Page 124 of The Horde King of Shadow

Though he was close, we couldn’t speak to one another mid-flight like our bonded Elthika could. Every now and then, he would quicken Zari’s pace so that we could fly side by side, as if he wanted to look at me, wanted toadmireme. And every time, I grinned like a silly lovesick fool until he smirked and returned to his place behind Lygath.

When we camped at night, we cuddled close, separate from the others…but that was the only time we had before dawn would break.

Only a little while longer,I thought, my eyes on the peek of land that I could see in the distance.

All I’d seen was Drukkar’s Sea for the last day, every glittering, twinkling wave below us, the sea breeze refreshing though it made my hair a wild mess. Once, when I’d been younger, my uncle’s horde had stayed close to the coast in theSouth Lands. I’d woken to the briny air every morning and would walk along the cliffs with my mother, usually early if she’d had a dream.

The world had seemed too wide, so endless then when I’d looked across the sea.

Now I knew it was.

There was so much that I hadn’t seen. Even of Dakkar. Even more of Karak. And what lay beyond those seas?

My heart began to race when we passed over the shores of Dakkar. My heart raced as we flew over typography that I could trace in my sleep. And it never slowed, even with the hills of the West Lands under us, which gave way to forests and endless plains of the wildlands.

And when I saw Dothik come into view in the distance, I felt a strange pricking of excitement, acceptance, and grief.

Sarkin had listened to my advice when I’d told him we should send a messenger ahead of us, informing my father and his council of our arrival. There was always a possibility that the message would give them time to coordinate an offensive attack…but given what they’d seen of Zaridan’sethrall, I didn’t think they would try. Sarkin had been right to frighten us with it. It ensured obedience, a demonstration of how much more powerful the Karag were.

But I hoped we could come to a peaceful negotiation. Especially if Dannik was present, especially if I could speak with him.

I couldn’t wait to see my brother. To let him know that I was safe. That I was happy. That he didn’t have to fear for me anymore because I knew he did.

And maybe one day, if the Dakkari and the Karag could reach a peace, he could come to Sarroth. To the Arsadia. There was so much I wanted to show him, so much I wanted to share of the fantastical things I’d experienced during my time in Karak.

Dothik’s sparkling turrets in the lowering sun shone like beacons. Just like when I’d left, I could see that the East Gate was open, that a group was gathered out on the wildlands, awaiting our arrival. There were about three dozen Dakkari waiting, the majority of them guards, though, thankfully, I saw no archers on the walls. Sarkin likely wouldn’t have let me land near the city gates if there had been.

Lygath didn’t land right away, like the others in the traveling party, which consisted of Sarkin’skya’rassa, Alaryk Arn’dyne and his chosen commander from Grym, and two Elysom council members, luckily neither being Sarkin’s aunt, Kethra. He’d made that a stipulation in the agreement with Elysom.

I pounded my fist three times along Lygath’s side. Though we were still learning to fly with one another, Lygath began to circle downward at my command, eventually landing next to Zaridan.

My eyes immediately went to the group of Dakkari, the sense of familiarity overwhelming.

Dannik.

All the Dakkari were staring right at me when I tapped on Lygath’s wing. He extended it after a bit of fuss, and I descended, my legs feeling a little wobbly after my long flight.

“Klara,” Sarkin called out in warning, but my heart was about to burst out of my chest.

I grinned when my watery eyes met my brother’s, and the moment I reached the earth, I ran to him.

He was dressed so familiarly. A pressed black tunic, embroidered in golden thread in the swirling Dakkari style. Leather pants that had been well-worn from his long days at the training grounds. His long golden hair was pulled back from his face, the hilt of his sword peeking out from behind his back. The golden beads sung musically in his hair when we collided.

“Klara,” he rasped, his arms immediately coming around me. “You have a damn dragon.”

There was disbelief in his tone. I laughed. He smelled just as I remembered, like the soap that was sold in the marketplace. My fingers met the metal of his sword.

“I do,” I said. “I missed you so much, Dannik.”

I pressed a kiss to his cheek and pulled back to look at him. My brother’s face held a serious expression, eyes running over me, inspecting and cataloguing me.

“You’re all right?” he asked me, so quietly that I knew no one else would be able to hear us.

“More than all right,” I answered, knowing that my answer would be especially important to him.

His brow furrowed. His eyes flashed to the horde of Elthika, situated on the wildlands. Lygath was prowling closer to me, making the Dakkari guards a little skittish. Despite our bond being new, my Elthika would be driven to protect me, to watch over me and ensure that there were no threats against me.

Sarkin too,I thought, seeing my husband appear out of the corner of my eye, his hand coming to my lower back.

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