Page 170 of Lady of Ashes

Talwyn stilled at that voice. She knew that voice.

Had spent countless hours with the owner of that voice.

She tipped her nose to the air, trying to scent him, but there was nothing. None of his forest and soil scent that used to soothe her. Not a hint.

A ?gure in all black stepped into view across from her. His attire matched what she’d seen Death’s Shadow moving about in at the Black Halls. He had a hood up, obscuring his face from view. She was standing before she realized she’d moved, and forced herself to still once more as the ?gure stepped to the center of the vampyre clan.

The Night Children had fallen silent, many bowing to the male. Two, though, were glaring back at him. One was the female that had been grousing about broken promises.

“We were supposed to be in that territory months ago,” the female said, her chin lifting.

“And as you are well aware, factors we were not anticipating pushed back our timeline. But not for much longer,” the male answered.

His very voice was calling to her, making it nearly impossible to keep her paws planted while she listened.

“It is taking too long,” the female vampyre replied.

“Patience, my friend.”

“What do you know of patience?” sneered the ?rst male who had spoken.

The ?gure’s head turned slowly to him, and the vampyre’s throat worked as he swallowed, taking a small step back. “I knowmore about patience than you can even begin to imagine.” He took a step towards the Night Child. “The things playing out now have been in the works for decades, centuries. Do not whine to me about your pathetic wait of a few years.”

“We simply wish to be welcomed back into our homeland,” one of the vampyres said, her head still bowed, eyes on the ground.

“As do I,” the hooded male said coldly.

Talwyn sucked in a breath, but in her wolf form it came out as more of a huff. It wasn’t loud, but the hooded male’s head tilted to the side slightly.

“Your whining aside, I did not come here to coddle and soothe away your worries,” he said. “I came here to relay information.”

“Which is what?” the ?rst vampyre asked.

“We will be preoccupied for the next few days. You are to stay out of the city, away from any mortals. If he learns you have decided not to heed these orders, the next mission you are sent on will be facingher.”

“We would never survive her,” one of the vampyres with his head still bowed said. “She slaughtered our kin without any aid. If she is back with her twin ?ame—”

“Then I suppose you will need to control yourselves.”

There were murmurs of agreement from the Night Children before the hooded man told them he would return in a few days when their business had been taken care of. He turned to leave the way he had come, and Talwyn backed into the brush behind her. She moved as fast as she dared to try to trail him. She was still unable to pick up any scent from him.

Talwyn paused when she came to a denser part of the forest. The trees above were so thick that it blocked out the setting sun, a thin layer of darkness settling into place. She strained her hearing, trying to pick up something, anything. But if it was trulyhim, he would move with the grace of the Fae.

The rustle of brush nearby had her swinging her head to the left, her eyes piercing easily through the darkness. He stepped into view from between two trees, walking to the place where the path he’d been following split into two. He stopped, tipping his head back as though he were trying to see the sky through the trees.

What was he doing?

Talwyn sat, watching him carefully, debating her best optionsto keep following him. She was hoping he’d remove his hood. She just wanted to see his face, wanted to con?rm it was really him.

“A little longer, Moon?ower. A little longer, and I will be home where I belong.”

Talwyn’s blood froze. Her breath caught in her chest. She couldn’t have sucked in air if she’d wanted to. She couldn’t move to follow him as he took the path to the right and continued on to wherever he was heading.

Moon?ower.

That was the name he had given her one night while they’d sat under the full moon in a secluded oasis in the Earth Court.

It was him. He was here.

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