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)
I walked through the shop and brushed off the rage in my soul. It was infuriating to watch my family judge Ivory because of the blood in her veins rather than the love in her heart. My opinion was as good as gold in any other capacity, but when it came to Ivory, I was a lunatic.
“Huntley.”
I kept my back to her. I wasn’t in the mood for an argument.
“Maybe you’re right…”
I stilled because I couldn’t believe the words I’d just heard her speak.
“I’m just like Queen Rolfe. I can’t see past my own hatred.”
I turned back around, seeing her soften like a flower petal in the rain.
“I’m willing to give her a chance. But until she delivers what she’s promised, I can’t trust her. Not fully.”
I walked back to her, my shoulders a little less stiff. “Hope for the best but expect the worst. That’s what my father always used to say.”
Ian nodded like he remembered.
Her eyes stayed on me. “Are we okay, then?”
“We’ll always be okay, Elora.”
A soft smile moved on to her lips. “Does that mean…you can introduce me to the dragons?”
“They’re pretty terrifying.”
“Psh. So am I.”
I smiled, knowing our relationship was back to what it used to be. “Alright, then.”
Elora turned to Ian. “Have you been close to them?”
He shook his head. “Just seen them in the sky.”
“How big are they?” she asked.
“Fucking big,” Ian said. “A single one is nearly as big as the castle.”
Her eyes widened. “Whoa…”
They talked a bit about the dragons, the stream of fire they released, the way they could ignite an entire pile of bodies and char the flesh before it could even burn. Ian turned the conversation back to business. “I told Huntley about the sword, but I didn’t tell him about the man who broke in to your shop.”
“Someone broke in to your shop?” I immediately asked.
“He’s the one who left the Ice.” She extended her hand to Ian and snapped her fingers. “By the way, give it back.”
Ian sighed before he removed the scabbard from his belt and handed it over.
Elora pulled the blade from the scabbard and presented it to me. She tilted it back and forth slightly, showing the way the crystals caught the light. “He only gave me enough to make two, so I let Ian borrow mine for the battle.”
“Who has the other?” I asked.
“Mother,” Ian answered.
“Do you notice a difference?” I looked at my brother.
He nodded. “Necrosis usually takes four to five good hits. With the blade, only one.”
If every soldier had an Ice blade, that could make a huge difference. Our biggest disadvantage was their strength. Regular guys couldn’t match it even with their armor and weapons. “Elora, do you know where to find more?”
“No,” she answered. “The guy didn’t say.”
“And who is this person?” My eyebrows furrowed.
“No idea.” She put the blade back into the scabbard. “Didn’t tell me his name.”
“Is he a Rune?”
She shrugged. “I think…but I’m not sure.”
“What did he look like?”
“Uh, tall, broad-shouldered, blue eyes, handsome, quiet…”
“Handsome?” Ian asked incredulously.
“What?” she snapped. “You asked what he looked like.”
“Are you sleeping with him?” Ian snapped.
“If I were sleeping with him, wouldn’t I know his name?” she snapped back.
A slight grin moved on to his lips. “Not with you—”
She kicked him hard in the shin. “Motherfucker…”
He groaned as he leaned down, but he still laughed through it.
I didn’t find the exchange the least bit funny. “Elora, you need to tell me everything you know about this guy.”
She turned on me. “And I just did. You literally know everything I know now.”
“What did he want?” I asked. “He just helped you for no reason?”
“He said he would want something in return if we prevailed.”
“So, you didn’t tell me everything,” I said coldly.
Her eyes narrowed. “Okay. Well, now you know everything.”
“If he was a Rune living in HeartHolme, there would be no need for deception.” He wouldn’t know that Necrosis was coming before we did, and he wouldn’t have the very element that was most effective against killing them either. “He has to be Teeth or a Plunderer. And he has access to HeartHolme.”
“Did he look like Teeth?” Ian asked.
“I mean, he didn’t push out his teeth at me,” Elora said. “Think I would have mentioned that…”
“Plunderer?” Ian asked.
“They look just like us, so how am I supposed to know the difference?” she asked with a shrug. “I think all that matters is that he wanted us to defeat Necrosis, which means he’s their enemy and our ally. We’ll know more about him when he tells us what he wants.”
“We need to get more Ice,” I said. “That could make a huge difference in the next battle. Instead of hiding behind our walls, we could send our men into the field.”
“He said that was all there was,” she said. “It’s so rare that people don’t even know it exists.”