Read Diviner for Free Online Page B

and right, maybe four on each side. They appeared to be neatly made and empty. Two ragged holes interrupted the floor’s woody network, one large and one small. Apparently this floor was too fragile to walk upon, though a dragon might fly in without a problem and perhaps deposit a human on one of the beds.
    To her right, another corridor, not quite as large as the first, stretched out into darkness. With a solid marble floor, it seemed to be the safer option. Letting her boots strike the hard surface noisily, she marched that way. If anyone came out to check on the noise, she could ask to see the white dragon. Maybe calling would be even better.
    Still walking, she lifted her voice enough to compete with her footfalls. “Hello? Is anyone here?”
    “I am here,” a feminine voice replied from behind her. Koren halted and spun around. No one was there.
    “Who said that?”
    “I did.” A wisp of light shaped like a girl curtsied. “I am Deference.” As soon as she straightened, she vanished.
    Koren slid a step closer and tried to find her in the dimness. “Have you been following me all this time?”
    “Only since you came out of the star chamber.”
    “Why didn’t you say something?”
    “The king said I was to remain quiet until you called. He knew you wouldn’t be able to see me while I was behind you, and whenever you stopped, I stopped. You can’t see me unless I move.” She swayed back and forth, appearing again and creating a new aura all around. She looked to be about fifteen years old, her hair and eye color impossible to discern.
    Koren pointed at her. “So you made the light while I walked.”
    “I did, but the light works only in these corridors. It has something to do with the jewels in the walls.” Deference spread out her hands, a sheepish expression evident in her glowing face. “But I have no idea how it works.”
    “That’s okay. I wouldn’t expect you to know every mystery in this strange castle.” While the glow remained, Koren looked at one of the walls in the new corridor. The design resembled a girl inside a sphere. With red hair, green eyes, and a blue cloak, she had to be a Starlighter.
    Koren pointed at the wall. “Is that Brinella?”
    “Brinella?” Deference turned toward the mural, brightening the aura again. She gave a light shrug. “I don’t know her name, and I’ve never heard of Brinella.”
    Koren pressed her lips together. This interrogation might not provide many answers. She pointed down the hall. “Is the white dragon in that direction?”
    “He is, but you’ll never find him without a guide.”
    “Will you be my guide?”
    Sweeping her arm out in front, Deference bowed low. “It would be an honor.”
    “Then lead the way. The last thing I want is to get lost.”
    Deference ambled down the hall, her light illuminating the murals lining the corridor.
    Lowering her hood, Koren followed. To the right, the Starlighter in the sphere floated alongside. She changed positions at times, from sitting to standing to walking. She certainly looked like Brinella, perhaps a little younger.
    To the left, another mural appeared, this one a reflection of herself, a redhead dressed in black—the same dress and boots, but no Starlighter cloak.
    As Koren glanced between the two, they seemed to emerge from the walls, taking on minute details and vibrant colors. Brinella’s eyes shone green, and her hair looked pomegranate red. The girl in black had eyes of ebony, Zena’s blank eyes, barren and lost.
    Koren shuddered. Was her Starlighter gift doing this? Was she making the images animate? What other explanation could there be?
    As if brought to life, Brinella called out from the painting, “Starlighter, why have you used your gift to seize the minds of those who lack your vision without providing sustenance for their starving spirits?”
    The girl in black replied, her tone sour. “You have no idea what I’ve been through. They enslaved me. They put me in chains.” She