Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 156907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
He nodded. “It’s there.”
She could not stop it. Suddenly it was affixed to her face.
A large smile.
Tor’s eyes flashed with humor as his lips twitched then he tipped his head toward the alley behind him.
They made haste back to the building where that troll had spent much of his time, perhaps unwittingly (though it mattered not now if it was willful or other) a conspirator in treason.
The closed door was now guarded by two of True’s soldiers, two more patrolled the alley (that she could see) and one had his bow at the ready on the roof.
She and Tor walked directly to the door.
Serena opened it and stepped inside.
There were several lanterns lit, but they didn’t do much to dispel the dim of the place.
Regardless, there were small and large trunks scattered everywhere, some of their lids opened, these exposing the contents within, and on the edge of one, Brix sat, flipping and catching a coin in one hand.
“We were remiss in not asking True if there was a reward,” he joked.
“I need no money,” Gal stated, strolling to the chest on which Brix sat, leaning against it and crossing his feet at the ankle. “I will simply gorge on the heaps of gnomish fanny that is going to be thrown at me as the Great Gnome Hero who saved the realm’s treasury.”
“Oh right, there is that,” Brix muttered.
“What’s mixed with the blood all over your face?” Gal asked her.
Apparently, she hadn’t been thorough with her skirts.
“Slobber,” Serena answered.
“Blimey,” Gal muttered, making a face.
“It appears our jobs were much more fun,” Brix remarked, then he flipped the gold coin he was tossing across the space her way.
She flashed out a hand and caught it.
Serena then looked to her crew, her boys…
Her friends.
And she burst out laughing.
The first thing she wanted to do when she entered Birchlire Castle was go direct to a bath.
What she did not want to do (until perhaps later), was be summoned to the king’s informal study to receive True’s gratitude for recovering what was left of Wodell’s treasury that Carrington had stolen (and it was not all that had been stolen, obviously, but it was quite a lot and came with large tomes in which an accounting of the expenditures had been made, with coded notes, which, decoded, could lead to evidence of treason and more arrests).
But this, it would seem, was what she had no choice but to do when she, Gal, Brix and Tor arrived at the castle after half a battalion had appeared in the Shanty to transport the coin back where it belonged.
They had not only been summoned.
They were told to attend him immediately.
Thus, Serena revised her plans.
She would hear True’s words, these words likely of gratitude, however, the moment he got a whiff of her, she had no doubt he’d make them short. She would then have a very long bath. After, she would put on her tunic and casings. Then she would find Gal and Brix.
And they would go out and get extremely drunk.
While doing so, she would hope there were gnome wenches they could find with whom her boys could celebrate properly.
And maybe, she would be drunk enough to drown her memories of Chu in the taking of another man’s cock.
She did not hold hope for that last.
Once she sobered and had a good meal, she would pack and journey to meet up with Heloise, Genia and Darma, grab her squad in The Enchantments then ride out to assist her mother.
And, finally…
Even though she would not want it, Serena would give it…
Do what she could to make Airen safe for her sister.
These were her plans. These were the only thoughts on her mind.
That was, these were the only thoughts on her mind until she walked through the door to True’s study, saw True resting his arse at the front of his desk, arms crossed on his chest, gaze on Farah who sat before him at the edge of a chair, leaned forward, her hand curled around his forearm.
The moment they entered, however, True’s gaze jumped to her, and Farah rose from the chair, turning toward the newcomers.
But her eyes were only for Serena.
And at seeing what was in them, an arrow pierced her heart.
“Serena—” True began.
“Is she dead?” Serena croaked.
“Not yet,” he said gently. “Not that we know. We just received the bird but an hour ago.”
“I must go,” she stated.
“What’s happening?” Tor asked.
“Queen Ophelia. She has been ill,” Farah said quietly. “And she is…” She clearly could not say the words, so she finished, “Now much more ill.”
“We go with you.”
These words came from around her thighs.
She looked down to Galdor and Welbrix standing in front of her.
“I ride alone.”
“We go with you,” Brix declared firmly.
She opened her mouth, but she did not have time to speak.
“You do not ride alone. I send you with a troop, Serena,” True decreed. “You would not be safe on your own. But I will see to it that you’re safe on your journey to Ophelia. You will ride under the Dellish standard. If things are as we think in Airen, they would attack a Nadirii riding on her own. They would think twice about engaging a Dellish guard.”