sound of voices coming from straight ahead.
“Hey,” I whispered, signaling for Rio and Kewyn to stop. As their footsteps faltered, they too could hear the sound of people approaching.
We retreated, sprinted to the landing we had just passed. There was a statue of a dragon royal to my right and a dead-end hallway leading off to the left. Four alcoves lined the wall in the hallway, two on each side. They were big enough to hide one person each, but only two would shield a person from the eyes of someone climbing the stairs.
“But, m'lady-” Rio began to protest as I shoved him toward the nook. Kewyn ducked inside the one next to him.
“Just shush!” I hissed.
I dashed away from the worried glances of the other two and dashed across the stairway, ducking behind the statue just in time to hear the owners of the voices rounded the corner.
“...Yes, it's very good to have the prince back in the palace, is it not?”
“Oh, I couldn't agree more, counselor,” replied a familiar voice, pitched and unnaturally polite.
I frowned. I could almost see Jazibe's jackal-like face, smug and pleased with her achievement. Whoever this counselor was, I was sure he had no idea of the beautiful kin's true nature. I, personally, had experienced it at close range and would prefer never being near the beast again.
I grit my teeth, pressing myself further into the shadows as they passed. Jazibe strode proudly beside the stout male dragon-kin. She was clad in robes nauseatingly similar to Levent's. If I were not such a coward or so much weaker than her physically, I would have ambushed her right then. Just as this thought passed through my mind, Jazibe stopped mid-stride. Her tail flicked against the floor, her nose testing the air.
My heart jumped.
Why did she stop? If she turned around now she would see me! The last thing I wanted was to be captured again. Holding my breath, I pulled myself to my hooves and leapt across the stairway to the alcoves across the way. The carpet muffled my steps and I fell into the shadows across from Rio and Kewyn’s alcoves just in time. I heard Jazibe’s robes shuffle as she spun around, her eyes jumping to the spot where I