Witch Fall(33)

If Lilette were to free them, she needed a way to draw away the guards. The beautiful palace, lit up with distant torchlight, caught her eye. A smile stole over her face. Now if she could just manage to avoid being caught.

Eight long years had passed since she’d been in the garden, but she hadn’t forgotten the shrine. She moved in its general direction and stumbled upon the guardians. The emperor obviously didn’t see them as nearly the same threat as the witches. They were kept inside a metal-barred enclosure that had once held exotic animals. Fewer than a dozen elite stood guard at the gate.

Lilette counted the guardians as best she could—over sixty. It would be much easier to free them and let them fight their way past the elite guarding the witches. She skirted the enclosure, and it wasn’t long before she caught the sweet smell of incense. She followed the smoke to the wide pillars and slipped inside. Names of all the emperors for the last thousand years were carved into the five walls, sticks of burning incense before all of them.

The stones were cool beneath her slippered feet as she approached the dais, upon which was a statue of the five-clawed dragon curled around the sun. Hundreds of sticks of incense in various states of burning lay before him—prayers for a Harshen victory. All those sticks of incense were lit by holding them to one of dozens of cork lamps floating in glass jars of oil.

Wetting her lips, Lilette took one of the lamps, careful not to spill the hot oil. She couldn’t hide anymore, not with a lamp lighting her up to the night. So she walked straight toward the palace as if she belonged.

Taking a deep breath, she left the safety of the shadows and stepped onto the porch. The door wasn’t guarded—the only way into the gardens was through the palace, so there wasn’t really a point.

Knowing the exact tapestries she would light on fire, she reached for the handle.

“Stop,” someone said in a commanding tone.

Her first instinct was to run. But she forced herself to stay still. She was winded after only walking. There was no way she could outrun two elite guards.

They came toward her, their half-moon spears lowered. She kept her eyes trained on the floor, hiding her pale coloring in the shadows.

“Who are you? What is your business?”

“I’m Chang,” she said, her mind working quickly. “My madame lost her comb in the garden and sent me to fetch it.” She held out the comb Salfe had given her as proof.

One of the men lowered his spear long enough to take it from her. She had to resist the impulse to snatch it back. The other guard squinted at her in the dim light. “You’re not one of the palace eunuchs.”

Oh, no. “I’m new.”

The first guard tucked her comb into his pocket. “Easy enough to find out. We’ll take him to the master eunuch.” He clamped a hand on Lilette’s shoulder while the other guard opened the palace door.

Nausea hit her hard. This would not end well.

The guard steered her forward, and she entered the palace for the first time in eight years. The smell hit her—incense and scented oils. Carved reliefs of phoenixes and dragons covered the walls. Tall columns of green marble were spaced throughout the room. It was dark, but Lilette knew the walls were painted red—the color of passion and life. Motifs in tones of jade and gold adorned the high ceiling.

The main room was broad and open, filled with low tables surrounded by cushions. The guards directed Lilette toward the back of the palace, in the direction of the small, screened rooms where the palace eunuchs slept.

Her mind scrambled for a way out, something that didn’t end with various parts of her body being sold for curses. She was vaguely aware of the front doors swinging open. An elite wearing full battle armor strode in. Was he here for her too?

Gripping the lamp hard, she lurched forward, deliberately spilling oil on the nearest wall. But the sudden motion caused the lamp to go out, so the wall didn’t catch fire. Dread filled her whole body, making her limbs heavy. One of the elite swung the shaft of his spear, hitting her across the shin. Lilette dropped to the ground as pain shot up her leg.

“What are you doing?” he barked. “You’ll set the whole palace afire, you fool!”

“Get up,” the other growled, his gaze flashing to the elite who’d come in after them.

Lilette gasped for breath. She didn’t think her leg was broken, just terribly bruised. She started to push herself up, but she was shaking so badly her body wouldn’t respond.

“Come on,” the second guard said through clenched teeth. “You eunuchs are all so soft. Not even men at all, are you?” He jabbed the butt of his spear into her side. “Get up!”