doors. It was likely meant to be imposing, but Sterling doubted it was real. From what she knew of her history, the kings of Himera never ventured outside their walls. They had other people to do that for them.