Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
And I finally did it. I saved her.
THIRTY-FIVE
Huntley
Bastian, Elora, and Avice left Necrosis, while Ivory, Ian, and I stayed behind.
There were very few Necrosis left, so we broke down every door and killed any that survived. Both men and women. I understood Bastian’s guilt, but I’d fought Necrosis all my life, and I didn’t feel an ounce of pity. Even if these Necrosis had never left their lands and engaged in warfare, they still fed the army, still made their weapons, still supported those that ate other people’s souls to fuel their own immortality.
The Ice blades made the killing easy, felling them with a single swipe. But we worked up a sweat anyway.
Ian finished wiping the blue blood from his sword on the corpse before he wiped his own forehead with the back of his forearm.
“Are you going to make a move?”
Ian stilled at the question.
“You make it obvious.”
Ian returned his sword to his scabbard, wearing a slight smile. “Do I?”
“A bit.” I glanced at Ivory farther away, where she had just slain the final Necrosis. Even though she was capable of protecting herself, my eyes always kept track of her.
“Her husband just died…so I’ll have to wait awhile.”
“She didn’t blink an eye as he burned to death. That man was never her husband.”
“Are you saying I should go for it now?” he asked hopefully.
“No. You need to give her some time to adjust. But you need to make sure you’re first in line.”
“How do I do that?”
“Be her friend.”
Ian made a disgusted look. “I hate that shit…”
“That’s my best advice.”
Ivory walked over. “I think that’s all of them. We should meet the others.”
I continued to stare at my brother.
She looked back and forth between us. “Did I walk into the middle of something?”
“Your husband is giving me romance advice,” Ian said. “Not that I need it.” He walked off.
Ivory watched him go before she turned back to me. “Bastian’s sister?”
“You noticed too.”
“The only time I’ve seen someone stare that hard is when you’re looking at me.”
The corner of my mouth quirked up in a smile.
“You know, now that Necrosis is gone…this land is available for the taking. It’s warm, it’s got great soil, the mountains are a natural defense. Maybe the Runes should occupy it.”
“We’ve been at HeartHolme for thousands of years.”
“Yeah…but it’s a little cold.”
“I’ll speak to my mother. This is her territory, so she can decide what to do with it.”
“Then let’s get going.”
We left Necrosis and joined the others at the camp. Now that Haldir wasn’t holding us back, we would be able to return to HeartHolme twice as fast as our journey here. Then Ivory and I would have a short rest before we returned to the Kingdoms.
She and I sat together in front of the fire, our bellies full with the pheasants she’d caught.
“What’s our plan?” she asked. “For King Dunbar?”
“We’ll take our entire army and sail to their lands.”
“But we’ve never been there. We’ll go into it blind.”
“You’re forgetting that Pyre and Storm are both acquainted with the land. They’ll be our guides.”
“True.”
“Our army is just a distraction for Pyre and Storm to do what they need to do. It’s all on them, really.”
“Will we take the Runes, Plunderers, and Teeth as well?”
I shook my head. “No. That would take far too long.”
“By the way, we’ll need to figure out a way for people to come and go more easily.”
“I’ve thought about that. We can carve a path into the cliff.”
“How?”
“The dragons. It’ll be wide enough for riders and carriages to go up and down. It’ll still be a long ride, but at least it’ll make the journey possible.”
“I wish we could rest, but now that Pyre and Storm did their part, I know they’ll be anxious for us to do ours.”
“I agree.”
“But…we killed Regar, right?” she asked. “Wasn’t that the biggest challenge?”
“I’m sure Dunbar has other dragons. And their mother will never be free until he’s killed. I imagine I’ll ride Storm straight to the castle, hop through a window, and kill him in his sleep.”
“It would definitely be convenient if it went that smoothly…”
“We’ll see. I suppose we should just enjoy our victory over Necrosis.”
Her arms rested on her knees, and she stared at the fire.
I stared at it with her, everyone else getting ready for bed. Bastian slept close to Elora and his sister, and Ian was with the other soldiers on the other side of the clearing. Minutes trickled by, the two of us locked in comfortable silence. “I’m supposed to take my herbs tomorrow. But I’m not going to.”
When she’d fully processed what I said, she turned to look at me. “We agreed we were going to wait.”
“But this will all be over within a month. We’ll either live or we’ll die.”
“There’s still no rush—”
“What if I don’t survive, baby?” I had the confidence to take the Kingdoms because it was my homeland. I was fueled by rage and revenge. But this was a place I’d never been, and I was getting involved in a battle that had nothing to do with me. “You would still have a piece of me. You could rule the Kingdoms, and our child could take the throne once they’re of age. Or you could flee to HeartHolme and raise our child with my family.”