Page 23 of Crown of Storm and Silence
"Take. A. Walk."
For a moment, we stare at each other across drawn steel. Then I release Banu with a gesture of disgust, watching her drop to the floor in a heap of trembling wings.
"How very domestic," I sneer, shadows retreating slightly. "The noble warrior and his pet fairy. Do try not to break her, Emir. She's so delicate."
I stride toward the pavilion entrance, pausing at the flap. "When you're done comforting your little Tinkerbell, find out ifthere's anything else she's conveniently forgotten to mention. I'll be back when I've cooled off enough not to pluck her wings."
The tent flap snaps shut behind me with more force than necessary, leaving them to whatever tender moment my general apparently needs to have with his winged conscience.
I can't bring myself to return to camp. Not yet. Not when she's so close I can almost feel the phantom echo of our severed bond pulling me toward her. So I wander the village outskirts like some lovesick fool, staying in the shadows, watching the cottage where she sleeps.
The irony isn't lost on me. The Shadow Lord reduced to lurking in bushes like a common stalker.
It's well past midnight when I decide to take one more look at her cottage before returning to camp. As I approach, I hear the steady thunk of an axe biting wood from behind the building. I find Sinan splitting logs by lamplight. Apparently, I'm not the only one who can't sleep.
"Working late," I observe, stepping into the circle of light.
He spins, axe raised, then recognizes me. His expression shifts from alarm to wariness. "You."
"Yes, me. Miss me already?" I wave dismissively. "Tell me, Sinan, what exactly are your intentions with my wife?"
"Elif is not your wife." He lowers the axe but keeps it ready.
"Elif." I taste the name with distaste. "Charming. Did she pick that herself, or did you help her with the new identity?"
"That's her name. She's always going to be Elif to me," he says defensively.
"And how long have you been playing hero?" I ask with mock curiosity. "Since before the bandits arrived, I assume?"
"I was passing by and decided to stay," he says stiffly. "The attack just…happened.”
"How convenient." I circle him slowly, noting how his grip tightens on the axe handle. "And you just happened to be here to offer your…protection?”
"Someone had to look out for her. She was confused, vulnerable?—"
"Ah, yes, the noble protector routine." I laugh, the sound sharp in the night air. "Tell me, hero, have you kissed her yet? Held her hand? Whispered sweet promises about keeping her safe?"
His face flushes. "It's not that way. I just?—"
"Want to fuck her," I finish pleasantly. "It's perfectly natural. She's a beautiful woman, damaged and grateful for kindness. Easy prey for a man with noble intentions."
"You bastard," he snarls, raising the axe. "She's not prey. She's?—"
"Mine," I interrupt, power exploding outward. The temperature plummets so rapidly that frost forms on his beard. "She is mine, you pathetic little worm. My wife. My property. The mother of my child."
He staggers back, the axe falling from nerveless fingers as my power crashes over him. "What... what are you?"
"I am Kaan Karanlikoglu," I say, letting the darkness dance around us both. "Lord of Shadows and Darkness, ruler of the seven factions of the Shadow Court. Son of Erlik, Prince of the Void. I am the thing that hunts your nightmares, the darkness that swallows light." I lean closer, letting him feel the cold that radiates from my very soul. "And you, dear Sinan, are a village peasant with delusions of heroism."
Even in remote villages, mothers tell their children stories about the Shadow Lord—tales meant to keep them from wandering too far into the dark. Recognition dawns in his eyes—even here, my name carries weight. Good.
"Now," I continue conversationally, "let me give you some friendly advice. Walk away. Pack your things, leave this village, and never think of her again. Because if I find you sniffing around what belongs to me..." I smile. "Well, let's just say they'll never find enough pieces to bury."
For a moment, I think he'll run. Any sane man would. But then his jaw sets with stubborn determination.
"If she wants me gone, I'll go," he says quietly. "But I won't abandon her just because some monster claims ownership."
I blink, genuinely surprised. "Did you just call me 'some monster' to my face?"
