Page 105 of Thorns & Fire
As Wren gave her consent and stood with the smarmy prick, he had no choice but to fall back and watch them move to the edge of the hall.He hated that they looked good together – the handsome nobleman in his fine clothes and the beautiful alchemist.Who knew what honeyed words that snake was whispering in her ear?
‘If you’re going to burst into flame, Bear Slayer, can you kindly put a bit of distance between us first?’Kipp commented.
‘Why are you always so intent on irritating me?’Torj replied moodily.
‘I think you’re doing that all on your own,’ Kipp told him, with a glance at Wren and Devereux.‘They’re just talking.’
‘It’s never just talking with Darian.’From the looks of things, the nobleman hadn’t changed a bit.He still dressed like a pampered prince, still laced his words with false charm.
‘I have news from Thezmarr,’ Kipp said, voice low.
‘Go on,’ Torj replied, not taking his eyes off his charge.
‘Cahira has been laid to rest on the Plains of Orax.Farissa went to examine the body herself.It was definitely a variant of the dark alchemy Lord Silas is using.’
‘We guessed as much, didn’t we?’
Kipp nodded.‘The missing Warsword has also been found.’
‘Alive?’
‘Dead.Killed the same way as Cahira.’
‘Shit,’ Torj muttered, his heart sinking.The strength that had risen from the ashes of the shadow war was fading.‘Our Warsword numbers are dwindling...Does Audra know how many are ready to take the Great Rite the next time it presents itself?’
‘She told me three, maybe four,’ Kipp said.‘But what good will that do if the enemy has the ability to strip them of their Furies-given strength the moment they have it?’
‘We don’t need Warswords for this fight,’ Torj told him.‘We need alchemists.’
He hadn’t stopped watching Wren and Devereux across the hall, noting the subtle stiffness in Wren’s shoulders, and how her hand rested on the grip of his dagger.
‘He’s had more than enough time to chat, wouldn’t you agree?’Kipp mused.
‘For once, Kristopher, yes, I would.’
Torj strode over to Wren and placed himself between her and the nobleman.
‘Time’s up, Devereux.’
Devereux gave Wren an infuriating smile, followed by an even more infuriating bow.‘Until next time, Princess.’
As he walked off, Torj realized that Wren was still gripping his dagger.
‘I’m definitely teaching you how to use that,’ he told her.
CHAPTER 42
Wren
‘The fool draws water from an empty well, while the wise seek new springs’
– Arcane Alchemy: Unveiling the Mysteries of Matter
WREN WAS Awoman obsessed.She spent hours, days, hunched over her workbench, her back constantly aching.It was akin to wading through mud, trying to understand the properties of the dark alchemy, as well as what made the Delmirian rose different to the rest.Even wearing gloves, she had pricked herself on more thorns than she could count, her blood dotting the workbench, along with dozens of severed thorns.
She had always thought she worked well in organized chaos, but in the early hours of yet another morning, the clutter simply reflected the state of her mind.Nearly every surface was covered: a small wooden rack held vials of royal blood and alchemical concoctions, a mortar and pestle housed crushed herbs, and several open books with her notes in the margins were scattered about.
Any day now, the High Chancellor would call upon the adepts to present their findings, and with every day that passed, Wren was less sure of her convictions.
