Page 23 of Slaying the Shadow Prince
Wilder shifted in his saddle and glanced at Talemir, as though seeking approval. The older Warsword simply shrugged, keeping his gaze ahead.
He’s been unusually quiet so far, Drue noted, not sure why she cared.
‘Thezmarr is a vast fortress,’ Wilder explained. ‘Hemmed in by jagged mountains and violent seas… It looks cold and dark from the outside, but within… within, it’s home.’ There was a note of longing in his voice. ‘It has a Great Hall, where all the warriors and trainees of the guild take their meals, and at its heart lie the stone swords of the Furies.’
Drue sucked in a breath. She’d heard tales of those monuments, the ones that rose from the ground up into the rafters of the building, into the skies beyond. The stones upon which the names of dead Thezmarrians were carved. She wondered how many warriors the Warswords had known, whose names were honoured on those swords.
Her gaze flitted to Talemir, who rode straight-backed, jaw clenched.
A great many, judging from that expression.
‘How long have you been a Warsword?’ someone called from the back.
A look of pride crossed Wilder’s face. ‘I passed the Great Rite several months ago.’
‘What was it like?’ Adrienne chimed in.
Wilder shook his head. ‘You know I can’t tell you that.’
The Great Rite was one of Thezmarr’s closest-kept secrets. No one knew what it entailed, what a would-be Warsword faced when he undertook it.
Drue found herself drawn to Talemir’s side. ‘What about you?’ she asked.
‘What about me?’ His tone was a far cry from the flirtatious banter he’d attempted in the stables.
‘How long haveyoubeen a Warsword?’ Drue pressed.
‘Long enough.’
‘That’s not an answer.’
‘That’s all the answer you’ll get. Tell me, Wildfire… Why the interest?’
‘I…’
‘Aren’t you worried I’m using my dark spells on you again?’
Drue baulked. ‘No, I —’
‘Forget it,’ he muttered. He surveyed the territory before them, still overgrown and crawling with those ominous emerald vines. ‘It feels like a lifetime since I was here. I didn’t realise what it had become…’
Stiffening in her saddle, Drue faced him. ‘Why would you, from your fortress?’
‘We weren’t told,’ he said simply.
‘Apparently not,’ she replied, her voice cold. ‘You came and fought, then you left. And we picked up the pieces.’
His knuckles bulged around his reins, but he spoke quietly, his words laced with anger. ‘You know more than anyone how much that battle cost me. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t remind me of it every two minutes.’
Rage simmered in his hazel eyes, and perhaps a flicker of darkness, too.
Drue said nothing more, for a monster was there, lying in wait.
At long last,the sun began to set, and Adrienne instructed them to make camp. They took shelter by the edge of a forest and she deemed it safe enough to have a small fire.
Terrence flew in as Drue dismounted and tended to her mare, leading her to the nearby stream to drink her fill. The hawk landed on the ground beside the horse, tucking his wings in and dipping his beak into the cool water as well. Drue took her saddlebags and left both animals to their own devices as she found a spot for her tent. It wasn’t long before she spotted Talemir across the clearing, rummaging through his own pack. She went to him immediately.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ she demanded, folding her arms over her chest.
