The Azimar Archives Book One- The Book of Death

Areanath

Areanath awoke with a start. He listened for a moment, but the world seemed quiet. Areanath slipped from his bed, his knee protesting as he straightened and slipped on a heavy robe. There were guards posted at his bedroom door, of course, and they would refuse to let him leave unaccompanied this late at night. It was their job to protect him, but this was something he needed to do on his own. Fortunately, there was more than one way to leave his rooms.

Areanath limped to a far wall of his study, stepping around one of the plush chairs that adorned the mostly empty room. The light scent of rose oil drifted to his nose as he circumvented it, and his steps slowed for a long moment.

Nevina...

Areanath shook himself lightly, reminding himself that haste was essential, and stopped to stand as close to the empty stretch of wall as he could, almost hugging the cold stone.

There would be a dimly lit hall on the other side of this wall, far enough from the guards that he would not be spotted. The only trouble was traversing the half a meter or so of solid stone.

Areanath closed his eyes, stilling his mind and momentarily forgetting the task that lay ahead of him. After a quiet moment he was ready, hands trembling slightly against the wall. A half murmured word and a few seconds of nauseating motion, and his hands were no longer brushing against the cool stone wall of his study.

Slowly, carefully, Areanath opened his eyes.

He stood out in the hall, his back against the far side of the wall that divided his study from the rest of the castle. Areanath released a quiet sigh, unsurprised to realize he had been holding his breath. A quick check around the corner showed him the two men standing to either side of his chamber door, silently guarding a now empty set of rooms.

Another quiet sigh, and Areanath was off, limping into the soft darkness of the long hallway.

His duties took him to the far corner of the castle, and he hurried along as quickly as his knee allowed him. The soft leather shoes he wore were silent against the stone floor, and only the occasional torch hanging on the wall lit his path. It didn't take long for him to reach his destination. The castle was quiet and still, and he passed no one.

There was a stretch of softly lit hall ahead of him, lined on either side with wooden doors at regular intervals. Areanath counted doors as he walked, stopping at the eighth door on the left, near the end of the hall. He hesitated, raising a hand to knock.

But what if he doesn't answer? Or worse, what if Silvana answers?

Areanath turned to face one shoulder against the door, letting the long fingers of his left hand trail lightly against the smooth wood. Then he took a small step, and another, concentrating on the spots where his fingertips touched.
Wood turned to stone, and Areanath continued walking, taking one small step after another. He had nearly reached the ninth door, and the next set of rooms, when his searching hand found what he was looking for.

Here... He tapped the spot once, thinking.

There was nothing on the other side of this section of wall. Nothing closer than the meter or so of space he needed. Areanath once more shut his eyes, concentrating on that empty spot just beyond the wall in front of him. After a moment, he stood in the dark interior of his adviser's rooms.

He could see nothing, but he heard the faint sound of light, even breathing, punctuated by a delicate snore. Areanath waited in the dark for his eyes to adjust, standing motionless, surveying his surroundings as they came into view. There was a bed on the adjacent wall, and a sleeping figure lying in it. He could make out long red curls against the covers. Silvana. He looked away, uneasy at seeing his adviser's wife in such a vulnerable position. Great Ones forgive me for this trespass. There was no one else in the bedroom, but Areanath could see the man he was looking for in the next room, hunched over a desk, with his back to Areanath.