Moon Blessed

Chapter 27 ~ Secret Pathways

    "Are you sure about this alliance, Nik?" Yuri's soil-brown eyes were dark with wariness. "I don't trust this Silent Knight. He could be anyone. Suppose he takes advantage of this and kills you while you're in the lake? That gets rid of one more competitor for the Princess's hand."

    "I won't die easily with Nastasia's future at stake," Nikolai replied through gritted teeth. He tied half of Alyosha Arlov's shoulder-length hair back and let the rest hang loose. "You should know that."

    "I do, but suppose he figures that out as well? He might try even harder to get rid of you."

    Nikolai exhaled slowly, letting some of the tension ease from his body. He turned and rested a hand on Yuri's shoulder. "I'll be fine. Trust me. Even Danitza told me I have nothing to fear from the Silent Knight. She wouldn't say that without good reason. She stands to gain nothing from my death."

    Yuri didn't protest, but judging from the look in his eyes, he remained unconvinced. "I hope you're right. On another note, I learned something that might actually be useful to you."

    Nikolai raised a brow. "Go on."

    "I overheard an Eldon aide speaking with the Knight he serves. He said there's a system of catacombs beneath Hywel that lead directly to Lake Pontus. The tunnels are partially submerged, so you'll start underwater, not from the surface."

    Nikolai's mouth curled sideways. "That's good, but Danitza also told me there's a plant that grows on the surface of the lake that will allow me to breathe underwater for a time. If we start already underwater, I doubt we'll find the plant."

    Yuri rubbed his stubbled chin thoughtfully. "Let me see if I can find that aide again. I bet I can get some more information out of him. It sounded like he's been down the tunnels himself, so he would know whether or not the plant grows down there." He set off without waiting for Nikolai's approval.

    Nikolai crossed his arms with a faint chuckle. "Where is he going?" Mischa called behind him.

    "To get information. We'll find out if he's successful soon enough."

•༻᯽༺•

    "Are you sure teaming up with Sir Arlov is wise?" Elise asked. "What if he accidentally finds out who you are?"

    "I'll be careful," Nastasia reassured her. "I don't like it either, but I think I'll need his help. The task itself is going to be challenging enough, especially since I can't swim well. Having someone to look out for me will be better than trying to do it by myself."

    "I think it's a great idea." Josephine plopped down on one of her trunks and crossed one leg over the other. She clasped her hands atop her knee with a beaming smile.

    "It gives you a chance to find out more about Sir Arlov's character," she pointed out. "You are here to learn about the contestants for the Princess, after all. I'm sure she'll be pleased to hear that one Knight isn't focused entirely on himself and wants to help another succeed."

    "Only so he can succeed as well," Elise remarked.

    Josephine waved a dismissive hand. "My point still stands."

    "I'll be careful," Nastasia repeated, glancing at Elise. "But Josephine is right. I can use this opportunity to learn more about Sir Arlov. And while I'm doing that, I'd like you two to see if you can find out what Mischa and Yuri are doing here."

    "Why?" Elise asked. "They're Sir Arlov's aides. Do they need another reason to be here?"

    Nastasia pursed her lips. "I was told they were going to Herodion with one of the Princess's friends. She wasn't pleased when I told her that the two of them were here while there's no sign of her friend. She wants to know what's going on, but I haven't been able to investigate."