Read Online Katrina, The Beginning by Elizabeth Loraine - Free Book Online Page A

room and must
have gone to bed, as the candles were put out right after she
returned.”
    “That’s strange, don’t you
think? We got back about a half an hour before that and we didn’t
see anyone else outside the palace walls.”
    “I went around the entire
perimeter of the palace and didn’t see anyone, nor was there any
sign of an outside exit from that storage area or the
wall.”
    “Hmmm. What is that witch
up to? So, everyone is in bed now, you’re sure?”
    “Yes, Damien, Luena, and
the Romanians. Their Watchers are at their doors, except Luena’s;
no one seems to know where he’s been for a while now. We have our
people in place too.”
    “Shall we go and see what
we can find in that shed?”
    “Shouldn’t we tell the
others?”
    “You know they won’t let us
go if we do. Besides it might be nothing, right? Did Luena have to
unlock it?”
    “Yes.”
    “Very well, I’ll get the
master keys Father was given this afternoon, after his
installation. There are only three different sizes, one for main
living areas, one for weapons storage, and one for supplies. One of
these will work, I’m sure of it. I’ll be right back.
    I was only gone a few
minutes and was back holding up the key ring.
    Let’s go.”
    Staying in the shadows of
the buildings we worked our way around the back wall.
    “This really is out of the
way,” I said. “It must be used as weapons storage depot for the
guards up on the wall.”
    Just then we heard one of
those very guards coming along the wall above us.
    “Everything all right up
there?” called out Quinn, as I hid in the shadows.
    “All’s well, no sign of
trouble,” answered the guard.
    “Good, I’ll inform the High
Regent,” replied Quinn. He then whispered to me, “He’s gone. Let’s
try the middle key.”
    I slid the key in the lock;
it fit, so I turned it to the right. Click . I smiled and
looked at Quinn. We were in.
    “Ouch.” I heard Quinn
mutter as he hit his head. There were no windows, but I could see
there were matches in a cup next to a small candle. I lit the
candle and filled the space with a soft yellow glow.
    “Sorry, I forgot you can’t
see in the dark. What would Luena be doing in this small room for
over two hours? You’re sure no one else went in or out?”
    “Well, I followed her here
and after she left, I waited to make sure no one else came out
later. No one did.”
    “And no Watcher was with
her?’
    “As I said before, no one
seems to know the whereabouts of her usual Watcher, and I saw no
other Watcher with her tonight. Usually Damien’s loathsome Watcher,
Ivan, is with them. What do your senses tell you, Kat?”
    I closed my
eyes.
    “I can pick up Luena’s
scent most heavily in that corner, not much else.”
    We walked to the corner.
Bundles of arrows were stacked on a pallet.
    “There’s nothing here,”
Quinn surveyed the area.
    “There has to be. Help me
move this. Oh, my God!”
    The pallet was on some kind
of a rail and when I pushed on it, it moved aside easily, revealing
a very narrow descending stairway. A passage only wide enough for
one person at a time was a brilliant defensive measure. A few
expert archers at the bottom could effectively pick off a whole
attack force as they were forced to descend the steep stairway
single file.
    “Katrina, no! We don’t know
what’s down there, at least use your gift to ‘see’
first.”
    I took a breath
in.
    “The girls, I see the
girls! I can’t detect anything or anyone else except the lingering
scent of Luena. Come on!”
    I went first because I
could see and hear better and because I was faster. The stairway
emptied into a small room with three archways, all dark. The
coolness of the damp underground chamber shivered through me and
the close, musty air assailed my nostrils.
    “This way,” I pointed to
the closest archway. The scent was so strong now, I knew they
weren’t far.
    “Eleanor? Rosalinda?
Arletta? Can you hear me?”
    I heard muffled noises. As
we