Page 7 of Thorns & Fire
‘A mistake that cost the midrealms weeks of time,’ Wren argued.‘Time that could have been spent putting an end to this madness, had I not been sostupid—’
‘Stop.’Farissa’s gaze was sharp as it met hers.‘I will not watch you descend into the endless pit of what could have been.We need to look forward to whatcanbe done.’
Wren searched Farissa’s eyes for the same hopelessness she herself felt, but she found none.
‘From here, there’s only one path left for you, Elwren.’
The air around Wren rippled, and tiny arcs of lightning dancedbetween her fingers.She felt its current through her whole body as she breathed, ‘And that is?’
Farissa placed a hand on her shoulder, her grip firm, fierce determination burning in the depths of her eyes.‘You must return to Delmira.’
CHAPTER 3
Torj
‘Do you want our kingdoms to be a place of peace?Join us in our fight for a better world’
– The People’s Vanguard
WITH THE TRAITOR’Swords still ringing in their ears, Torj and Wilder travelled swiftly across the golden plains of Tver towards the south-west coast.Both Warswords hid the telltale symbols of rank on their arms.Torj wore a cloak and hood, concealing his silver hair.His war hammer was wrapped in canvas and strapped to his saddle.There was not much to be done about the impressive stallions they rode but to dull their gleaming black coats with dust from the road.There could be no reports back to the People’s Vanguard about their approach, not if they meant to extract Queen Reyna safely.
Riding beside Torj, Wilder patted the twin swords he’d tied to his own bags rather than wearing them across his back as he usually did.‘Just two average men taking in the sights, eh, Bear Slayer?’
‘Speak for yourself.Nothing average about me, Hawthorne.’
Around them, dusk had fallen, and Torj couldn’t stop his gaze from lingering on the gilded hillsides and sweeping valleys.The last time he’d set foot in this kingdom had been in the war years,during the battle for the castle in the capital of Notos.It had hurt to see the lands drenched in darkness and swarming with shadow wraiths; the conflict was bloody and brutal, leaving their victory bittersweet.The time before that had been to continue his search for his missing grandmother, and before that, when he had faced the cursed bears that had earned him his moniker.
It hadn’t been all that long ago that he’d imagined bringing Wren here, just the two of them, showing her where the great teerah panthers roamed and where fields of wild thyme bloomed as far as the eye could see.He’d always thought she’d like to see it.He was hit with a wave of anguish at the thought that now she never would – not by his side, anyway.
They rode through the night and into the next morning.The long grass was kissed with dew in the golden dawn rays.A cool breeze carried the scent of salt from the distant coast, mingling with the earthy smell of damp soil and sending a shiver across the stretches of untamed fields.The creaking of leather beneath Torj brought another flash of Wren to his mind – flush against him in this very saddle, her backside rubbing over the hard length of him, causing a burst of pleasure that was over all too soon.
A melodic laugh had followed.‘Challenge me to a game, Bear Slayer, and you’d best prepare to lose.’
The longing hit him like a physical blow, leaving him breathless for a moment.
The delicate, infectious notes of her laugh, the softness of her skin, the storm in her eyes when she was irritated...All of which made him want to fuck her senseless.But those moments were now replaced by the sound of her scream as his own wound had seared itself into her flesh, her cries of agony as he’d severed the soul bond between them...And then the sight of the confusion and hurt on her beautiful face when he’d ended things between them without so much as an explanation.
He’d done it for her.
To save her.
But it ached no less for that fact.He knew in his bones that, bond or no, it would never end.
He would be cursed to want the poisoner until the end of his days.
After another day’s ride, Torj found himself staking out the derelict Tverrian coastline.The Warswords had left their horses at a nearby village and now crouched on the outskirts of a strange place, scanning the site for any sign of the People’s Vanguard and the queen they had taken captive.
Dotted along the city waterfront were three abandoned dry docks – rectangular basins carved into the shore, the walls lined with rough-hewn stone.In the one just below Torj and Wilder, a half-built ship rested on a cradle of enormous timber beams, its hull exposed to the air, covered in algae, slowly being reclaimed by nature.
Torj could smell decay.‘Must have gone out of business after the war,’ he murmured, his gaze falling to the seaward end of the dock, where a massive wooden gate held back the lapping waves.Pools of stagnant water had gathered in the dips of the uneven ground regardless, and from where the warriors hid up on the side wall, they could see remnants of old scaffolding leaning precariously, the timber bleached by sun and salt, while rusted chains and corroded equipment lay scattered about the dock floor.
‘Perfect place to hold someone hostage,’ Wilder observed.‘I’ll wager no one can hear the screams for miles.’
‘All the better for us when we deal with them.’Torj gripped his hammer as he spotted two guards patrolling below.‘There must be a way into their headquarters there.Did you see where they came from?’
Wilder pointed.‘There looks to be an entrance by those blocks over there.See the wall?’
‘I see it.’Torj shouldered his hammer, taking the lead.
