Page 122 of Prince of Shadow and Ash

“Okay,” he murmured.

The tenderness and guilt written all over Regulus’ face nearly broke her. She wiped her face with her sleeve as he put his helm on and started back up the path.

Regulus froze, his hand out to the side. Adelaide listened intently and leaned sideways, trying to see around him. She heard it first. A rumbling low breath that sounded more like a growl. A loud snort. Its head reared up, appearing high above Regulus. Bear. Its black nose twitched as it sniffed the air; beady eyes gleaming in the dim sunlight. Thick brown fur rippled in the slight breeze. Its front paws, held in front of its chest as it stretched up on its hind legs, were as big as Regulus’ helm.

Her breath hitched as her heart thudded. Regulus eased the saddlebag from his shoulder to the ground. His hand crept toward his sword. The blade scraped against the scabbard and the bear’s round ears twitched. He drew the sword faster. The bear roared. The sound vibrated through her, from her skull down into the ground, and shook the trees. Her eyes widened as she stared at the bits of bloodied fur stuck between its huge yellowed teeth. Regulus drew back his massive sword and swung. The bear swiped a paw at him, hitting him in the shoulder and knocking him to the side before he could land his swing. He fell on top of a tangle of mountain sage and juniper. The bear fell onto all fours, landing on top of Regulus. One paw landed on his chest, the other on his sword arm. He grunted and struggled against the bear’s weight. She swallowed and snapped out of her momentary paralysis.

“Hey!” Adelaide pulled out her throwing knives as the bear turned its head toward her. Regulus pushed on the paw on his chest with his left arm. She threw the first knife, aiming for its shoulder. If she killed it and it collapsed on Regulus, she’d never be able to move it off him. The knife disappeared deep in the bear’s fur. The beast roared and stepped off Regulus’ sword arm, but that put more pressure on the paw on his chest and he groaned. The paw came down on the other side of Regulus’ head as the bear turned toward her. She stepped back and threw her next knife at the bear’s chest. It sank in, glinting in the mass of fur. The bear charged.

Adelaide gasped and stepped back, throwing the last knife at its head. It moved as if it saw the knife, and the blade sunk into the bear’s neck where it met its shoulders. She threw up a magic shield and crouched down just before the bear slammed headfirst into the shield. She struggled to keep the shield in place as she slid on the gravelly path.

Regulus shouted from behind the bear, loud, low and guttural. The bear ignored the sound, clawing at her shield of transparent blue light. She looked up at its snarling lips, only a barrier of light between her face and its teeth. She saw the dull sheen of light on black armor as Regulus jumped on the bear’s back. He brought his sword straight down, the hilt clasped in both hands above his head. The sword sunk behind the bear’s head and emerged from its neck in a fountain of blood that sizzled against her shield. She dropped the shield and scrambled back as the bear fell. Its weight shook the ground as it hit the earth. She held her hands out, steadying herself and breathing hard.

Regulus stood on the bear’s back as he pulled on his sword. The blade freed with the scrape of metal on bone and a sucking sound. He looked terrifying, the waning sunlight glinting off the hulking black armor and curving horns rising above his helm. Blood soaked the oversized sword in his hands and ran off the tip in a glittering stream of crimson. Now she understood why he hadn’t wanted to tell her the truth.

Because in that moment he didn’t look like the man she loved. The man before her was the Black Knight of whispered terrors. He didn’t look kind or good. He looked dangerous. Cruel.

He looked like a monster.

Chapter 46

REGULUS DROPPED THEsword and yanked his helm off, but it was too late. He saw the look in Adelaide’s eyes. The fear. Not fear of the sorcerer. Fear ofhim.The helm slipped from his hands and clattered to the ground.Please, no.Her right foot inched back and his soul crumbled. He slid down the bear’s side and reached toward her. “Adelaide...”

She blinked, and the fear vanished. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Why do you wear that?” Her gaze ran over his armor and her mouth twisted down. “It’s not you.”

“Requirement of the sorcerer’s.”

“When this is over, I want to burn it. Melt it down and destroy it.”

Regulus laughed as the energy of the fight and tension of seeing her afraid of him wore off. “Agreed.” He held out his hand and Adelaide took it. “We need to keep moving. Every creature on the mountain will have heard that. And it’s getting dark.”

He led her around the bear’s corpse and retrieved his sword. He left the helm lying next to the body. Adelaide left her knives buried under the bear’s bulk, the time required to retrieve them not worth the trouble.

Dusk plunged into night. Adelaide conjured a light to hover along the ground ahead of them, and another that hovered above their heads. Gnarled roots twisted over the rocky, narrow trail as it curved ever up the mountain. The higher they went, the steeper the trail became, but at least their exertion helped combat the increasing cold.

They walked for hours, snacking on the dwindling supply of jerky to keep their energy up. They would have to hunt on their way back.

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