Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 156210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 781(@200wpm)___ 625(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 781(@200wpm)___ 625(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
“And I’m sorry about what happened to you, being kept in the shadowild… I don’t envy what you’ve been put through. But you must understand I need to know how he died. You heard the accusations. To think that I spent my life as his guard and I didn’t even know he perished? I’m struggling. Was he too sure of himself? He often dismissed me, giving me lots of free rein, but now I wonder if it’s because he secretly had you watching over him. So I have to ask. Did you entrap him?”
“No,” I say right away. “He went riding into the woods and found wolf pups in a den. He wanted to kill them, but the mother surprised him. She crushed his head in her jaws.”
All true, even though I leave out some details. What is done is done.
“I might actually recall that day. I offered to go with him, but he brushed me off. And so, you decided to take his place?” Tristan asks, but it sounds more like a statement. There’s nothing that suggests judgment in his voice, yet I still feel the need to defend my choice.
“I couldn’t help him anymore. So why not seize my chance at a life worth living? Why not catch up on everything I’ve missed and become the Lord he could never otherwise be?” I ask, clutching onto the loose front of my damaged shirt. “For seven years he didn’t bother with Luke. He never wanted the responsibility of a Lord, and we all knew Heartbreak was coming. I was ready to take it on. Not just for myself but for all of the Nocturne Court and the Nightmare Realm. And yes, maybe I also want the recognition after thirty-five years of being less than a shadow to my brother!”
Tristan watches me in silence, and a part of me regrets getting so heated, but it’s the truth, damn it.
“I see. It pains me that I wasn’t there to guard his life, but he made that choice. I made a vow to your bloodline, and I choose to trust you. In the last month, you’ve proven worthy of the crown. It’s not my place to deny it to you. I will do all I can to help you become Lord of the Nocturne Court. But once you ascend, I request to be let go from my duty.”
I’m struck by the formality of Tristan’s words and utter, “Did you rehearse this speech?”
He grabs a spoon and throws it at me with a chuckle. “You absolute ratbag!”
I deflect it before it can strike my chest and grin at him, oddly at ease. “I’m just surprised. You don’t usually talk like this. But why do you want to leave my side? Is it... me?” I ask, trying to not focus on the ache in my chest. “Or are you getting married to that milkmaid who pierced your nose and starting a farm of your own?”
Tristan sighs, resting his elbows on the table. I’m so glad to feel the atmosphere between us loosen. In the past month, I became entwined with Luke like a man and his shadow, but I’ve also befriended Tristan in a way I couldn’t have predicted. We’re so different. He’s easygoing where I’m tense, and he’s like a ray of moonlight where I thrive in darkness. Yet because of the bond with my brother, he treated me like an old friend, and that made me feel like a person, not just a tool for eviscerating enemies. I want to see him happy and help him pursue whatever he needs to.
“No, dumbass. But standing at the threshold of death shook me. I was never one to think much about the future, and I settled in well as the prince’s guard. When that poison flowed through my veins, it reminded me that elves are as mortal as humans. We might not age the same way, but we can still perish within a heartbeat, and our realm is crawling with beasts, plants, and elves competing to kill you. But while I was frightened and didn’t want to die, I also don’t want to live like Reiner, limited to the comforts of the palace grounds for the sake of safety above all. I want to see the Realm. I want to see the human realm. Kyranis never wanted to go, so I never did. Now I want something for myself. I’m sure you understand that.”
I lean forward as my heart throbs. “I do. And if I become the Lord, your wish will be granted. You out of all people deserve the right to follow your heart. You’ve given me and my brother enough.”
Tristan grabs a tiny red cookie from a silver bowl in the middle of the table and eyes it with a thoughtful expression. “Sabine and her husband are trawling through tomes of laws to fight for your right to take part in the trial. Let’s hope their years of fucking at the library help.”