Page 62 of Queen of Whispers and Mist

It was crafted from the very worst nightmare. Horned. Skeletal. With milky eyes twice the size of his head and an elongated snout dripping with acidic saliva. The sinewy black fiber running the length of its wings and body stretched so tautly it may as well not have been there at all. But when the spiked tail came into view and plumes of ash-colored smoke curled from its nose, Ronan realized the true threat remained unseen.

Fire and acid?Mother’s tits, how were they supposed to fight this thing when even getting close to it presented a problem?

“What’s it waiting for?” Bast hissed.

“Some sort of cue, I’d wager,” Ronan answered.

“From who? There’s no rider,” Bronn pointed out.

“I don’t understand. I thought all drakes had riders,” Sebastian said. “Is it wild?”

Jagger shook his head. “Whateverthatis, it’s not a drake. Not one hailing from The Crags, anyway.”

“So what is it?” Ronan asked.

“A nightmare,” Shadow whispered, face leached of color. “One of Erebos’s special fiends.” She swallowed, never taking her eyes off the creature hovering above them. “Have you ever wondered how the High Lord came to power? How he convinced all those people to follow him?”

Shock and disgust warred within him. He’d known the man must have schemed his way into power, but he’d never guessed the full extent of his depravity. “He sent these things after them?”

“Not exactly like this. The creatures are never the same.”

“So, he what? Creates them, sends them in to wreak havoc, and then comes to the rescue of the poor people he terrorized?”

It was unspeakable. The worst sort of manipulation. And it was exactly the sort of thing Erebos would do, Ronan realized. Especially when one considered the way he treated Shadow. If he’d dothatto someone he cherished, what was actually off the table?

Shadow nodded but still wouldn’t look his way. He sensed the shame rolling off her, likely for the part she played in his machinations. Willingly or not.

Not for the first time, Bast revealed a surprising moral compass. “And you were okay with this?” he asked, his voice scathing.

“I didn’t really get a say in the matter.”

“But you serve him anyway.”

Her eyes flashed dangerously at the accusation. “I didn’t get a choice about that either. The man saved my life more than once. I owe him everything.”

“Including blind loyalty? What about the people he killed? What do you owe them?”

Ronan was about to interject that this was hardly the time to throw stones, but Shadow’s tortured reply beat his own.

“How can I condemn his actions when I am no better myself? My body count is easily as high, if not higher. I am an assassin, Sebastian. Vilify me if you must, but do not act as though I’ve been dishonest about who or what I am.”

“The only one you’re lying to is yourself,” Bast said, disappointment heavy in his tone. “And the only person who gets to decide what side you fight on is you. Everyone is a villain in someone else’s story, but at least be the hero of your own. You are better than this, Shadow. Your morals might be gray, but they exist. Do not make excuses for a man who doesn’t deserve them—or you. Especially not when you have one right here who so clearlydoes.”

Ronan stilled when Sebastian meaningfully looked his way. The impassioned speech was so unexpected, so out of character for playful, fun-loving Bast, that it took a moment to recover.

“As much as I appreciate the show of support, I don’t think this is the time,” he said, the creature hovering above them weaving its serpentine neck back and forth, as if seeking out its target.

“I don’t understand why it’s just hovering up there,” Bronn whispered.

“It’s waiting for permission,” Shadow said, voice flat. Her expression was devoid of emotion, but he could tell she’d taken Bast’s words to heart. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was her first crisis of faith regarding Erebos.

Or what the outcome would be.

But regardless, the tingles racing beneath his skin told him this was a turning point.

“So what are we waiting for? Shouldn’t we run, or I don’t know,dosomething?” Calypso asked, gaze wary as plumes of smoke began to fill their little clearing.

“What would you suggest we do?” Ronan asked. “We can’t reach it with normal weapons, and I doubt throwing them will be particularly effective. We certainly can’t outrun it.”

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