Prince of Shadows

Chapter 1

It's him. The prince. He saw me in the shadows.

Quicker, I made my way through the streets, doubling back on myself a few times. My wings itched beneath my skin, yearning to come out from underneath my bodice. 

I glanced around before sparking a flame in my hand. It was old magic, elemental stuff. I doubted anyone in this part of town would know how to cast a spell like that. The problem with elemental magic, of course, was that it was strictly forbidden by imperial law. 

Let's just say I don't work under "imperial law". 

A door creaked behind me. The fire grew brighter, stronger in my hands. Ready to fight off whomever was coming. I'd killed before. It wouldn't be too hard to kill again. Right? 

"Girl!" The man cried, opening his door another inch. "Don't you have somewhere to be at this time of night?" 

My flames flickered, then died. The man gasped. His face twisted with anger, disgust. 

"Witch!" He screamed. "Tribal monstrosity!" 

His house, being made of wood with a thatched roof, easily caught fire. Of course, other people saw too, screamed of faeries and witches coming to haunt them. 

"Begone, witch!" Someone shouted. A man stepped out of the amassing crowd, carrying a staff and a bag (presumably full of rune stones). "As a paladin of the Imperial Order, I command you to surrender yourself at once." 

I set my wings free. 

Pulling off my cloak, I let people see the large pair of white wings growing out of my back. 

"You can try!" I called back, adding a little wave. 

He smirked, as if an oh, I will was to be added onto the end of his sentence. 

You can certainly try. 

*

*

*

"Good morning, princess," I said, opening the curtains in Princess Anastasia's chambers. 

"Good morning, Kendall," She replied. "I would like to try and be down to breakfast as early as possible today, do you think you can manage that? You know how Mother detests tardiness." 

"Of course, princess," I said, helping Anastasia over to her vanity. "Would you like to bathe this morning?"

"No, thank you, Kendall." A knock at the door. "Would you mind getting that?" 

"Not at all, princess." I open the door to see none other than Prince Julian standing just outside the door frame. "Your Highness," I mumbled, curtsying. "Princess Anastasia is just through here." 

Julian stared me down. "That won't be necessary right now. Could you deliver a message to her instead?"

"Of course, Your Highness." 

"Tell her that Lord Salvatore of the Ceirann Province will be arriving shortly. I know that she is anxious to see her fiance." 

I returned to Anastasia and helped her into a red and black - the colors of House Augustine - satin dress, and followed her down to breakfast. 

Lord Salvatore was waiting down in the dining hall. Enough of the palace staff and Salvatore's servants lined the walls to serve the whole table. It wouldn't be impossible for me to slip into the lower town, past the empress's guards and back before the meal was finished. 

I donned a cloak and was making to leave when someone grabbed me from behind. 

"I expect you're going to visit your little witch friends, aren't you?" The voice was male. Familiar. 

This encounter could only breathe danger. 

My hands sparked with flames. "Let me go." 

Prince Julian took off his hood, his pale blond hair contrasting the shadowy hallway he had cornered me in. 

Shit.