Read Online Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan - Free Book Online Page B

you tonight and almost succeeded. Do not give him another opportunity. You will leave with us, at dawn.”
    “Uncle? Tell him!”
    Pan glugged down a goblet of wine. If it was poisoned, he was willing to risk it. “Lily…I think the duke might be right. He’ll look after you.”
    “As I would my own daughter.” The duke smiled at her. There was no affection or kindness in it.
    “I am not your daughter! You are not my father!” Lily screamed.
    Tears leaked from her eyes.
    I will not cry. I won’t give Solar the satisfaction. I’d rather die than leave Castle Gloom.
    Her mind raced. She didn’t have armies or skill with a sword or magic, but somehow, somehow, she needed to beat them. She needed time.
    “Wait, what about Halloween?” she said, clutching at a straw. “I can’t leave. Not before Halloween.”
    Solar scowled. “Why is that so important?”
    “It’s Gehenna’s big annual holiday, and we throw a huge masquerade ball. It’s been held here since the first stone of the castle was laid.
If
I’m to leave, I need to say good-bye to everyone, and that will be the best time to do so.”
    “A masquerade? Why a masquerade?”
    Pan spoke. “In the olden days, when magic was common, Halloween was the night when the barriers between the lands of the living and dead were at their lowest. The dead would rise from their graves and join the living. Masks were worn so that no one would know who was alive and who wasn’t.”
    “A dance is held in every village, and people wear masks and dress up as ghosts and ghouls,” added Lily. “Families have midnight picnics at the graveyards and leave food and drink so their dead know they’re not forgotten. We have a big weeklong fair leading up to it, just outside the castle walls.”
    “Today is the nineteenth. Halloween is almost two weeks away,” said the duke. “I cannot stay that long. I have duties that cannot wait.”
    “You can leave anytime you want. I promise as soon as Halloween is over, I’ll come
straight
to the Prism Prison…I mean, Prism Palace.” Lily gave him her widest smile, showing him all her even white teeth. She just hoped he couldn’t see that she was lying straight through them.
    The duke almost laughed. “I must depart tomorrow morning to visit my domains on the border. However, I will return for this Halloween Ball. It sounds fascinating. In the meanwhile, I shall leave my paladins here. All the better to protect you, m’lady.”
    “What about Gabriel?” asked Lily. “Surely he’ll be wanting to come with you?”
    “Ah, no. I think he’ll stay. It will give you a chance to get better acquainted. Won’t that be nice, m’dear?”
    “So very nice,” said Lily, biting off each word.
    Pan clapped. “Marvelous! Why don’t you invite the lesser houses to attend, your grace? The Glimmers, the Shards, the Lightbringers. We shall have a grand ball. All the great families of Gehenna and Lumina gathered under one roof!”
    Twelve days until Halloween.
    Twelve days to come up with a plan to stay in Castle Gloom.
    She knew that Gabriel was behind tonight’s poisoning. Everything she’d seen of him tonight, especially the way he’d treated K’leef, warned her that he was spiteful, selfish, and utterly lacking in honor. Exactly the sort to pour life-bane in her cup just because she’d danced with the Solar hostage instead of him. After all, the duke had said it was expensive, and who else but someone like Gabriel could afford it? If she could prove it, then there’d be no reason to leave Gehenna, would there?
    He’d killed Custard. She wanted him punished for that, wanted it more than anything. But you couldn’t punish the heir apparent of Lumina for killing a mere puppy.
    But he’d tried to kill Lily, and she was ruler of Gehenna. That was treason, and there was only one punishment for that and it was as bad as bad could be.
    Death.
    A chill, dreadful thought crept through her mind.
    Could I do that, even to someone like