Page 63 of The Shadowbound King

They had both known.

Andrin kept his eyes on me as he stepped forward. “You should be careful where you seek refuge, Mirella.” He crooked a finger at me. “Come down.”

For one second, a resolutenohovered on my lips. But I couldn’t stay on the bales forever. And considering I’d just watched him dangle Rane from the ceiling with shadow, he was more than capable of dragging me from the bales himself.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed upright. Climbing down was harder than going up. The stack swayed and threatened to tip. The men’s attention prickled over my back. By the time Ireached the bottom, sweat beaded my upper lip, and the muscles in my arms and legs screamed in protest.

When I turned, Rane had replaced his trousers. For some reason, seeing him barefoot in nothing but the hip-hugging leather was just as intimate as seeing him nude. I quickly averted my gaze from the spot where his ejaculate still soaked the ground.

Andrin’s nostrils flared. He caught my chin, his blue eyes dipping to my bodice. Embarrassment squirmed through me as I realized my nipples poked hard against the fabric. But the heated, twisting sensation flowed lower, quickening my breath. The urge to squeeze my thighs together was almost too overpowering to ignore.

Rane moved closer to Andrin’s side. Two sets of bright eyes—one blue, one purple—stared me down. My heart fluttered. At the same time, confusion fogged my mind. I’d just watched Andrin and Rane share intense passion. Their coupling was violent, but they’d both clearly wanted it. So why did they look as if they wanted something from me?

“You really are a feral little thing,” Andrin said softly. “Whatever shall we do with you, Mirella?”

“You could let me go,” I said hoarsely.

A low, mournful sound shook the stable.

Andrin and Rane spun toward the doors, instantly alert. A knife with a dark blade appeared in Andrin’s hand. He’d moved so quickly, I hadn’t seen him draw it.

The sound came again, rolling in thick waves that raised goosebumps on my skin. Dust sifted from the ceiling, and the ground vibrated under my feet.

“What the fuck is that?” Rane demanded in a tight voice. “Some new trick from the Edelfen?”

“No,” I said. When the men turned back to me, my heart pumped faster, and a new kind of dread tightened my throat.Because I recognized the sound. I’d heard it every month since I was a child. “It’s the siege horn of Purecliff.”

Andrin’s eyes lit with understanding—and steely resolve. “Walto Lornlark calls. It’s only fair to answer him.” He turned to Rane. “Gather Vivia and the others. I want her to stay here. Kassander and the rest will accompany us.”

Rane was through the doors in a flash. A second later, he swept past the windows in crow form. Andrin followed his flight from window to window. When Rane was gone, he looked at me.

“You may get your wish, my lady.” He turned and strode toward the doors. “Come. We have a long journey ahead of us.”

Chapter

Fifteen

ANDRIN

Our party was small, but size didn’t matter when it came to traveling through the Edelfen.

Power did. And we had as much as I dared to take from the Embervale.

“I leave Autumn in your hands,” I told Othor, who held the Edeloak staff at his side. We stood at the edge of the courtyard, the meadow before us gilded with afternoon sunlight. Vivia stood a short distance away, one hand on the reins of her horse, Thraxos. Rane and Mirella waited in the meadow with the rest of the Shadow Eaters.

Othor’s brow furrowed. Taking my arm, he led me away from the others. Concern etched his features as he pitched his voice low. “Are you certain you can’t wait until tomorrow morning to go? It’s a long journey to the Covenant, and…” He pressed his lips together.

“Yes?” I prompted.

“I heard you encountered some difficulty at the edge of the forest this morning.”

Frustration rose. Fucking court gossip. It was bad enough that I’d let the Edelfen sneak up on me. I didn’t need the entire Embervale thinking I was too weak to fend it off alone.

But I had centuries of experience navigating court politics, and I knew my smile appeared genuine as I bent toward Othor. “Since when do you listen to rumors, Cousin?”

“I—” Othor snapped his mouth shut. “I don’t.”

“Good.” I looked at Vivia, who drew Thraxos forward until she stood next to Othor. “Lord Othor is regent in my absence, my lady. Obey him as you would me.”

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