Page 81 of Spirit Rites
I close the book and stretch. When I open the door, Reika turns to me. “Done?”
I nod. She leads the way outside, and I’m surprised to see it’s dark. By the time we make it back to Kaldar’s house, I’m ready to go to bed. “Any word on Kaldar?” I ask Reika before I head inside.
Her jaw tightens. “No.”
I sigh. “Thanks.” She says nothing else, and I head inside. I find a bowl of food on the counter and figure it’s from Mae. I eat only a couple of bites before I make my way to the bedroom. I change into sleeping clothes and climb into bed.
As tired as I am, it takes forever for me to sleep. Thoughts of what could be happening to Kaldar and the horrific events from today flood my mind, and I can’t find the off switch. I eventually sleep for a few hours.
After bathing and getting dressed for the day, I feel much better. It’s Taren that meets me when I step outside into the sun. I can tell by looking at him that he hasn’t slept, but I don’t say anything. “Soren requests your presence again,” he says by way of greeting. I nod, unsurprised and fall into step next to him. I don’t bother asking if there is any news on Kaldar. He would have told me if there was. He leaves me in the room with Seren, and I get back to work. I’m not sure how long I read and study before a knock sounds at the door. Before either of us can say anything, the door swings open and Jorren strides in.
“The King of the Wolf Kingdom is at the border and is requesting you, My Queen.”
I close the book and rise to my feet. “Rysden’s asking for me? Why doesn’t he just come here?” I ask in confusion.
“We don’t know. He won’t say. At least, that’s the report we got from the guards on duty.”
“Okay. We’ll ride there at once.” I turn to Seren. “Thank you for your time.”
“As soon as you come back, you come here again for more reading and guidance,” he says without a smile.
“Okay. I will.” I say the words, but I don’t really focus on them. My mind is stuck on why Rysden is here, and why he’s asking for me. Had he already heard about what happened to Kaldar? I follow Jorren outside and see Reika, Taren, and Evren already mounted and waiting. I walk over to the extra horse and try not to show my worry on my face. “As soon as we find Kal, riding lessons for you,” Jorren says right before he lifts me and all but throws me on top my horse. I grab the pommel with both hands and hold on as I settle myself. Jorren mounts his horse easily and looks over to me. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
“Stay close,” Jorren calls out and then takes the lead. I follow him, and Taren and Evren close in on either side of me, while Reika follows behind me. It’s mostly a silent ride to the border. We keep up a pretty quick pace and make it to the border in just a few hours. The guards on duty greet us as soon as we get close. “What’s going on?” Jorren asks before he climbs down.
“The King of the Wolf Kingdom is waiting,” the guard explains.
“Why didn’t he come through already?” Jorren asks.
“He came over to our side briefly, asked for the Queen, and then went right back, giving us orders to tell him when you arrived. Do you want us to go tell him now?”
Jorren shakes his head. “No, I will go through and see what he wants.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” I ask from atop my horse.
“No. Let me see what we’re dealing with first.”
Taren dismounts. “I’ll go through with you.” I expect Jorren to disagree, but he only waits for Taren. The two of them disappear through the barrier without another word. They’re gone only for a few minutes before they return.
I’m too impatient to wait. “What is it? What does he want?”
Jorren stops at my horse. “He wants to speak to you only. He won’t tell us anything.”
“Okay.” I try to dismount but can barely feel my legs. Taren reaches up and helps me down. “Thanks.” My gait is unsteady as I walk over to the barrier. I feel a presence behind me and turn to see Jorren right behind me. “I thought he only wanted to talk to me.”
Jorren gives me a look. “He does, but you’re not going there unprotected.”
I stare at him. “It’s Rysden.”
“I know he is your friend, but he’s also the king of another kingdom. My job is to protect you from any and all threats, no matter where they come from.”
“Okay, but I’m pretty sure he just wants to talk.”
Chapter39
I walk over to the barrier. Before I can go through, Jorren puts a heavy hand on my shoulder. “I’ll go first. Then Taren will bring you through.”
