Page 47 of Princess of Death

I hated hurting him like this. “Ask me to stay, and I will.”

“Stay,” he said quickly, even pleaded with his eyes.

I felt my eyes widen in surprise.

My mother came to his side and gave his arm a squeeze. “Talon.”

He looked down at her touch before he faced me again. “This is hard for me in ways you’ll never understand.”

“I know it’s hard to let a child go on their own.”

He smiled, but it was a sad one, the saddest one I’d ever seen. “It’s more than that…but that’s a conversation for another time.” He moved into me and gripped me by the shoulders. “I’ve taught you everything I know. You have every skill to make it back to me. I tell myself this over and over, but it’s still hard.”

“I know, Dad.”

“Please be safe.”

“I promise.”

He stepped closer to me and lowered his voice. “I know your itinerary. Dragons have volunteered to circle the route every so often. If you need help, call for aid, and they will come to you.”

My heart ached even more.

“And the last thing I’ll tell you is this. Never, for any reason, travel far to the west. Your route takes you nowhere near the direction I speak of. But in case your travel plans change, heed this warning.” His eyes hardened as the anger burned forth. “A dead island sits at sea. Its trees are withered, and a fog of despair blankets its shores. Great evil lives there. Never go there, Lily Rothschild.”

“How do you know this?—”

“Promise me that you will never go there.”

I wanted to know why, wanted to know what my father had seen. “I promise. But what evil lives there?—”

“That’s a story for another time. Gives you an incentive to return.”

“Like I need more of a reason, Dad.”

The anger in his eyes slowly faded. “May the wind be in your sails. And may the sea be in your heart.” He closed his fist and placed it over his heart, the old pirate salute he used to give with his crew long ago.

I did the same, my hand over my heart. “And in yours.”

Pride entered his gaze, masked with sadness. He moved into me and hugged me hard, squeezed me like he still didn’t want me to go. “I love you, Lily Lena Rothschild.”

I squeezed him back and fought my own tears. “I love you too.”

PROLOGUE IV

WRATH

The elk moved gently through the forest, grazing on the grass between the stumps of trees, its antlers big and proud. I moved my forefinger to my lip and looked at Tiberius.

He was six years old, but his childhood had been robbed from him because of tragedy. I had to raise him to be a man when he should be enjoying boyhood as long as he could. I righted my bow and put the arrow to the string.

Tiberius watched, eyes wide with adrenaline.

I aimed the bow and released the string. The arrow launched into the air and pierced the elk in the side. He gave a guttural cry then collapsed. The other elk scattered away and dispersed before they were next.

I threw the bow over my shoulder then approached the elk. His eyes were open like he was gone the second that arrow pierced his hide. There was no suffering. Instant death.

Good.

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