Page 100 of The Horde King of Shadow

“Yeah,” she said, sighing. “Don’t try to be a hero and go after a Vyrin. That’s how most acolytes die.”

My belly dropped with her words. I nodded.

“This was helpful,” I said. “Thank you.”

“Oh, and if you need to pee, try to do itoverthe cliff. The ledges are already small enough.”

I laughed. “Noted.”

“You’ll know your Elthika when you see it, Klara. Don’t worry.”

“Did you feel the bonding pull when you saw Orelle?”

“Oh, yes,” Sammenth breathed. “Heartstone magic, I think. Whatever is left of it. It’s actuallywildthinking about it. Some scholars in Elysom dedicate their whole lives trying to understand it. Me? I don’t think it should be understood.”

I licked my lips. “And have there ever been reports of a bonding pull that’s been rejected by an Elthika?”

Sammenth frowned. “None that I’ve ever heard, no.”

Relief went through me, however brief it was. That was promising at the very least. I watched as Kyavor finished working on the mount, packing up his supplies, and trudging outof the river. I knew he had a dwelling close to the landing field, and he set off in that direction after a small nod at both of us.

“Well…except for a disgraced rider,” Sammenth amended, shrugging her shoulder. “But that happens so rarely.”

“Disgraced?” I asked, brow furrowing. “An Elthika can decide toleavetheir rider?”

“If the crime, in their eyes, is terrible enough, yes,” Sammenth said. “Only a few in Sarroth’s history have ever had that happened. The last time it happened was, you know, to theKarath’s father.”

Shock wiggled into my breast. “What?”

Sammenth blinked, frowning. “To Sarkin’s father. Tyzar rejected him after he stole the Elthika eggs? Surely you…oh.”

My mind spun.

“Sarkin…he never speaks of his father,” I said, feeling the obvious discomfort from Sammenth. “Or his mother, for that matter.”

“I’m sorry,” she breathed. “Ryena will be so angry with me. I thought you knew…because well,everyoneknows. It’s followed Sarkin like a disease his entire life.”

“He told me…he told me he was challenged a lot after Zaridan. Because some didn’t think he was fit to be aKarath.”

“That’s part of it, yes. Especially by Elysom. His aunt is on the council. His mother was her sister.”

Suddenly it felt wrong to speak of these things. Sarkin hadn’t brought it up, though he’d given me an opportunity to the night of the starfall. He’d told me I could ask him anything and he’d tell me. Since then, we’d just been…happier. I hadn’t wanted to shake anything loose when we were finally on steady ground.

I heard an Elthika’s trilling cry into the sky, a familiar one. I turned to look over my shoulder, my heart beginning to pound.

“Zaridan,” I breathed, seeing her fly toward the mountain behind the village to rest. “They must be back.”

I stood, suddenly eager to see Sarkin, despite what I’d just learned.

“Ryena always scolded me for saying too much,” Sammenth said, biting her lip as she looked up at me from our place along the riverbank.

“I won’t say anything to her,” I promised.

“I really shouldn’t talk so much,” she sighed. “Go. Go find your husband. I’m sure you’re eager to see each other.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I promised, waving at her as I left.

I looked for Sarkin for long moments but couldn’t locate him. Thinking that maybe he’d already gone back to our dwelling, I went there, seeing that Sammenth had disappeared from the riverbank. I spied her walking down the path to the hatchery, likely to see Ryena.

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