Shadow Seed Read Online Free Page A

ago,” Nedim answered. “I was
with a group of new trainees coming in from the north. Now that was
a storm.”
    When they reached the top of a dune they
could see the enormous, triangular silhouette of Siriso filling the
horizon.
    Dismayed, Janah fell to her knees scowling.
“This is going to take forever.”
    Nedim grabbed Janah’s arm. “An hour…and a
half,” he said, pulling her up. “Maybe.”
    “Sure…” Janah said, before quickly falling to
her knees again.
    Nedim raised his hand above his head and
formed a protective sphere of energy around them. “I can’t hold
this for long, so listen. You’re just tired, Janah. You need to
gather your wits. That’s not some mirage out there. It’s Siriso.
What will people think when they hear you died within reach of the
city?”
    Janah only thought about it for a few seconds
before quickly getting back to her feet.
    “You can do this,” Nedim said. “Before you
know it, we'll be inside the city.”
    Janah clasped her robes tightly around her
body. “Just keep going. I’m right behind you.”
    Trudging onward, they eventually came to one
of the great doors of Siriso. A hundred feet high and wide, there
was no moving it by force.
    Spotting Nedim and Janah, a keen eyed Persian
guard signaled from his high post to several Anubians standing
below.
    One of the Anubians placed his hand on a
star-shaped glyph on the wall and charged it with energy, causing
the door to slowly slide open.
    Nedim and Janah ran through into a long, dark
corridor lit by torches.
    Two Persians ran up and handed over canteens
of water. One had a muscular build with the skin of a tiger, while
the other resembled a black panther.
    “Kadir, Talik. Thank you,” Nedim said.
    Janah leaned against a wall, drinking as much
as she could.
    “You two went out to Vesuvia, right?” Kadir
asked.
    Nedim took a quick drink before answering.
“Yes.”
    “Congratulations,” Talik said. “You must have
been successful. Vesuvian emissaries left not long ago and we
haven’t had any undead trying to pass through here for almost a
week.”
    Nedim wiped his chin. “I'm sorry to say we
weren't.”
    “What do you mean?” Janah snapped. “You know
the alliance is going to be reformed. Lilith is probably gathering
her forces, and by tomorrow we’ll have the Vesuvians, the Fenrir
and the Khothu in our front line ready to kick the living daylights
out of those wretched Pelasgians!”
    Janah threw her canteen and stormed off
further into the city.
    “I want to marry her,” Kadir whispered.
    Nedim handed the canteen back. “Typical,” he
said, before moving on. Exiting the corridor, he looked around as
he stretched his slender arms and legs.
    Though it was midday, inside Siriso it may as
well have been midnight. The only source of light within its closed
walls came from torches.
    The city sounded busy enough with people
chattering, animals whining, and construction going on.
    “Good day,” a merchant said as he passed by,
pushing his cart of bread down the street.
    “To you as well,” Nedim said. “If only it
looked that way.”
    A low humming sound kicked in as a streak of
daylight pierced through Siriso’s large crystal cap. Slowly, huge
sections of the city’s walls began to open, letting in more of the
sun’s brilliant rays. After almost a minute it looked like large
square sections had been carved out of the walls.
    Outside, all was calm.
    Nedim could now see some of the multiple
tiers and support structures, as well as Anubians and Persians
mingling about. Looking to his side, he was startled to find Janah
standing right next to him chewing some bread.
    “Figures,” Janah said flatly.
    Nedim sighed. “I’m going to the Palace. Are
you coming?”
    “Yes,” Janah answered. “But I’m just going to
be nosy. If the Vesuvians were here, then something big is going
on.”
    “Don’t get your hopes up. They come here as
much as the others. You just don’t see or hear of them because