Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

her head, she never saw anyone, but still the feeling persisted, gnawing unmercifully at her nerves until she could have screamed from sheer frustration. She clutched her daggerhilt until her knuckles ached, and cursed herself for a fool for ever having volunteered to join the Seneschal's party. She glared at his unresponsive back, and then had to pull up short to avoid crashing into it as he came to yet another sudden halt. He stood still a moment, his head tilted back like a hound searching the air for an elusive scent, and then he slowly lowered his head and turned to face her.
    'Something's wrong,' he said quietly.
    'How do you mean?' asked Julia, unwilling to voice her own fears aloud, in case they sounded ridiculous.
    'I'm not sure.' The Seneschal looked about him, and then shivered suddenly. 'Whatever spell the Astrologer attempted all those years ago, it must have been a damn sight more powerful than he was willing to admit. It's still here, echoing in the wood and stone, trembling on the air.'
    'You mean we're in danger here?' asked Bodeen, raising his sword warily.
    'Yes. No. I don't know!' The Seneschal frowned unhappily at Bodeen and Julia, as though expecting them to come up with an answer, and then turned his back on them. 'We're wasting time. The Treasury isn't far. Let's get on.' He communed briefly with his inner sense, and then strode confidently down a side corridor, leaving the guard and the Princess to hasten after him or be left behind in the dark.
    The silence bothered Julia more than anything, and not just because it reminded her of her time in the Darkwood. The endless quiet seemed to smother every sound, as though the silent wing resented any disturbing of its peace. Bodeen methodically swept the darkness with his gaze, checking every door and passageway they passed, but there was never any sign to show the party was being watched or followed.
    And yet, in some strange way, it was the very absence of any sign or sound that convinced Julia they were not alone. All her instincts screamed to her of danger, near and deadly, and she knew with a deep inner certainty that something evil watched and waited in the darkness beyond the light. A blind panic welled up within her and she crushed it ruthlessly. She'd be scared later, when she had the time.
    The corridor grew suddenly narrower, the walls crowding in out of the dark. The Seneschal's lantern shed a dull yellow glow over faded tapestries and portraits of men and women long dead. He stopped suddenly before a closed, ornately carved door, and frowned thoughtfully. All at once, Julia felt a presence close at hand, something dark and dangerous and horribly familiar. She shot a glance at Bodeen, who was staring back the way they'd come. He hefted his sword with casual competence, but didn't seem particularly worried. Julia glared at the closed door, and shuddered despite herself. There was something awful on the other side of that door, she could feel it in her bones. She licked her dry lips, and hefted her dagger.
    'Are you all right?' asked Bodeen quietly.
    'I'm fine,' said Julia, shortly. 'I've got a bad feeling about this place, that's all.'
    Bodeen nodded unsmilingly. 'It's just the dark. Don't let it throw you.'
    'It's not just that! Don't you ever listen to your instincts?'
    'All the time. But mostly I trust my eyes and ears, and so far I haven't seen or heard one damn thing to suggest there's anyone in this Wing except us, and a few spiders.'
    Julia shook her head stubbornly. 'There's something in here with us. And we're getting closer to it all the time.'
    'If you two have quite finished,' said the Seneschal acidly, 'you might possibly be interested to learn that we're almost at the end of our journey. Beyond this door lies the South Tower, and beyond that lies the main entrance to the Treasury.'
    Julia frowned. 'Are you sure?'
    'Of course I'm sure!'
    'Then why have you kept us waiting all this time?'
    'Because the door doesn't feel right!' snapped the Seneschal disgustedly. 'I know this door leads to the
    South Tower, but... I keep getting the feeling that it doesn't!'
    'Are you saying we're lost?' asked Julia, her heart sinking.
    'Of course we're not lost! I'm just not entirely sure where we are.'
    'Terrific,' said Bodeen.
    The Seneschal glared at the door, and then reached cautiously for the handle. Julia tensed, and held her dagger out before her. The Seneschal glanced quickly at Julia and Bodeen, and then eased the door open a crack.