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)
“About a hundred and fifty years ago.”
He didn’t see my reaction because I was directly beside him, but I was stunned. Necrosis had always been mysterious, more of an entity than a real being. That made them mythical. But now that I knew a Necrosis, I viewed them in a new light. They were immortal, but that fact had never seemed important before. I’d never considered their age, how long they walked this earth, everything they’d seen through the years.
We reached my humble dwelling, a two-story home that was narrow and long, wedged between two bigger homes. In my small yard, I had my own garden and a chicken coop so I could have fresh eggs every morning.
I got the door unlocked, and we stepped inside. It was dark, so the first thing I had to do was light all the wax candles positioned throughout the bottom floor. Bastian helped himself to the fireplace and threw on a couple logs before he got the flames going. Soon, my home was lit with light, and I was able to uncork a new bottle of wine. “Want some?”
He sat at the dining table and relaxed in the chair, as if the answer was obvious.
I poured two glasses and left the bottle on the table.
He held it by the stem but drank it like it was ale or water. His gaze remained fixed on me, half of his face lit up from the glow of the fireplace. His dark hair reminded me of the walnut wood of the table at which we sat. “You’re alone in a house where no one can hear you scream—and you aren’t afraid.”
I picked up my glass and took a drink. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not afraid of anything.”
The corner of his mouth crooked in a smile. “Then you weren’t as comfortable around me as you are now.”
“Well, you were a stranger.”
“And I no longer am?”
I took another drink just to cover my silence.
“I don’t think your brother fears me either. Otherwise, he wouldn’t want me anywhere near you.”
“No. My brother just knows I’ve got bigger balls than all of his men.”
The subtle smile returned, as if he found my crassness amusing rather than off-putting.
“So…what was your life like? Before it happened?”
His eyes dropped to his glass. “I lived in a small village to the east. My father was the steward, my mother was a midwife, and I built cribs for newborns, homes for newlyweds, tables for holidays dinners. It was a simple life. A simple time.”
“So, you were a Plunderer?”
“Technically. If put on the spot, that’s what we’d say. But like other scattered Plunderers, we were something entirely different. We were just people, working from sunrise to sunset, telling stories by the fire, finding joy in the little things.”
I pictured a place I’d never seen, heard the lumberjack chopping the wood, saw Bastian in his shop sanding the wood of a crib before he gifted it to a family. The cold air was on my face, the peace was in my lungs. “Sounds nice…”
“It was.” He took a drink and looked at me again.
“Is it still there?”
After a long pause, he gave a shake of his head.
“What happened to it?”
“Nothing lasts forever.” That was the only answer he gave.
If he was a hundred and fifty years old, that meant his parents were long gone. “Do you have any siblings?”
He stayed quiet, his eyes dropping again. The silence that followed was so heavy it didn’t seem like words could break it. “A sister.”
That meant she was gone too. “Did she have any children?”
“No.”
He was truly alone. I didn’t really have parents, but I had my brothers, and they never felt only half related. “I’m sorry.”
He drank from his glass and brushed it off.
“I’ve been thinking…”
His blue eyes stayed on me, clear and so bright.
“I want you to take me to the Ice.”
His gaze remained hard, unsurprised.
“We’re going to need it.”
“I agree. And you’re right, I may not always be around. Haldir is not only intelligent, but in a state of permanent suspicion.”
“Haldir?”
“The First King. Over the span of decades, I’ve convinced him of my allegiance, but one false move and that veil will be pierced. Without the Ice, HeartHolme is vulnerable. Another attack by Necrosis will wipe out your people for good.”
“Then you need to take me.”
“It’s a dangerous road.”
“You think I care? HeartHolme is at risk.”
“Your brother could send someone else in your stead.”
“He doesn’t want me to fight, and if I don’t have Ice, any weapon I make is pointless. Besides, we can’t trust anyone else to keep your secret.”
He gave a slight nod before he abruptly stood up. Then he headed to the front door.
“What are you doing?”
As if someone had knocked, he opened the door and stared into the night.
Both of my eyebrows rose up my face, unsure what was happening.