Read Shadows Return for Free Online Page A

Mark my words; it’s
her
doing.”
    He staggered inside and collapsed facedown on the bed. Before Alec could draw him out further on the matter, Seregil was snoring.
    “Fine then. Sleep in your clothes,” Alec muttered, letting his own fall where they would as he followed.
    If he’d been more sober himself, he’d probably have been more worried.

CHAPTER 4
    Those Who Serve at the Queen’s Displeasure

    BY THE TIME they rode to the Palace the next morning, Alec was sober enough to be worried and wine sick in equal measure. Even the weak early light made his head throb. Seregil, as usual, was feeling fine and didn’t seem particularly perturbed about the summons. They’d left Micum pacing the courtyard, clearly worried whether or not he would see them again.
    “Bilairy’s Balls, Seregil, why did you let me drink so much?” Alec grumbled.
    Seregil snickered. “
Let
you? I seem to recall being told to ‘hand over the bottle or piss off’ at several points during the evening.”
    “So you’re as immune to drink as you are to magic?”
    “Hardly. I’ve just had better luck with drink. You’ve seen what magic does to me.” He raised a hand unconsciously to the faded scar hidden beneath his fine surcoat. “I’ll take a bad wine head any day.”
    Alec’s horse missed a step on the worn cobbles and lurched. Alec’s belly did the same. “Easy for you to say.” He kept his real worries to himself as the dark bulk of the Palace loomed before them.
    Built of black and grey stone and buttressed by the western wall that surrounded the city, with square towers overlooking the harbor below, it was as much fortress as castle, and one that had never been successfully taken. Alec had read the histories of how Queen Tamír the Great had built Rhíminee, guided by visions and the best builders in the land, after Plenimar had destroyed the original capital at Ero. The Orëska House had been built at the same time, but where it was airy and open, the Palace had a closed, oppressive feel.
    At least we came in through the front door this time,
thought Alec as a liveried servant led them through the large receiving hall and down a twisting series of corridors to a smaller, but no less imposing chamber.
    This one was long and rather narrow, with a row of stained-glass slit windows set high up under the vaulted ceiling. These left the room in semidarkness at this hour, and it was cold. At the far end, several rows of long oak benches faced a large throne on a raised dais. The queen’s banner hung behind it, glimmering in the lamplight.
    “Please have a seat, my lords,” the servant said, directing them to the front bench. “Her Majesty left orders for you to attend her here.”
    Seregil sat down on one of the front benches and stretched his legs out, still looking more bored than worried. Alec tried to do the same but was soon up and pacing the polished stone floor. His footsteps echoed hollowly in the cavernous room, drawing attention to the fact that they were the only people here.
    “There are better ways to pass the time, you know.” Seregil took a bag of gaming stones from his purse, and a lump of chalk.
    Alec caught his arm as he bent to mark a bakshi board on the floor. “Stop that! How is that going to look, when she comes in?”
    Seregil rolled his eyes, but sat back and put the chalk away. “How will it look, with you wearing a trench in the floor?”
    The sun clocked nearly an hour down the wall before the great doors at the far end of the room opened and Phoria swept in with Prince Korathan and Thero.
    Alec elbowed Seregil, then tried to catch the young wizard’s eye, but Thero gave him only a slight nod as he came to stand with them. This didn’t seem a sign of good things to come.
    He looked well, otherwise. He’d put on a formal robe for the occasion, and his belt and purse were finely worked with Aurënfaie patterns. He was clean-shaven these days, and a smooth dark blue gem set in silver dangled,