Page 113 of The Puppeteer and the Poisoned Pawn

I blow out a shaky breath and roll my eyes. It’s colder tonight than we’ve experienced while traveling through these forests. My wool blanket feels too thin, with tiny holes that let the occasional breeze brush the goose bumps rising along my skin.

“Are you cold?”

“Nope,” I lie.

Warrose lifts himself on one elbow, pulling something out from under his back. I train my eyes on the glittering sky, pretending not to notice what he’s about to do.

A warm gust of air sweeps back my brown curls as his raven feathered cloak is draped over my body. It’s heavy and so wonderfully warm. Without meaning to, I breathe in through my nose, inhaling his scent of smoky spice and darkness.

My eyes flutter open as I catch him looking down at me. “Better?” he asks after a solid moment of staring.

I nod, quickly looking away from his shirtless, muscular, tattooed upper body. His skin is glimmering under the fireflies that swirl around him.

“Aren’t you cold?” I ask, stealing another glance at his chest.

“Not at all.” He lowers himself back to the ground. “I was trained with a herd of northern animals. Left in the snow to adapt the way they did.”

I arch an eyebrow, turning to my side to get a better look at him.

“Why?”

“Another Demechnef experiment. If I can understand and coexist with some of the most dangerous beasts of the forest, maybe I could train them to fight alongside us in a war with Vexamen.”

I cringe at the word experiment. It always brings a knot to my stomach thinking about how all of my friends have either been test subjects or prisoners to cruel people in charge. And here I am. Ruth. Small. Entitled. Privileged. It makes me feel like I don’t belong in this group of misfits.

“Can you train them?”

He turns his head toward me, and I am paralyzed under the vibrancy of his hazel eyes and thick lashes. That stare drops like a rock to the pit of my stomach.

“Yes. Some of them.” He releases a quick breath. “But I don’t think it’s right to command them to attack or even involve them in the war with an enemy that—treats animals with such cruelty.”

I glance over at Niles and the mass of black fur that nuzzles under his chin.

“But DaiSzek will fight, won’t he?”

“He will. But nothing on earth could stop him from protecting his people.”

My heart warms.

“Do you think I’ll be able to fight? And Niles?” Warrose has been training us while Skylenna has been off on her own. We felt powerless to be of any use to her after Dessin died. More than anything, I wanted to protect the people I love the way Dessin has always done without fail. Niles felt the same way. So, naturally, we nagged Warrose until he agreed.

And I’ve gotten pretty good, if I do say so myself.

“You’re still pretty weak,” Warrose says.Great. “But you are wicked fast; I’ll give you that much. So, maybe, if we keep this up,maybeyou’ll have something to offer in battle.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” I deadpan.

He chuckles. “We’ll need to hone a skill. Channel all of your effort into being the best at one thing. That’s how you’ll be of value.”

“What skill?” I’m a fast runner now. Who would have guessed? But that’s hardly a skill I can offer the group.

“We’ll figure it out.” And that is code for he has no freaking idea.

Determination burns in my gut, and I have to resist the tingle in my legs to run, to build my strength, to prove to him that I can do something right.

Those big hazel eyes flicker across the campfire where Dessin sleeps, and he lingers there, only for a brief moment, before turning his attention back on me.

“Are you going to talk to him about it?” I ask.

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