Fear Among The Shadows

Chapter X - A Command in Blood

The day to infiltrate the Shadow Palace had finally come. The estate was filled with bustle as everyone rushed to get any last-minute preparations done, as well as check, double-check and triple-check that everything would go according to the plan. Their carriage was being oiled for a smooth journey and the horses groomed carefully. Weapons were polished, loaded, then polished again. Jonathan himself was overseeing all the preparations, standing tall with his cloak wrapped around his shoulder, pinned beneath his neck by a round chunk of blue gem surrounded by silver laurels, looking every bit the lord, he was. He would ensure this plan's success. They just needed to get into the Shadow Palace, find the basilisk, take some venom from it (hopefully without dying) and get out unseen and undetected, giving away no sign that they had taken the venom so as to not alert the Mistress of what they were after.

Simple enough, wasn't it?

Adilah didn't quite think so though as every hair on her skin was standing on end and she was practically a tightly coiled bundle of nervous energy. What the hell was she doing here? She was a miller's daughter! Battles? Tactics? Espionage? She'd never thought of those words in her life and she suddenly found the little training she had got (which she was immensely proud of) to be flimsy and of no real use.

Thankfully, Letitia noticed the stricken look on Adilah's face as she fumbled with her boots, dropping the laces. All Letitia felt as she looked at the girl next to her was pity. She wasn't meant for this. She didn't deserve it. She was the only innocent one in the entire Palace. Letitia remembered the girl's father well – a shrivel of a man and a coward. He didn't have her light brown skin so she assumed Adilah got that from her mother. Throughout all the days the two girls had spent together, Adilah had never once mentioned her mother. Only a little sister whom she adored with all her heart, Janan. The pity grew in Letitia. She didn't deserve what happened to her.

But walking willingly back to the Shadow Palace? Yeah, I deserve whatever happens to me.

Letitia's mind drifted for a second back to the day she'd told them her plan.

After everyone had been thoroughly horrified at her suggestions, and then realizing that it was their only option, each had gone their respective ways: Eric to find something to drink and Adilah still worrying about her outburst. Letitia busied herself with cleaning the room, putting it back to rights. She didn't notice that Eddie was still in the room (which was impressive, considering he was built like an ox) until he spoke,

"You know if you want out of this mission all you have to do is ask."

She snorted, "Jonathan may be decent, but I still work for him, and you need me for the plan to work. He doesn't care about my personal issues."

"I can talk to him. You don't need to go back there."

But she was already shaking her head before he was done. "Yes, I do. I always knew I'd have to go back at some point. At least this way, I can do some damage."

He looked at her with pity, not believing the bravado she was displaying, but thankfully he didn't say anything, except, "You don't deserve to go through that again."

If I was to be honest, none of them did.

But more was yet to come.

Letitia tapped Adilah on the shoulder and the poor girl jumped like a frightened bunny,

"Oh, it's only you, Letitia. Sorry, I may be a tad nervous."

"Of course, I know. I was just wondering if you could help me stack these quivers in the back of the carriage."

She was holding two and there were still about a dozen more to go. Adilah was grateful for the distraction and focused all her mind and energy on merely moving the quivers from their hooks on the wall to the carriage. As she was loading, Adilah passed Joah heading to the armory. He didn't even glance her way. She stood stunned for a moment; sure, she didn't expect a friendly good morning, but he always graced her with a disgusted sneer or a condescending smirk. This time it was as if he didn't even realize she was there! My dear reader, Adilah discovered that she didn't quite like being ignored so she made to follow him and give him a few choice words (just out of spite, really) when she glimpsed him walk past Jonathan. The temperature in the room was frigid. They didn't look at each other nor stop what they were doing, but those few seconds they passed one another were packed with tension and cold hostility.