Page 13 of The Shadowbound King

The crow tilted its head as I passed, its round, black eye pinned on me. I’d seen no other animals since I crossed the Covenant. But I’d heard them. Or, at least, I’d heardsomething. Screams and grunts. High-pitched screeches and deep moans.

The elf never gave any indication he heard them. He simply continued moving forward, pulling me toward some unknown destination.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

The elf didn’t respond. At my back, the crow released another loudcaw.

I looked over my shoulder in time to see it flit to another branch. The tether jerked hard, and I spun around with a gasp as I was forced into a trot. Still, the elf faced ahead, his stride steady.

“Where are you taking me?”

Nothing.

Anger boiled up. What would he do if I just sat on the ground? Drag me?

I gnawed at my lip as I discarded that idea. For all I knew, he was perfectly capable of hauling me over the leaves. Or worse.

But if he was going to do worse, wouldn’t he have done it already? And why did he insist on walking the forest path when he could simply step from one shadow to another? The drops of elven blood in my veins allowed me to run the shadows in short intervals. When I was rested, I could pull another person with me. My father’s range was even broader. His strength ten times greater.

Surely, an elf of the Autumn Court was a master of the shade?

Then again, maybe he simply wanted to make me suffer. He’d said as much.

Well, he’d accomplished that. My head swam with fatigue and hunger. Thirst plagued me, fantasies of crisp water and goblets slick with condensation dancing in my mind.

My anger swelled. Leaves crunched. The elf’s cloak swirled around his boots. I hadsomesort of value to him. If I had any hope of surviving, I needed to know what it was. The more information I gathered, the better my chances of keeping my head attached to my shoulders.

“You haven’t told me your name,” I called.

The elf kept walking. A second crow fluttered to a branch a dozen steps away. It twitched its head this way and that, then released a sharpcaw. Behind me, the first crow gave what sounded like an answering rattle.

The elf paid them no mind.

“Fine,” I said. “I guess I’ll just talk to the crows.”

The elf spun. He was on me in a blur of movement, his hand under my chin before I could draw breath to scream. His eyes had burned before. Now, they were cool, indifference in the purple depths. “That would be even more foolish than stabbing me.”

“Why?” I tried to pull from his grip, but he tightened his fingers.

“I tire of your game, Lady Mirella. One of us will end it. You don’t want it to be me.”

My heart thumped faster. “I’m not playing a game. You took me from Andulum. I merely wish to know the name of my captor.”

He studied me, his pine and clove scent teasing my nostrils. He bore no signs of travel, his hair and face as fresh as they’d been at the Covenant. “Rane Laruthian,” he said finally, “First Lord of the Autumn Court, Chief Advisor on the King’s Council, Captain of the Watch, and bodyguard to King Andrin Verdalis. And since I’m feeling generous, I’ll answer your first question. I’m taking you to King Andrin’s seat at the Embervale, where you’ll answer for your crimes.”

My stomach lurched. “I’ve committed no crimes.” But I had, of course. His tattered, bloodied shirt was proof enough of that. He was a noble with a string of titles. I was a human. Even if his king believed I’d acted in self-defense, he was unlikely to rule in my favor.

Rane dropped his hand from my chin. “Your father committed plenty. We have a saying in Autumn.The poisoned tree yields rotten fruit.We’ll soon find out if you’re as duplicitous as your sire. Until then, you’ll serve the sentence he earned.”

Fear and confusion fogged my mind. “Of what crimes do you accuse my father? Whatever they are, you’re mistaken.”

Rane’s lips curved in a mocking smile. “A full-throated denial, my lady. We’ll see if it holds up under scrutiny.” He lifted a hand. More tattoos slid down his neck and disappeared under his shirt. A second later, shadows slid from under the cuff of his shirt. They rushed up his hand and then curled from his fingertips like smoke, thick tendrils forming sinuous shapes above his fingertips.

I held my breath, not daring to move.

His eyes glittered. “Now, you can either walk silently or walk gagged. Either way, you’ll walk.”

My throat went dry. The shadows rolled slowly, as if they awaited his command.Because they do, I realized. He’d wrapped one around my wrist. Nothing stopped him from slapping one over my mouth.

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