Page 14 of The Oracle of Dusk

“It started like that, and then everything burned. You…you died. It spoke to me in my dream, the beast, and then it was there, coming to devour me.”

“Do you hear it now?”

Aurora shook her head. Thank the Triad for that.

“I won’t let it hurt you.”

“I wish you wouldn’t promise something like that.”

“Why?”

“Because you keep your word.” Aurora grimaced.

“When it suits me.” Phaedra winked. “You’ll feel better once my reinforcements arrive. We’re nearing a proper town, so once you awaken at this wellspring, we’ll take a carriage back home where you’ll be trained by the top tutors in Viridis and protected by the best defences in Trisia.”

“IfI awaken.”

“You will.”

“You can’t know that.”

She’d already failed once.

“You know how much I hate that old hag, but the high priestess was right. If your fate is to seal the Beast of Old, then you will. Ergo, youwillawaken your magic. Besides, how many times has this cycle repeated? And every single time, Drakon is sealed.”

But how many people would die? How many would suffer? What would be lost? Or more importantly, who? Phaedra meant everything to her, and she stubbornly insisted on putting herself in harm's way.

“She’s not an old hag… and she didn’t say I would survive it, Fae. Even our records of the most recent hero of the holy sword only speak of his deeds, not his life after the fact.”

“If the previous hero was as tedious as Silvanus is, he probably bored his biographers into an early grave.”

Aurora snorted.

“He’s not that bad.”

“You laughed. I know you agree with me.”

The flap of their tent was opened then. Outlined by the flickering firelight was the man in question.

“Not giving in to your provocations doesn’t make me tedious.”

“Well, barging into a lady’s tent makes you rude. So now you can be both,” Phaedra hissed.

Ignoring her, he turned to Aurora.

“If you’re awake, we should move. The wellspring is near, but there’s no telling for how long.” He held out his hand.

“We’re sleeping! Go away,” Phaedra moaned.

“Sleep is a luxury,” Silvanus countered.

Aurora bit back a sigh and accepted Silvanus’ hand. He pulled her to her feet, wrapped her in a cloak and quickly had her seated on his big, white loper. She felt like so much luggage as they departed the camp.

“Wait!” Phaedra cried as she scrabbled from the tent, russet hair in disarray.

“You and your guards can catch up with us after your rest, Princess,” Silvanus said, urging their mount onwards. “Let the paladins know to follow.”

Aurora winced as the graceful loper sped to a gallop. She wasn’t the most accomplished rider, despite sharing Phaedra’s tutors. Her inner thighs were chafed and her backside ached. She’d never ridden so hard in her life.

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