Page 109 of Wingless Crow: Part 1

“You were so easy to track, little bird, it was an insult to my skills. You left a trail of clues as wide as a herd of wetland hippos.”

I was annoyed he’d found me so effortlessly and worried about what he’d do next. But deep under the concern and irritation, I was actually glad to see him. Somehow, I’d been conditioned to associate Voron’s presence with safety and security. The man might be dragging me to the gallows before the day was over, but all I could think about right now was how strong his arms felt around me and how much I wished for him to hug me.

The bastard also had the guts to smile, as if he, too, was happy to see me.

Scraping a hand over my face, I forced my brain to focus. If he came to arrest me, he didn’t seem in a hurry to grab me, instead playing with me like a cat with a mouse.

I scanned the trees around the clearing.

Could I evade him if I ran?

His legs were significantly longer than mine. It was safe to assume he was in much better physical shape, too. But I was shorter. And without a horse in tow to slow me down, I could slip between the bushes and duck under the low tree branches that might slap him in the face or knock him out of the saddle.

He intercepted my gaze and guessed my intentions.

“Don’t try to run, Sparrow. You won’t make it far.”

“Still worth a try.” I inched closer to the trees and away from him. “What do I have to lose at this point?”

“Your life.” He sounded eerily calm. “If I hadn’t shown up, you would’ve been dead within the hour.”

I propped my hands on my hips.

“That’s whatyouthink. I’ve made it through the night, just fine.”

“But you wouldn’t have survived the day. Were you planning to take a nap over there?” He tipped his chin at my cloak laid over the moss under the tree.

It looked like a makeshift sleeping pallet, which made it useless to deny it, so I said nothing.

“That’sebonweed,” he said. “If you sleep on it, it’ll suck your spirit out of your body and destroy your mind. Then, the night predators would finish whatever was left of your body.”

Horror creeped up my back, sending me away from the plant. It no longer looked innocent. The black flowers glimmered ominously in the pale daylight.

“You’re lying,” I exhaled.

“Why would I?” He pushed away from the tree he’d been leaning against and strolled into the clearing toward me. “What would I gain by lying to you, little bird? In fact, of all the people in this world, you’re probably the only one I’m inclined to be completely honest with.”

“Are you?” I backed away from him. “Then tell me,completely honestly, why are you here?”

He stopped in his tracks. His darkened expression confirmed what I already knew.

“You came to take me back to Elaros, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

Well, thatwasbrutally honest.

I swallowed hard. My tightening throat felt rough and dry.

“Is the king…dead?”

“No. But he isn’t alive either.”

Some pressure let go of my chest—I wasn’t a murderer after all. But his answer confused me.

“What do you mean? What happened to him?”

“I was hopingyouwould tell me that.” His eyes searched mine.

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