Page 29 of Slaying the Shadow Prince
Wilder shot him a warning look. ‘When I was an apprentice, Tal would sit reading his pink books while I ran laps around the entire fortress.’
‘Likely because I’d already finished my laps.’
‘Did I hear that right?’ a deep voice boomed from behind them. ‘We’ve got a Warsword in our midst who reads love stories?’
Talemir recognised the man as Baledor, the friend of Drue’s father. He laughed good-naturedly, twisting in his saddle to address the older ranger. ‘Don’t underestimate the skills you can learn from a romance book.’ He laced his words with innuendo. ‘And no matter what I read, I could still kill all of you in my sleep.’
The company burst into a fit of laughter, and that was that.
The general,the ranger and the two Warswords went on leading the party across the plains of Naarva, and Talemir continued to appreciate the beauty in its wildness. In the absence of structured society, the kingdom that had once been known for its gardens now teemed with untamed nature. With a glance at Drue, Talemir decided he liked it better this way. It was like her – fierce and unapologetic in what it was. He wished he could be more like that.
As if in answer, the cuff around Drue’s wrist hummed, strong enough that he could sense it even on horseback. Her attention snapped to him, as though she thought he was making it happen deliberately. He longed to take it from her, to study it for himself, to know how she created it, this mysterious ranger, daughter of the Naarvian forge master… What had she imbued it with? And how? For only the royal households of the midrealms wielded magic nowadays. There was a lot she wasn’t telling him, of that he was sure. And she was so protective of the thing. He hadn’t so much as grazed it with his fingertips, but he could feel it… Feelher…
As desperately as he wanted to examine it for himself, he was above taking it by force, for now.
The afternoon slowly ebbed away, and soon, the first watchtower was within their sights. But something was wrong. Talemir could sense it crawling against his skin; he could taste the lingering evil in the air.
He brought his stallion to a halt and unsheathed his sword.
Instantly, the others drew their weapons as well.
‘Shit,’ Drue muttered, pointing to her hawk circling above the tower in distress. Without another word, she coaxed her horse into a gallop across the remaining plains. Talemir didn’t think; he simply surged after her.
He could hear Adrienne calling their names into the wind behind him, but he didn’t stop. The taste of darkness only increased as he closed in on the watchtower, stirring that monster within. He forced it down, ignored it, and when he reached the outpost, he leapt from his horse.
Drue was fast, already searching within, but Talemir’s chest seized at what he saw.
Black scorches marred the stone, and the distinct shape of claw marks carved through the brick.
‘Drue?’ Talemir called out, entering the tower, poised to attack. Inside, tables and chairs were overturned, plates and mugs of spilt mead scattered across the floor. Shards of ceramic broke underfoot.
Footsteps sounded, and she emerged at the bottom of the stairs, panic-stricken. ‘There’s no one here,’ she rasped, supporting herself against the wall. ‘They’ve been taken. Gus has been taken.’ Her face fell, devastated.
Outside, thunder clapped, so loud it shook the ground beneath their boots.
Drue surged for the door. ‘They’ve come back —’
But Talemir gripped her arm, restraining her. ‘No, they haven’t,’ he told her. ‘I’d feel it,’ he added quietly. ‘Youwould feel it.’
The rest of their party burst in.
‘Where’s Gus?’ Adrienne demanded, looking around wildly. ‘Where is he? Is he alright?’
‘He’s gone, Adri,’ Drue said, letting her friend collapse in her arms. ‘The wraiths have him.’
With a resounding roar, more thunder rolled onto the plains beyond the tower. There was nothing for it.
‘Everyone inside,’ Talemir ordered, his skin prickling. Ten rangers and two Warswords crammed into a tiny outpost that had just been attacked by shadow wraiths, the horses left to fend for themselves in the storm… It didn’t look good.
When they had all taken shelter, Talemir stood at the entrance of the tower. With his hands resting on the grips of his blades and his whole body tense, he stared out towards the darkening horizon.
7
Drue
Alone in the highest room, Drue braced herself on the windowsill and squeezed her eyes shut against the spots swimming in her vision. It took every ounce of willpower to hold it together, to stop herself from falling apart.
The wraiths had taken Gus and the others.For what?
