Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 140462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 702(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 468(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 702(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 468(@300wpm)
The giant woman in front of me squeezes her gauntleted hand into a fist and places it in the middle of her chest, knocking on the breastplate made up of dozens of scales. “Lorena Sheerwhisper of Ocalot Deep,” she says, introducing herself to me before focusing on Kyran. “I shall do as you command, my lord.”
I wait as she receives the same customary blessing I have, and moments later we head for our mounts, watched by dozens of eyes. The knight pulls back her dark hair and mounts the large horse capable of carrying both its mistress and her armor while I use a discreet ladder to reach the back of my kelpie, Octo.
I'm dizzy, as if I’ve had my skull bashed with a club, but I can’t push back the inevitable by excusing myself with a headache. Considering the danger the Sunwolf poses to shadow-wielders, Kyran’s decision to offer me a whole hour to find Hawk is an unexpected kindness. He is offering me more mercy than I deserve, given that my family attempted to assassinate him not long ago, and I shall not squander this chance.
I lead the way out of the improvised camp, through the overgrown gardens, and past the open gates of the abandoned castle, but once I’m no longer distracted by the curious soldiers and their noise, I stare into the dense trees ahead.
“Can you still sense him?” Dame Lorena asks, stopping her mount next to mine.
I blink, surprised she wants to speak to a traitor like me at all. I know her face, as I’ve seen her at court, and in the nearby villages, but this might be the first time we are interacting. After all, the fighters, even the low born, knew the lackluster extent of my shadowcraft. I have once overheard a group of guards discussing it over wine, and their claim that I'm not worthy of my birth stings to this day. But Dame Lorena’s eyes don’t hold any resentment, as if she’s content with her lot in life and doesn’t wish for anything beyond it.
I wonder if there’s perhaps an unusually large amount of human blood in her line. She’s not Hawk’s size, but almost as tall as him, and broader in the shoulders than most of the male elves I’ve seen. It’s no wonder Kyran sent her out with me. If she can wield the massive sword attached to her back with the same ease she guides her horse, then hers might be the blade to end Hawk’s life. If I fail him. Which I will not.
“Yes, I can sense him, but he deserves a chance. Don’t harm him,” I say, sliding my gaze over the thick grip of her weapon.
She regards me with the emotionality of a statue. “I shall do what needs to be done for the greater good. If he doesn’t recognize you—”
“You wait,” I tell her firmly and raise the Umlaris Band in my hand. “The real him might still be in the Sunwolf.”
“I cannot let him harm a member of the royal family.”
“Have you never loved?” I ask as worry and frustration grow in my chest like a tide, but my words make her avert her gaze, as if I’ve struck the right chord. I don’t need her to answer. Whoever she had feelings for is no longer with her, whether they’re alive, or dead.
“What happened to them?” I ask.
She exhales, looking north, toward the ocean. A shadow passes over her features before she speaks. “Heartbreak. He died when the monster attacked. He did his duty and protected the people. And so will I.”
My lips go dry, because the tragedy is still very fresh. Memories of the dreadful day three months ago pass through my mind in a whirlwind of terror. I ran and lived. Her lover stayed and is with us no longer.
Guilt creeps up my chest, because she must know of my shame, but time is ticking. “Then understand that I am ready to give my life for my Companion. I don’t care what happens to me, but give him a chance. Do not protect me.”
A band of iron locks around my chest as she chews through my words. In the end, her gaze meets mine, and she nods. “I won’t.”
“Thank you,” I tell her in a soft voice. Emotion makes my head spin again, but I have wasted enough time already. The wind carries the ghost of a familiar scent, and I close my eyes, sinking into moonless darkness as I seek my Companion’s heartbeat. The smell curling around me does not belong in this realm. It’s dry, warm, burned in my heart with the heat of the sun rather than fire.
The Sunwolf.
My beloved.
I lean forward in the saddle, and as the breeze dances around us, I realize Hawk is straight ahead. His heart beats calmly, as if he were resting, and maybe it’s just a miscalculation on my part, but he doesn’t feel far away.