The secret shadow, p.1
The Secret Shadow, page 1
THE SECRET SHADOW
Copyright © 2023 by Bethany Atazadeh
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Cover design by Stone Ridge Books
First Edition: June 2023
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
dedication
ALSO BY | BETHANY ATAZADEH
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9
10
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THE SECRET CURSE
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GLOSSARY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
dedication
To those still learning how powerful you truly are...
ALSO BY
BETHANY ATAZADEH
THE STOLEN KINGDOM SERIES :
THE STOLEN KINGDOM
THE JINNI KEY
THE CURSED HUNTER
THE ENCHANTED CROWN
THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION / BOX SET
.
THE QUEEN’S RISE SERIES :
THE SECRET GIFT
THE SECRET SHADOW
THE SECRET CURSE
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THE NUMBER SERIES :
EVALENE’S NUMBER
PEARL’S NUMBER
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HOW YOUR BOOK SELLS ITSELF
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BOOK SALES THAT MULTIPLY
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1
“THIS WILL BE YOUR room.” Prince Shem unlocked a solid wood door and handed me the gold metal key. With a glance I could only describe as thinly-veiled annoyance at the two guards on his heels, he added to me, “I’ll show you where you can put your things.” He stepped inside, waving for me to follow.
Before I could step forward, both guards moved between us. “Your highness—” one of them began, with a sharp glance in my direction.
Without a word, Shem took my hand and gave it a tug, forcing his guards to allow me past.
He put an arm around my bare shoulder, making my skin tingle. His ornamental armor pressed against my side, cold and solid. “I’m not expecting an attack in Jezebel’s empty room,” he remarked dryly. “But I promise I’ll call for you if the furniture rises up against me.”
Both guard’s eyes locked on me, narrowing. Their prince might not see me as a threat, but they certainly did. I couldn’t tell what bothered them more—that I was a common Jinn from the acropolis or that I was allowed to be alone with the prince without being vetted.
Shem winked at me, ignoring them. When the door swung closed, he added softly, “It seems you’re a bit of a legend already.”
I scoffed.
“It’s true,” he insisted. “They may have noticed that I took you on many of my latest adventures to the human world...” He gave me that co-conspirator grin I’d grown fond of. Those warm blue eyes carried a disarming friendliness that was impossible to ignore. Paired with his sharp jawline and disheveled black hair—and of course, being the prince of Jinn—he was naturally irresistible. But his genuine interest in his people—in me—was what truly drew me in. Blushing, I said, “A few little adventures hardly makes me a legend.”
“On the contrary.” He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I apologize in advance, but the Guard seems to have marked you as someone to watch.”
My brows rose. I tried not to react further, but my heart rate picked up. “Wonderful,” I muttered.
“Take it as a compliment.” Shem winked and added, “Legend.”
Some of my tension faded at the nickname. I laughed and changed the subject, “I believe I was promised a tour?”
“Ah yes—” His grin disappeared briefly as he put on a mock serious expression. Bowing, he waved an arm, “—Welcome to your room.”
Turning to take in the space, I tried not to gape at it like a common Jinni from the acropolis. If my younger self had visited the castle, I’d have sworn this space was the king’s own room. My entire acropolis apartment could’ve fit inside.
“Bed, wardrobe, desk, attached bathing room, window... all the standard features,” Shem teased, but they didn’t feel standard to me at all.
Above us, a chandelier almost as tall as me hung from the high ceiling. Both the desk and the wardrobe he’d mentioned had delicate designs carved into the dark wood hinting at how expensive they must be. And the bed was a huge four-poster with a canopy over it and a white fur rug beneath.
As I moved toward the window, my jaw dropped at the view of the lavender garden stretching out in the distance.
I felt like an imposter.
Shem and I had met less than two months ago, by accident. Or rather, by unintentional design. After betrayal forced me to turn on my only friends, Shem was tasked with finding them, and we’d been drawn together during the search. But while he spent hours working with his Guard to find the lost Jinni children, they’d been under my bed in lizard form the whole time. Until the last second, when I’d slipped them into the human world right before the portal was closed—and left them behind.
I didn’t deserve to be here.
Shem shifted behind me, making the wood floor creak, but he didn’t speak and I didn’t turn around. The grief came at the most inopportune times.
Another minute passed before he cleared his throat. “If you don’t like it, please don’t be afraid to speak up. We have many other rooms—”
“Oh no.” I turned to reassure him. “It’s not that at all. I’m just... overwhelmed by your kindness.”
“It’s nothing.” He grinned and added, “Legend.”
At the ridiculous nickname, the tension in my shoulders eased. I laughed softly. “Thank you.”
I didn’t know what else to say, but the corners of his eyes wrinkled as he smiled back, and I knew he understood.
A few days ago, Shem had sent a formal invitation to join his council and come live at the castle. When he’d first heard my father was gone and I had nowhere to go, he’d offered it immediately, but I hadn’t truly believed him until that day. Lots of people made promises, but Shem actually kept them.
I’d packed my bag that same night.
Partly because living in the castle was a dream come true, but mostly because I didn’t have anywhere else to go. Not after what I’d done to my friends—and my father.
As I’d left my apartment for the last time, I’d tucked that empty jar—the one I’d used to trap them—beneath the clothes in my bag. I wanted it with me. Not as a memory, since I’d never forget what I’d done, but more to remind myself never to let something like that happen again.
Setting that same bag down on the bed, I stepped subtly away from it. Though I returned my gaze to the garden, I barely noticed the Jinn strolling along the walking paths.
I never wanted to hurt anyone with my Gift again.
If I wanted to avoid repeating my past, no one else could ever learn my secret.
Not even Shem.
My eyes locked on his reflection in the window as he leaned against the wardrobe, running a hand through his hair and rubbing the back of his neck. “If it’s not the room, is there something else bothering you?”
I swallowed hard, forcing a smile. “Nothing that can be fixed, I’m afraid.” Taking a deep breath, I tried to say something close to the truth. “I just wish I didn’t need your generosity as badly as I do.”
“It’s not your fault your father abandoned you,” he was quick to say with a rare frown.
But it was.
Clearing my throat, I ignored his comment, gesturing around us instead. “The room is incredible. Thank you.” The trembling in my voice wasn’t from the view.
He smiled and accepted the subject change. “I haven’t shown you the best part yet.”
Shaking off my dark thoughts, I gave him a curious glance.
“Are you aware of the protection spell over personal rooms in the castle that prevents traveling?”
Most Jinn could travel long distances in the span of a breath. It was considered one of the lesser Gifts—unless a poor Jinni didn’t have it.
Unfortunately, it also meant that there was no such thing as a locked door to a Jinni who could travel right through it. That’s why most Jinn used the protection spell for privac
I nodded. “The acropolis uses the same spell.”
“Well, the royal family created a second spell that forms a loophole of sorts.”
Intrigued, I raised a brow. “Oh? I’ve never heard of it.”
“You wouldn’t have.” He came to join me at the window. “It’s reserved for those the royal family trusts. And well-guarded for obvious reasons. There wouldn’t be much point to the spell preventing travel if everyone in the castle knew how to get around it.”
He glanced my way with a smile and caught me studying him. I blushed as his words sank in: Reserved for those the royal family trusts.
I ducked my head. Does he trust me? I wanted to ask, but I wasn’t nearly as forward as he thought I was. I chewed on my lip instead.
“Come. Let me show you.” Shem waved a hand at the wardrobe. Patting the dark maple wood, he leaned casually against it. “This particular spell creates a ‘room’ within a room. You simply need something large and enclosed, like your wardrobe here.”
I stopped close enough to feel the heat from his arm next to mine. He smelled like a pine forest with the barest hint of cinnamon. It tickled my nose. I leaned a bit closer, pretending to inspect the detailed carvings, and my long black hair brushed his arm. He didn’t seem to notice. This close I could see a hint of dark stubble.
I startled when he spoke, “Unlike your room, this smaller space doesn’t have a spell preventing travel.”
“The loophole,” I whispered, coming back to the conversation. My lips parted. Impressive.
Shem’s eyes flicked to my lips and then back to the wardrobe.
For weeks now, there’d been this tension between us. Brief touches, stolen looks. Half the time I wondered if I imagined it, but the other half—moments like this—I wondered if there was something between us.
Was the wardrobe a declaration? A way to reveal how much he cared without saying it out loud?
I took it in with new eyes.
It stood on four little legs that lifted it off the floor, making it slightly taller than Shem. Through the intricate carvings, the inside was visible.
It was empty now. But once I unpacked, it’d barely be half-full. I only owned a handful of dresses and a few pairs of sandals. Nothing like the grandiose outfits I’d already seen in the castle so far. Everyone else on Shem’s council likely had ten times as much.
“You’ll receive a stipend for more clothes,” Shem said, as if he could read my mind.
My cheeks filled with heat. I wrapped my arms around myself, wishing I could burn this simple day dress.
“I’m sure you don’t need it,” he rushed to add. “It’s just that council members are often required to attend extravagant events, so the royal family feels it’s only right to compensate everyone for that.”
The royal family. Did he distance himself on purpose? The uncertainty of it all, constantly going back and forth on what things meant, made my mind spin.
“Thank you.” I acknowledged the offer, trying to hide my shame. I gestured to the wardrobe—the more personal gift. “It’s incredible.”
He shrugged off the praise. “It’s useful. The enchantment against travel is intended to keep unwanted guests out. This way, you’re able to keep the privacy benefits, but you don’t lose your freedom to travel unobserved.” He emphasized the last word. I didn’t need him to elaborate to know he was referring to the castle gossip.
“I love it.” Daring to place a hand on his arm, I smiled up at him. “How does it work?”
“Step inside,” he directed, opening the thin door for me. I did, turning in the small space to face him. “Now, close the door behind you to seal the room.” He pressed it closed as he spoke, and the wardrobe door clicked softly shut.
Through the gaps in the decorative wood, I stared into his pale blue eyes.
A heartbeat passed.
Instead of traveling to test out my new freedom, I gently pushed the door back open and stared at him, gathering the courage to ask, “Why would you do something like this for me?”
I wasn’t sure what I hoped he’d say.
But I couldn’t help wishing he’d stop the usual Jinni hinting and be straightforward for once.
I wanted to believe there was more to our relationship than simply a prince and his new council member.
Shem waved a hand and smiled. “It’s really not that special. Everyone on the council has a loophole spell.”
My little bubble of hope popped.
Deflating, I hid my disappointment behind a forced calm.
“Consider it a thank you,” he continued, moving to the side so I could step out of the wardrobe. “It’s one of the many privileges of being one of my advisors.” His cheeks dimpled as he grinned, and I forced myself to smile back.
This wasn’t a romantic gesture after all.
While I hadn’t met all of them yet, Shem had almost three dozen council members.
It stung.
Turning away, I touched the carvings on the wardrobe door and gently closed it, avoiding Shem’s gaze. I wanted to kick myself for getting my hopes up.
“Let’s continue your tour, shall we?” He smiled, seemingly unaware of my inner turmoil.
I pressed my lips together in an imitation smile.
The two members of the Jinni Guard trailed after us as we walked. “The rest of my council, as well as my mother’s and father’s councils, all reside in the south wing as well,” he began, gesturing down the long hallway.
Doors led to individual apartments, just like the acropolis. Except here in the castle, the hall had lush blue carpet, solid limestone walls in a crisp shade of white, and expensive décor carefully placed in small alcoves. There were dozens of vases, paintings, and even a full suit of ornamental armor that likely belonged to a former king.
We passed an open seating area with comfortable lounge chairs and heavy drapes beside floor-to-ceiling windows. Shem continued past with a familiar nod to those seated inside, but he didn’t stop.
As we reached the heart of the castle, he gestured to the hallways on either side of us. “The royal family lives on the east side. And most of the long-term servants live on the west.”
I tilted my head back to stare at the stained glass window four stories above us in awe. Sunlight filtered through, lighting the large, round room with dozens of bright, flickering colors.
“The north wing holds the largest rooms, including the dining hall, which I’ll show you later.” Shem’s voice came from further away, and I hurried to catch up before he noticed me dawdling. “There’s a smaller throne room, meeting rooms for all of the councils, and over here—” I spun to look where he was pointing, at a heavy-looking set of double doors twice as tall as him, “—is the grand throne room.”
As we continued on, Shem glanced over. “It can be a bit overpowering at first.”
I cleared my throat. “It is. But I’ll get used to it.” I’d make sure of that—I’d spend my nights exploring in lizard form until I knew these halls better than anyone.
A few Jinn headed toward us from the opposite direction. All eyes fixated on my bare, sandalled legs. Here in the castle, the dress code was clearly more formal.
The first woman wore a sleek, backless gown, made of a dusky blue that grew darker as it neared the hem, looking exactly like the sky at twilight. Lights twinkled along the bottom half of the dress like stars. Beside her, the other woman’s vibrant red dress had feathered sleeves that reminded me of a cardinal. Between them strode a man in ornamental armor. Unlike the sharp silver armor of the Jinni Guard, worn from head to toe, this shining surface was a soft, gold metal that would never hold up in a real battle. It was also studded with diamonds. Definitely not intended for combat, then. It was flashier than anything I’d ever seen Shem wear.
Even before I’d come to the castle, I’d heard of the fashions here, but seeing it in person was an entirely different experience.
They bowed to the prince, ignoring me entirely.
I raised my chin, gazing past them and pretending not to notice.
“The council meets in the east wing,” Shem said, picking up the tour where he’d left off. “The royal family’s quarters are also in the east wing, so the Guard will require you to pass through a checkpoint each time you enter.”
