Page 75 of Wingless Crow: Part 1

He smirked.

Better to be crass than sorry.

ChapterEighteen

SPARROW

The guards led me out onto the wide terrace that surrounded the roof of the royal ballroom.

The winds were even stronger up here than down in the gardens. They tore at my creamy white cloak, making me hide my face in the soft fur of its hood.

Voron stood on the terrace, his expression as gloomy as the dark clouds above us. With his black cape billowing in the wind and his sword strapped to his back, he reminded me of a dark angel of doom, though he didn’t intimidate me anymore.

On the contrary, my heart lifted at the sight of him. Despite getting only a brief nod from him in greeting, I smiled brightly in response. By now, he’d given me three lessons, teaching me to play the king’s favorite game. The rules weren’t overly complicated, but the sheer number of playing fields and game pieces created a nearly infinite number of strategies. After just three hours, I’d already filled a notebook with notes.

During the lessons, Voron had been his usual brooding, sarcastic self, but he’d also turned out to be a patient teacher. With his help, I could already play up to six fields at once. I couldn’t wait to eventually be invited into the king’s game room to show off my new skills.

The royal guards stood at attention on either side of the terrace. I shuffled closer to Voron, clearing space for the royal party arriving from their hunting trip.

Their dark winged shapes stood out against the cloudy sky, as if painted in black ink on gray felt. They approached quickly, carried by their great, strong wings.

King Tiane was the first to touch the ground as his escort hovered over the terrace just behind him.

With a quick glance around the terrace, the king spotted me. A smile sprung to his lips as he headed straight to me.

His wings rested upon his wide shoulders. His long white-blond tresses whipped in the wind behind him. The cuffs and the front of his silver coat were stitched with hard, gold wings offirrianbeetles, making him look like he was wearing golden armor. His antlers glistened, painted with silver and decorated with tiny strings of gemstones.

The sight of him was blindingly breathtaking.

“Did you miss me, baby chick?” The king scooped me into a hug, lifting my feet off the ground.

I felt awkward with my feet dangling in the air. Since he didn’t set me back down, I wrapped my legs around his middle, just to get them out of the way.

“Yes, Your Majesty, I did,” I lied.

I didn’t miss the king during the ten days he was away. On the contrary, I quite enjoyed the peace and quiet in the palace without him. Thanks to Dove and Voron with his lessons, I hadn’t been bored at all.

But I couldn’t say Iwasn’tglad to see King Tiane, either. With the arrival of his magnificent persona, fun and glamor rushed back to Elaros in full force.

“Well, kiss me then,” he demanded, offering his left cheek to me.

Careful not to smudge the golden sun painted on his skin, I pecked his cheek just above the corner of his mouth.

He carried me to the entrance of the palace but paused near Voron.

“Ah, there you are, High General. I need to talk to you.”

“Your Majesty.” Voron inclined his head, avoiding eye contact with me.

“I want you to bring all the cursed to Elaros this time,” the king instructed. “I feel they need to be punished, and I wish to do so in the manner we disposed of the prisoners during the siege of Hollow Keep.”

The king’s tone remained light, the smile still playing on his lips. But Voron’s expression hardened, turning darker than the stormy sky above.

“Those were the times of war, Your Majesty. You insisted on that kind of execution as a warning to your enemies. The kingdom is at peace now—”

“So?” the king interrupted with a shrug. “The cursed broke their promises. They deserve to be punished.”

“They’re already punished by the curse.” Voron’s voice came out hard and cold, matching the glare of his eyes.

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