Page 57 of Thorns & Fire
Wren couldn’t see them, but their conversation bloomed in her mind, and somehow, sheknewit was real – that it was one they’d had in the recent past.
‘It’s as though we’re linked.I can sense her power, her emotions,’ Torj said.‘We’re...in tune with one another.’
‘I mean, has this link caused you pain?Do the scars ache?’
‘No,’ he said quietly.‘It has never hurt me.’
Wren’s hands warmed suddenly, and she had to stifle a gasp to keep from waking Dessa.She stared at the book in her hands.
‘You kept saying you werelinked.That’s not an injury–it’s a connection...’ Thea supplied.‘I hate to break it to you, but you’ve been researching the wrong thing, Bear Slayer.’
It was some kind of ancient magic that was allowing Wren to see another person’s past, providing her with the connection, she could feel it in her bones.Her gaze trailed further down the list of contents, landing on two words just as Torj’s voice came to her with a rush of feeling.
‘Soul bonds...’
CHAPTER 21
Torj
‘A Warsword’s duty is bound to the will of the Guild Master of Thezmarr.Their word is law’
– The Warsword’s Way
THE NEXT MORNING,the Laughing Fox was a hive of activity as the first rays of dawn crept through the grimy windows.Inside, the air was thick with the aroma of freshly baked bread and sizzling sausages, mingling with the tang of sour mead.Patrons crowded around tables, their voices a low rumble punctuated by occasional bursts of laughter or exclamations of disbelief.By the looks of things, some hadn’t retired the night before and were simply carrying on into the day.
At the heart of the commotion was a single topic: the unexpected demise of Perseus Graymoor.Torj still wasn’t sure it hadn’t been at Wren’s hands.
The poisoner was sitting in one of the corner booths and staring into her mug of tea.He knew he’d taken things too far last night, that he’d let that protective streak morph into something darker.It was impossible not to feel how he felt about her, but he’d made his bed, and now he had to lie in it.That was what he’d told himself over and over into the early hours of the morning.And yet hecouldn’t help but feel that something was wrong, something more than he realized.The discomfort only seemed to grow in his chest, like a weed taking over all else.That they hadn’t found the evidence Farissa wanted was only part of the puzzle.
Rubbing the calluses on his fingers, Torj cleared his throat, but Wren didn’t so much as glance up.In fact, she hadn’t met his eyes since last night – not that anything good ever came from that these days.
As though sensing his distress, Wren stood abruptly and went to Dessa at the far side of the tavern.
As they prepared to leave, Kipp was unsurprisingly surrounded by a small crowd, his expression wistful as he talked animatedly with the bartender and several patrons.Dessa, who was now waiting by the door with Wren, sighed.
‘Forget the rebel uprising,’ she said with a note of amusement.‘Getting Kipp out of the Laughing Fox might prove to be our greatest challenge yet.’
Torj stole a glance at Wren, who didn’t so much as smile.
When they were at last on their way to Settler’s Port, Torj could feel Wren’s eyes on him.She was studying him, albeit not very covertly.Why?When she wasn’t looking at him, she was distant, gazing out at the road ahead, her expression blank, showing no emotion but for the crackle of magic he sensed around her.
After the events of last night, Torj had hoped for a quiet ride to the docks, but Kipp seemed intent on making the morning painful.‘So,’ the strategist said, loud enough for the others to hear.‘Lord Devereux from the ball...I take it you know him?’
Torj silently cursed Kipp.How had he found out about their little run-in?What elsedid he know that he wasn’t letting on?
‘Unfortunately,’ Torj allowed, adjusting his grip on his reins and urging Tucker into a faster pace.
‘How?’Wren asked.It was the first word she’d spoken to him since the ball.And she still hadn’t looked him in the eye.
Torj couldn’t help himself.He signalled to an annoyed-lookingKipp to fall back and positioned his stallion alongside Wren’s horse as they rode out of the city.With Kipp and Dessa out of earshot, he said, ‘A word of advice...’
Wren speared him with a look that told him the last thing she’d do was take advice from him, but his words spilled over anyway.
‘Don’t get mixed up with Darian,’ he told her.
‘I can getmixed upwith whoever I like, Bear Slayer.’
‘Not him.’
