Page 73 of Bound to the Shadow Queen
Lumen pretended to be above such things, but the way he leaned his massive body into me suggested otherwise.
I felt inherently safer with him around, but I still couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that I was missing something obvious about the wards.
Everly
When Wynnie emergedfrom her bath, she was less excited than I was to see Lumen, murmuring something about all the murderous beasts in my life while she greedily snatched up her single allotted glass of wine.
She downed it in one go, and I guiltily pushed mine over to her as well, noticing the way her fingers still trembled, in spite of the brave face she put on.
She made it easy to forget that murderous beasts had ravaged her entire home not long ago. Wolves were not the same as Tharnoks, but with Lumen’s head nearly up to my elbow and his sharp fangs on display…
“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you. Draven sent him to guard the room…” I shifted uncomfortably, from the remorse and the still unfamiliar feeling of wearing a dress after two weeks of the more freeing flying leathers.
“I’m fine,” she said shortly.
But she didn’t sound fine. She sounded empty and tired, and it was telling that she didn’t ask why we needed an extra guard tonight.
I was debating the safety and potential hurt feelings of putting Lumen back in the hall when a rapid three-tap knocksounded at the door. Not the sitting room door that led to the main hallway. The one that led to the hallway I shared with my husband.
I wasn’t even sure Draven knew how to open a door by its handle since he always just blasted them open with mana, but I was positive he didn’t know how to knock.
My sister furrowed her brow, and Lumen stood at attention, but he didn’t look murderous. More… excited.
Still, my heartbeat pounded as I tiptoed toward the door. Wynnie strode next to me, her wine glass raised like she might use it as a weapon. Remembering the chair she’d hurled at a Tharnok back at the estate, it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.
I drew a steadying breath and cracked the door open…
A familiar set of amber eyes met mine, sparking like embers. His sleek raven hair was pulled back into a topknot, and a smirk was etched across his symmetrical features.
“Soren?” I let out a relieved whoosh of air.
“I told you that would startle her,” a dry voice cut in.
Nevara was here.
The Autumn emissary rolled his eyes. “Did you See that?”
“No,” she replied, unimpressed. “But the Shard Mother gifted me with common sense as well.”
I opened the door wider, revealing the Visionary’s ethereally beautiful form, pale tresses braided up to perfection, sparkling staff in hand, features carefully guarded.
I tried not to remember tears escaping her silver eyes, and the aftermath that followed. Tried not to feel the drag of a blade along my skin and wonder if that was the future she had seen all along.
I don’t blame you.
Sometimes you do.
“Did Draven send you to guard us as well?” Wynnie asked, stretching up on her tip toes to peer over my shoulder.
Nevara’s lips parted, but Soren spoke before she could. “Sure. Let’s go with that.”
I hadn’t thought it was possible for his smirk to get more mischievous.
“What would be closer to the truth?” I asked, stepping back to allow them entry.
My sister was alive. So was I. And whatever impossible choices she had to make, Nevara was my friend.
Her hand clenched around her staff like she heard the thoughts play across my mind.
