Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
It was light and easy to use, but I couldn’t attest to its deadliness. I didn’t have Necrosis to practice on, so I wouldn’t know its effectiveness until they marched on HeartHolme. But if that really happened, then I could only assume everything he’d shared was the truth.
I had to tell Queen Rolfe.
AKA…my loving mother.
It was midafternoon when I left my forge and headed to the castle. The streets were inhabited by people now, instead of quiet like they were bright and early that morning. Most of them had brown sacks of produce, dinner they’d purchased from one of the markets throughout the city.
I turned to the main road and nearly bumped into my brother. “You’re home.”
His blue eyes sagged with exhaustion, and the coldness in his gaze suggested he wasn’t interested in a chat right now. “Just arrived.”
“Good. Necrosis is coming.”
“Just a rumor—but better to be safe than sorry.”
“I don’t think it’s a rumor, Ian. They’ll be here in two days. Well, less than two days.”
He had the same look Huntley had when he was thinking, a narrowing of his shrew eyes. “How do you know this?”
“It’s a long story. I’m not going to repeat it twice, so if you want to hear the tale, come with me to the castle.”
He turned back the way he’d come and joined me. “Huntley’s gone?”
“He took What’s-Her-Face to get the dragons.”
“What’s-Her-Face?” he asked, a slight tone of humor in his voice. “You mean his wife?”
“Don’t tell me you actually like her.”
“I don’t love the situation, but that doesn’t mean I hate her.”
“Really?” I turned on him. “She’s my half sister. You don’t think that’s weird?”
Ian shrugged. “She’s good with a bow. Pretty good with a sword.”
“And that’s enough reason to like someone?”
“It’s enough to reason to respect someone.”
I rolled my eyes and looked ahead.
“Elora, they’re married, eternally bonded for this life and the afterlife. I suggest you just get over it.”
I released a booming laugh. “Just get over it…got it. You’re really telling me you weren’t upset when you found out?”
He looked ahead as we approached the castle. “I was.”
“You better have been.”
“But I was more upset that I missed it.”
I turned back to him, surprised by the confession.
“I know Mother was upset for the same reason. In addition to all her other reasons…”
“Well, I don’t trust her. I think once she’s reunited with her family, she’ll stab Huntley in the back.”
“Maybe. But I doubt she would have come back down here with him if that were the case.”
“Are you an idiot?” I stopped.
He stopped too.
“She wants those dragons, and she can’t get there by herself. That’s why.”
His eyes stared into mine.
“Once she has what she wants, she might kill Huntley and leave him on that island and take the dragons back to Delacroix. Then we’ll be trapped down here forever, and your mother will hate us even more because we’ll never compare to her favorite son.”
Those words stung, judging by the shift of his eyes.
“I told him to watch his back. I hope he took that seriously.”
“I trust Huntley’s judgment. He knows her better than we do—”
“He knows her wet pussy and that’s all, Ian. I could make a fool out of any guy in HeartHolme by rocking his socks off. He’d leave his wife, abandon his kids, turn his back on everything he knows just because he’s been hypnotized by magical pussy. All men are the same. They give in to temptation just as fast as a kid in a candy store.”
Ian didn’t know what to say to that, given the way he stood there and stared.
I rolled my eyes and continued forward. “Hope I’m wrong…but whatever.”
He matched my pace. “You may be right. But I also think you’re equally hypnotized by your anger.”
I looked at him.
“You know what she is—and you can’t see straight because of it.”
We made it to the castle and checked in with Asher. “We need to speak to Queen Rolfe. It’s urgent.”
The servant trailed down the hallway, and his voice carried back to us as he announced us. “Elora and your son are here to see you.”
Wow…okay.
“Which son?” Her voice came back to us. “Has Huntley returned?”
Ian gave no reaction, probably because he was used to the favoritism.
“Ian.”
After a pause, she said. “I’ll be there in a moment.”
Asher returned and gestured for us to enter the study. He poured two glasses of water then excused himself so we could speak privately.
Queen Rolfe made her entrance in her regal attire, a long-sleeved black dress with a chain hooked across the front. The dress flared out, and around her waist was the black belt that would hold her weapons if she were leaving the castle. She looked at me first, but the stare didn’t last for more than a second or two before she focused her attention on Ian. “You’ve returned.”