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)
Defeated, my mother just sat there, looking across HeartHolme to the gate that remained open, welcoming our attackers with open arms.
“Huntley’s coming.”
She was silent.
“He’ll save us like last time. I know he will.”
“Once Necrosis walks through those open doors, it’ll be over. No amount of dragon fire will be able to fix it, not unless we burn our own people as much as theirs.” Her voice was lifeless, as if she were just a hollow shell at this point. Her eyes were straight ahead, nowhere near me. “You should have let me die. And you should have died warning our men what’s to come.”
“I had to save you.”
She turned to look at me. “Don’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved, Ian.”
“Huntley is coming. I’m not going to let you die when he’s going to save us all.”
“We can’t rely on that, Ian. He could be dead for all we know.”
“But I know he’s not,” I said. “I have faith.”
She looked ahead once more.
“I didn’t save you before…and I’ve regretted that every day since.”
Her eyes briefly closed. “There was nothing you could do.”
“There was nothing Huntley could do—but he stayed.”
“And I wish he hadn’t.”
I’d never said the words to her before, and if we were about to die, may as well speak them now. “You’ve always preferred Huntley over me, and not because he’s your firstborn. It’s because you’re forever bonded by that day…and I’m just the coward who tried to save my own neck.”
She was quiet for a long time, letting me choke on the silence. “There’s no preference, Ian. Your brother saw the version of me that I’m most ashamed of. He witnessed a trauma that doesn’t escape my thoughts or my dreams. I pity myself, and then when I look at him, I pity him too. Yes, we’re bound, but not in the way that I want. I wish he’d run that night. I wish he hadn’t had to see me like that.”
I stared ahead, trying to block her sorrow from my heart.
“I’m sorry if I’ve ever made you feel lesser than. If I’ve ever shown your brother preference, it’s because he shares your father’s likeness. I’ve never remarried, and that’s because he’s my one and only. Looking at your brother’s face is like a breath of fresh air. It gives me courage when I have none. It gives me peace in war.”
I stared all the way down through the open gates, seeing the fields beyond, hoping for a dragon to appear in the sky.
“You served HeartHolme well in my absence. You’ve taken care of the outpost for years. You’ve been a great son, Ian. I know your father would be proud of you. I’m proud of you as well—and I’m sorry I didn’t make that more known.”
Her praise meant a lot to me, especially since I’d never heard it before. She always expected the best. That was her minimum standard, so if I met it, there was no need for praise. “Thank you.”
“I love you, son.”
It was hard to say it back, especially since it felt as if what she was really saying was goodbye. “I love you too, Mother.”
TWENTY-NINE
Elora
When I woke up, I realized I was chained down.
To a bed.
My eyes opened, everything that had just happened hitting me at once, and then I focused on the face hovering above me.
Kronos.
My wrists pulled at the chains so hard the metal cut into my wrists. The sweat poured off me a second later, causing a burn so deep it made me cringe. “I’ll kill you just like your little friend, motherfucker.” I yanked hard again, and my body was tugged back to the bed.
Kronos stared with a hard expression, not moving just like a statue.
I knew my dagger had been confiscated, and with just my bare hands, there was nothing I could do even if I were free. I was going to die. And not just die, but lose my soul too.
His stare continued.
“What the fuck do you want from me?” I yelled, hoping my voice carried to anyone who might be able to help me.
His hand suddenly reached for my hair, as if to caress it like a lover.
I jolted away. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
“You remind me of Haldir’s wife, Avice. Painstakingly beautiful.”
Fuck.
“But she doesn’t possess your strength. Your fight.”
I’d just killed his brother, and he was coming on to me? “A fight that will kill you.”
“Without your little dagger, there’s nothing you can do to me.” He smiled. “Where did you get it?”
I played dumb. “What?”
“Don’t drop your feistiness now. Tell me where you got the Ice.”
Bastian had abandoned me to this torture. He’d lied straight to my face and betrayed me. My family. I’d stuck out my neck for him when Ian wanted to kill him…and he’d made me look like a fool. I should tell the truth and get him killed. But for whatever reason, I couldn’t. “Ice? I don’t even know what that is.”