Page 77 of White Raven

“no!” Renyx whirled around, striding away.

“Renyx!” Onyx called after his friend as he disappeared into the woods.

Bjørn stepped in front, blocking Onyx. “Give him a moment.”

Onyx dipped his head, turning to the woman. “Brynn . . . I’m sorry.”

The woman blinked, emotion fluttering into her eyes before it disappeared.

“He knew the risks.” She swallowed roughly, setting her shoulders back. “I’m glad you are safe, Hersir.”

Neither expression nor tone gave anything away, but my gut twisted, sensing something beyond friendship in her words, prickling the back of my neck.

“When we return to the Night, we will honor our fallen brother.” Bjørn moved to the fire in pensive thought, his hands going to his hips, parting his cloak.

I gasped, my knuckles clenching around the blade in my hand, my focus on the emblem printed in his leathers.

The symbol of a raven carrying a skull with a sword stabbing through the eye marked the left side of his chest. It was a symbol I was taught to hate and fear. My father made sure I could recognize the death squad coming for me.

The insignia of the northern king’s personal assassins.

The Night Hunters.

CHAPTER 18

“Iwas taught to fight, Father.” I swung a wooden sword around his personal office. At eight, I thought myself a very skilled warrior. “Why do you want me to run? I can beat them all!”

Father strolled over to me, plucking the toy easily from my grip. His bigger-than-life presence lowered down to my view.

“You know I always want you to fight, Wrennlyn. It is your duty.” His expression grave. “But if you see that symbol, it is already too late. You run if you can. You understand me?” I nodded at his severity. “The Night Ravens are a heartless civilization, their soldiers ruthless . . .but the Night Hunters . . .the king handpicks them especially for their brutality. They enjoy it. Finding you would be their ultimate prize.”

I had always assumed Onyx was a Night Shield, but my mind had never associated him with the Hunters. I never thought them capable of any emotion except when they killed.

Cold heat coated my skin, the blade squeezing between my fingers, my feet inching back. My eyes danced over the group, noticing the same insignia on all their leathers.

These were the infamous Night Hunters. The gang who rapes, tortures, and brutalizes their victims.

And they called Onyx their Hersir.

The man who had been by my side this entire journey, the one who gently cut my hair the night before, had washed my wounds.

Though he had also tattooed and chained me up.

In comparison to the brutality out there, the depravity we had run across, I couldn’t merge the image I had in my head of the murderous warriors to the man who had shown moments of kindness, humor, and morals.

All eyes were on me, as if they finally noticed my presence, but it was his dark eyes I could feel on every inch of my body. His force tingling the marks along my neck.

He could sense the change in me when I eased back further.

“Kanin.” So low, it was only meant for me.

“You’re one of them.” My head shook in denial. “You’re not just part of the Night Hunters. You lead them.”

He didn’t answer, but I wasn’t really asking.

“Why didn’t you just kill me the first night?”

“I wasn’t sent to kill you.”