Page 110 of Dream Reaper

Something clicked in Ava’s brain. “Wait. Brynja is your sister?”

The man grinned and winked. “I know it’s hard to believe that a pleasant fellow such as myself would have a little sister like her. But our blood runs thick and true. We’re both rebels at heart, I suppose, because even after I knew she was free, I stayed to help her with the girls. My wife wouldn’t have it any other way. We had escaped, and we wanted to help as many other lassies as we could.”

“So, Roar… Was he born here in Gelaira?”

“Oh, aye.” Finnr shifted to lean his back against the wall, one ankle hooked over the other. “He’s never known any other life than this one. Probably why he’s such an angel.”

Ava shot him a startled look, only to realize he was grinning at her. “Oh, yes, he’s definitely an angel. But he’s got a bit of the rebel from his father, I suspect.”

Finnr chuckled and nodded. “Oh, aye, he’s got plenty of that. Sometimes I think it’s all he got from me. He’s all rebel, that lad.”

Thunder sounded in the distance, echoing down the stairs and along the corridor. They both frowned and looked toward the entrance. A second peal rolled into the keep. The stones seemed to vibrate beneath her feet.

She pressed a hand to the wall and tried to calm the erratic beating of her heart. “Why do I get the feeling that isn’t thunder?”

Finnr’s posture had lost its laziness. Now he was all hard edges and coiled motion.

“Do you think I should check it out?” he asked without taking his eyes off the distant stairs.

“Whatever you do, don’t open the door,” Ava whispered. “If the shadow is out there looking for us, we don’t want to show him where we are.”

A shriek ricocheted out of the meeting chamber. Ava and Finnr exchanged horrified looks. Something drilled into her head, like a worm eating its way into an apple. Finnr also pressed a hand to his temple, eyes squeezed close as he concentrated.

I know you’re here somewhere, elf, the shadow whispered, laughing as he probed her mind. Why don’t you come out and play?

Ava dug the heels of her palms into her eye sockets and bit back a scream.

How were they going to fight this off for two whole days?

CHAPTER 26

JERRID

Dragon’s vision blurred as the blue lights of Eroth loomed in the distance. He blinked blearily, trying to keep them in his line of sight, but his eyelids kept drooping of their own accord.

He’d flown through the day and halfway through the night and only stopped twice to relieve himself and drink most of his water. He’d never pushed himself this hard.

The only thing driving him onward now were thoughts of Ava and the girls and what horrors they might be facing in this dreaded darkness. If he could get to Eroth, find the prince, and maybe take an hour of rest…

Maybe he could get back before the next nightfall.

It won’t be enough rest.

The thought came almost unbidden to his mind, Jerrid’s whisper so weak it was barely discernible over the heaving of his breaths.

He peeled his eyes open yet again and focused on the jagged shape of the wood palace beginning to take shape in the sky. He should probably set down outside of town and shift before returning to the palace.

The last thing he wanted was for some trigger-happy elf citizen to take a shot at him with a crossbow.

He swooped lower to the tree line to find a small meadow as close to the edge of the city as possible. Below him, a small grove of trees curled around a lonely-looking cottage surrounded by gardens. A light burned brightly in one of the windows. It looked familiar.

Dragon circled it, trying to remember if this was the wedding cottage he had visited before their ill-fated trek into the Shadewood. Before Haryk battled the shadow the first time, and Ava disappeared.

Had the tides of fate finally turned in his favor? What if the prince and his new bride were still at the wedding cottage?

He had to try.

Swooping lower, he made another pass over the glen and skimmed the treetops until he found a good place to land. Lumbering into the shelter of the trees, he shook himself and tried to initiate the shift.