Shadow of the Crown

  Shadow of the Crown

  Dragon Guardian Wars #1

  Amber Morant

  Text Copyright 2019 © Dragon Soul Press

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under the international and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Editing & Formatting by Dragon Soul Press

  Cover Art by Atlantis Book Design

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  About the Author

  About the Publisher

  One

  Anjuu looked down at the council far below her. She was the queen's shadow and as such, she was to remain out of sight. Everyone wanted to kill the queen and that left the drow Assassin, Anjuu, as her only protector. Even now, Anjuu refused to trust anyone. Her head was wrapped with a headscarf and her face hidden behind a white mask, red whiskers painted on the cheeks. All she had were slits for her eyes, but it was enough to see.

  Within the shadows of the exposed castle rafters, Anjuu chose to be at the ready. Her hand laid against her belt, her fingers twitching. Inside was a multitude of daggers and knives. With just a flick of her wrist, everyone below could be dead and there would be no one to blame.

  No. She couldn't think such thoughts. If the queen caught on then she would be dead, or worse, without a job. Anjuu had been trained all her life to be a shadow. Leaving now was worse than death, as every shadow in Narishma would hunt her until she could no longer run. Then continue their hunt in the afterlife so she could never be at peace.

  The queen was the only drow amongst the council, her seat at the head of the table, drumming her fingers against the arm of the chair. Sitting on either side of her were the three members of the council.

  “Do you really expect anything different when you let magic users control part of the government?” The cait shidhe, Azrael commented. Like many of the cait shidhe, he was more cat-like than human or elven.

  “Yet we have a cat trying to decide how we run our own government,” Persius grumbled, and scratched his head. He looked elven, but Anjuu knew better to assume after their first encounter years ago.

  “Like you can talk, dog.” Azrael hissed.

  “Skin walker, thank you.”

  Mestre, the third in the council raised a hand. She looked elven like Persius, but Anjuu knew at any moment Mestre could change her appearance to anyone in existence without another thought. “Can we get back to discussing business? My potions are simmering downstairs and I’d rather not let them get ruined because of cats and dogs fighting.”

  The queen, Kalio, nodded. “We have to focus. If that war comes to our borders, then we’ll need to fight.”

  Those in the council below were oblivious to Anjuu’s thoughts, thankfully. Instead, they were deep in discussion about a new political war in a nearby country, thanks to a common thief and alchemist. Anjuu knew who they referenced. A team of shadows had been dispatched overseas for the mission. If the two did indeed survive, the shadow guild master would be welcoming them into their guild.

  The four councilmembers continued to talk about more gibberish, which no longer interested Anjuu. The queen only required her blades, not her political advice. Her day continued as such, with talk and no threats against anyone in the castle. Not even so much as a sneeze came close to the queen. For shadows who were assigned to merchants or bankers, unlike Anjuu, there was constant action. Here, it was just too quiet.

  The council broke from their meeting as the sun began to set. Each left from a different door, followed by younger shadows next to them. Most of the shadows would die within the fortnight, but they were easily replaceable. The only ones not walking with a shadow were Mestre and the queen. Mestre had already killed ten shadow children in training from her experiments and thus no one would ever be assigned to her again.

  Anjuu expertly weaved across the wooden beams to the loft. Before her stood what looked like an impenetrable stone wall. To anyone else, it was a dead end, but off to the side, she could see a change in coloration that was almost too faint to detect unless you were looking for it. A small raven perched on top of a dagger. It was the mark for all shadows to traverse undetected.

  She pushed the brick in until she could hear a soft click. The remaining bricks split apart to reveal a dark tunnel. Anjuu stepped in and pressed another brick in to close the wall behind her. It was pitch black inside, a secret passage untouched by light for years beyond its entrance. She blinked, adjusting her vision to see despite the lack of light. Everything began to turn a shade of green and she continued forth. It was a genetic trait she thanked the gods for gifting the drow with. The tunnel twisted and turned, always going down. Just a few turns and she would be on the same floor as the council.

  Anjuu paused and pressed a loose brick on the wall. Again, a cluster of bricks moved to reveal a hallway filled with statues of men and women holding a lizard skull in their hands or hung above their heads. Past dragon guardians, who had left a large impact on Narishma society, whether for good or bad reasons, represented the balance of light and dark.

  The drow had seen these statues enough over the years that the intimidation of the figures was gone, and her eyes shifted to look for her target. The queen, Kalio, was a distance behind, still judging by the clack of her feet. At eye level, Anjuu could admire the queen's regality. When not on the throne, her appearance was always accompanied by simple clothing. Today's choice was an emerald corset with a cloak that tied into a skirt at her midriff. During more formal occasions, she wore gowns that had pieces of armor, to protect herself if Anjuu failed.

  She envied her queen's clothing and regality. There were days she imagined being able to stand close and feel the silk brush against her skin. The smell of Kalio devouring her very essence. As a shadow it was forbidden. She had to maintain her distance and never grow that close to her.

  Anjuu closed the window and continued down the dark tunnels until she reached another false wall. There was no pause in her movements as she opened a new doorway and stepped out into a large bedroom. She blinked, adjusting herself to the soft light in the room, the green haze dissipating from her vision.

  Most of the decorations consisted of items from the drow country in the East, Ombramoor. A small bonsai tree sat next to the windowsill, with a miniature sand garden that reflected the one recently built in the court
yard. Next to the desk was a small cabinet with a small piece of parchment attached inside and the ancient drow language written on the parchment, a butsudan brought over from their home country. Since joining the shadows, she had yet to own one for a few years now. The queen’s was the only semblance of the drow religion. Once you were a shadow, your old faith was gone, and the new one of death replaced it.

  Anjuu shook her head, refocusing her thoughts back to the tasks at hand before Kalio came into the room. She stepped over to the fireplace and bent down to toss more wood in. She then reached for a small vial around her neck. A golden liquid splashed inside that glistened in the dim light. A few drops fell from the vial onto the wood, careful not to lose all of it. In seconds, a smoke rose from the droplets then burst into a roaring fire.

  The door behind her burst open and the queen's grumbles of the day soon followed. "I swear to Devata's Roots if there is one more raid I will go down and burn them all myself."

  "Rebels, Your Grace?"

  "Damn it all! Anjuu, you need to send those shadows of yours to kill those rebels. I don't care how many of you die, just do it!"

  Anjuu stepped forward so the queen could see her when she bowed. "Your Grace, I cannot do that. I don't have the power or money to send any on such a mission."

  "Then why the hell are you here? They’re destroying my lands, an extension of me, and you’re sitting here making a fire?" Kalio grabbed a dagger off the nightstand by her bed. She slid her finger across the edge to verify it was still sharp then she flung it at Anjuu.

  Anjuu tilted her head to the side. She could hear the blade cut through the air near her ear. Although her head had dodged the strike, it managed to slice open the cord that held her mask and headscarf together. Her silver-gray hair tumbled past her shoulder. Her green eyes glowed. Without her disguise, she could have been confused for a lady of the court, but she preferred to remain anonymous with the mask.

  Anjuu bowed again, her eyes meeting the stare of the mask on the ground. "Your Grace, it is true that my life belongs to you. But if you kill me, then why ask for protection originally?"

  "Don't be snarky, girl."

  Anjuu's eyebrows raised in shock. Despite Kalio being capable of fighting, and potentially on par with many shadows, insulting her was dangerous grounds to cover. She didn't act on her surprise but removed the shock about her face. It would have been easier to hide her surprise with the mask and she made a mental note to reinforce the straps to avoid mishaps like this again.

  Kalio stepped over to the fireplace, brushing Anjuu aside. She slumped over into an armchair and yawned. The queen’s regality and anger sapped away, leaving only an exhausted drow who had just come from taking care of multiple small children. Anjuu could respect Kalio for that. The queen cared about her people and bringing peace, but it was stressful when the elves still treated so many drow as second-class citizens.

  "Look, you understand my pain. I know you do. I can manage on my own. I'll just borrow the others' shadows. Just go out and stop the raids."

  Anjuu bowed again and picked up her mask and headscarf. "As you wish, Your Grace."

  Kalio lifted herself out of her chair and stepped behind a small paper wall to undress for the evening. The curves Kalio possessed were accentuated with her silhouette in the wall. A sensual image that would place any intruder at ease, yet Anjuu knew against the queen's hip lay a sharp dagger for anyone's throat.

  In a few moments, Kalio would be asleep and Anjuu would be left to do as she pleased with her evening. She had an order to accomplish first and foremost. Pleasure would have to take a rest for now. While Kalio wasn't looking, Anjuu entered back into the tunnels, once again a shadow within the walls of the castle. Despite the need of the warm fire in the queen's chambers, the tunnels stayed perpetually warm. Many of the hearths in the castle aligned with the tunnels, which made Anjuu thankful for the architect. So many homes had decades ago updated their buildings with indoor heating, but there was no need within the castle.

  The mask and headscarf hung limp in her hand. It needed to be retired at the shadow's Temple. It had been a long time since she had seen it. If she died honorably as a shadow, she would be placed in a pyre with all the masks she had retired over the years. Already this was the fifth one she had lost, making her wonder the amount that would present itself in the end. It was an honor if you died wearing the same one you were gifted when you became a shadow and a surprise if you had a bed laid out of masks.

  She finally pocketed the mask into her satchel and placed the headscarf back on. She lifted the bottom until only her eyes were visible and tucked her hair inside of it. Until there was a new mask, she had to find new ways to remain anonymous.

  The passage ended at a small hole with a rope ladder bundled next to it. "I really do need to thank this architect. Either he was a shadow or a really good thief." She chuckled at the thought of an entire castle created as the perfect thieving location. If he was indeed a thief, he had since long passed away with only the bricks of the foundation left to tell his tale.

  As she climbed down the rope, the air grew cooler and the taste of smoke filled her mouth. Despite nightfall, many worked late hours to supply the growing army. War had erupted across the ocean and now tensions grew in Narishma. Kalio was paranoid as is, and a war looming while rebels struck was too close for anyone's comfort.

  The rope stopped, leaving Anjuu feet above the ground. She released the rope, feeling her stomach lurch into her throat. No matter the training, she would never adjust to straight drops. There were enough people out there to leap off buildings that they didn't need another suicidal drow running amuck. Still, when it was necessary, she was willing to dive if it meant saving her life.

  The area was filled with high-ranked officials walking the streets. This close to the castle there would only be the wealthy roaming. Not even beggars could get in, allowing nobles and merchants peace from the lower class. Even vehicles were forbidden in the inner city to prevent anyone from polluting the air and discomforting the wealthy. If someone did need transportation, there were small carriages pulled by servants to get someone to different parts of the town.

  Accompanying some of them were younger shadows and apprentices. Despite not being of the high class, shadows were treated as an extension of their employers. It was a comfortable life but a dangerous one if an assassin found his way in. Most of these shadows were fledglings and became pampered and lazy. Those who worked outside the walls were far hardier but also had a shorter life.

  Anjuu passed through the crowd, nodding at other shadows who passed by. A few placed their right arms across their chests and held their fists above their heart. A sign of respect and acknowledgment that was earned but never given freely. Even the founder of the shadows did not get that respect unless he earned it from his people.

  "I need to find a new path out of here," she grumbled after a fifth shadow saluted her. Most of them she had never met in her life and most just saluted her because she worked for the queen and viewed that as worthy of respect versus her actual skill. If her contract with the queen ever ended, they would see her as just another member of the guild. It made her sick seeing them so weak minded within the castle walls, and she yearned for the true shadows on the outside.

  She scanned the roads for an alley that could get her out of the crowd. Despite the castle having multiple secret paths, the streets surrounding it were made much later. Many were stacked and turned around on themselves as more buildings continued to be built into the city. She spotted a small alley that was empty and stepped into it without any more attention brought onto her. Anjuu cut around different buildings, directing herself toward the wall that separated the higher class from lower.

  Anjuu cut back into the main road that was empty, save for a few guards. The gate was closed for the night with the guards preventing any new travelers from coming through. Each of the guards wore an emerald green beret as a sign of the fealty to the queen. Those that worked under other nob
le's wore the colors of that family, but none were ever guards that protected the inner city. Most lived near the homes of the noble or wore the emerald still as the noble fell under the queen's power.

  She counted five guards. Two on the ground, two above the gate, and one pacing the wall. If she intended on getting out, she had to sneak past them all. Even being a shadow, she didn't hold a privilege of opening the gates after dark and would have had to wait for daylight. By then all the streets would be full again and she would be trapped within the wave of crowds.

  She stayed in the shadows of a nearby building and watched the guard's movements, pinpointing any patterns. The times they stopped to look around. The times they stopped to talk. The times they sneezed. All of it had to be calculated carefully or she would misstep and have to fight off guards. Something she dreaded having a conversation about with Kalio the next time she entered the castle.

  "Looks like an opening is there every ten minutes," she muttered to herself. It was only thirty seconds, but there was an opening above the gate. It was a small gap of time, but it would be just enough to not be spotted.

  She pulled out a bundled rope from her hip and attached one of her daggers to the end. The minutes ticked away until the path was open to her once more. The dagger flew as silent as the flapping of a bat's wings. The dagger snagged within one of the bricks high above her, granting Anjuu safe passage to climb up undetected. She was thankful for the added protection of her headscarf to hide away her hair or she would be a beacon to any guards down below. Even now with her cloak flapping in the brisk air, there was no telling if her venture would be a quiet success.