Dagger's Edge (Shadow series) by Anne Logston Read Free Book Online Page A

made.
    The cellar of the Temple of Baaros was dark and silent, and Jael slipped through like a wraith. Unlike the abandoned temple, this cellar was kept in good repair, and there were no cracks to let in a little moonlight. Quietly Jael lit her lantern and glanced around curiously, able for the first time to get a good look. There was little of interest to see, however—boxes and barrels, some apparently quite old, judging by the dust; wooden doors that likely led to old storage areas; and an iron-ringed trapdoor in the floor that probably led to one of the city’s many subcellars. The thick dust was making Jael’s nose run and her eyes water, and she hurried to the stairs.
    In the upper temple there was light enough to see by, and Jael quickly covered her lantern. Obviously the priests had been preparing for the summoning; the temple was festooned with flowers, and the old, moth-eaten tapestries and golden statues depicting the various legends of Baaros had been aired and rehung. The statue of Baaros, a rather placid-looking, middle-aged man with a long beard, with gold spilling out of his hands, had been dusted and freshly painted. The summoning runes had been sprinkled in various colored patterns around the altar and the ceremonial candles and bowls placed in readiness. Jael grinned at the light globes, now dark, which had been placed around the altar, making a mental note to stay well away from the magical lights. Seeing the gold and other valuables decorating the temple, Jael chuckled quietly to herself: Aunt Shadow would doubtless find other ways of passing the time in the temple than sitting in an alcove with a meal and a blanket. But then, Aunt Shadow would have doubtless found a way to sneak in past the priests in the morning, rather than having to spend an uncomfortable night sleeping in the temple.
    The concealed nook was exactly as it had been the last time Jael had been in the temple. Jael scooted some of the debris aside to make a reasonably flat space for herself and spread her blanket down, then dragged one of the larger chunks of rubble closer to the peephole to serve as a seat. Jael settled herself on her blanket as comfortably as she could. There was still almost eight hours to wait, and probably no better way to spend it than sleep.
    The floor was hard and lumpy, however, and Jael found sleep elusive. Now she found herself almost wishing she had gone into the Temple of Ebraris. It seemed vaguely disgraceful to be twenty years old and a virgin, like a member of one of the celibate sects. Even if she felt no real desire for a man, if he was a skilled enough lover, did it matter?
    Jael shook her head disgustedly. Was she really talking about tumbling some man she didn’t even know, just to spite her father or out of embarrassment? She didn’t need Aunt Shadow to tell her how idiotic that notion was. But, Jael admitted to herself, that wasn’t the only reason—Jael wanted something for herself, something that didn’t come from being elf or human or the High Lord and Lady’s daughter. Why else was she here, after all?
    Jael pulled the rag stuffing from the peephole and peered out into the silent, moonlit temple. She opened the door and stepped quietly out, walking slowly around the altar and examining the summoning runes again. She knew nothing about priestly magic, but it certainly looked complicated. At last her eye fell on something small enough: a tiny gold incense cup on one of the window ledges. Jael touched the cup hesitantly, then firmed her lips and picked it up, slipping it into her pocket. Somehow reassured, Jael returned to her hiding place, extinguished her lantern, and curled up to sleep the hours away.
    Voices awakened her. For a moment Jael was disoriented, but the darkness of her hiding place and the hard floor under her cold, stiff body reminded her quickly where she was. As quietly as she could, Jael eased herself slowly to her feet, then crept over to her makeshift seat to peep out