Page 22 of Death Will Follow

For a moment, Thorn didn’t speak, just stood scowling and breathing heavily through his nose. The surrounding woods were silent except for the low whistle of the wind and the creaking of the ancient trees. Finally, his uncle loosed an exasperated sigh, scratching roughly at the stubble on the side of his head.

“Very well,” he huffed, resigned. “I’ll call the damn meeting—but I’m in charge. Gods only know if anyone will come. The Council hasn’t met in over fifty years. And that meeting lasted a quarter of an hour before insults flew and weapons were drawn. Then we were only gathered to discuss agriculture.”

“We cannot allow the meeting fall apart this time.” Callan moved to stand at Nova’s side once again. “There’s too much at stake. For all of us.”

Thorn nodded once and turned to untether his horse from the fence rail.

“My Lord.” Nova spoke suddenly.

Thorn stilled where he stood poised to mount the mare. He turned his head to face her, his mouth a hard line.

“You’re doing the right thing.”

The regent said nothing in response and climbed into the saddle, taking off through the snow back toward the Estate.

Nova stared after Thorn, stone-faced, her steely gaze following him as she worried the ring on her finger. A gust of wind tore through the remnants of the village and up the hill, fluttering the loose strands of dark hair framing her face. Callan slipped his hand into hers, and she tossed her head, as if shaking away the thoughts he knew troubled her. She flashed a thin smile, the intended warmth of the gesture not reaching her eyes.

“That went well,” Bryn said as she headed for the horses.

Callan couldn’t tell whether she meant it sincerely, or if she was making a jest.

“It’s a start,” Callan said quietly, squeezing Nova’s hand.

He untied Frost’s reins from the rail as Nova did the same with Shade’s. The three of them mounted up and left the soundless village to the gathering dusk as snowflakes drifted down from the darkening sky.

Nova awoke at dawn and dressed quietly, careful not to rouse Callan. He lay on his back, long limbs sprawled out toward the four corners of the bed. His chest, dusted with dark hair, rose and fell in a peaceful rhythm.

Thorn’s displeasure over the truth of her father’s identity several days prior was not unexpected. But it had left her feeling unsettled and melancholy all the same. She’d sent a mental message to Nox through the ether, eager to connect with the one soul she knew could truly understand how she felt. His response in her mind had been swift. Hold your head high, he had said. Shine bright. He mentioned he’d received and accepted Thorn’s Council summons. Nova looked forward to seeing her uncle again soon, but for the moment, she wished to be alone.

Bundled against the frigid morning in a dark blue fur-lined cloak, knitted gloves, and fur-lined boots, she trudged through the freshly fallen snow blanketing the winding laneways leading away from the Estate. Her breaths puffed out ahead of her and rose on the wind as she passed the smaller residences.

Since the attack on Pyralis, a steady trickle of folk arrived daily from smaller towns and settlements throughout the Winter Court, seeking safety within the protective shield woven around the Estate. The Great Hall was filled nearly to bursting at mealtimes, and folk crammed into the smaller cabins stretching out as far as the edge of the forest and all the way to the shoreline. A great swath of trees had been felled to make room for new construction to meet the demand.

Nova ventured out past the limits of the village and hiked through the dense forest until she reached a meadow. The temperature was slightly warmer once she crossed the tree line into the grassy field. Patches of a familiar flower, maiden’s foil, dotted the ground, reaching through the thin cover of snow and stretching toward the sun. Crouching down, she gathered several bundles and tucked them carefully inside the pockets of her cloak.

Stretching out on a wide slab of granite under the clear expanse of pale blue sky, she soaked in the sun and savored a rare moment to herself. Birdsong carried across the meadow from the forest, harmonizing with the rushing of a creek nearby. Nova shielded her eyes with her hand and glimpsed a pair of snow foxes playfully chasing one another through the patches of sallow grass in the sunlight. A small shadow passed by directly above her as she lounged on her stone bench. A moment later, a series of pops and cracks disturbed the peaceful quiet.

“Following me?” Nova asked dryly, not looking in the direction of the noise.

“Keeping an eye on you,” Bryn replied. She lowered herself onto the rock beside Nova, grunting slightly with the effort. Her cheeks were flushed, and a light sheen of sweat coated her brow. Still, she looked far better than she had after the last time Nova had seen her shift. “I gave Lucan my word, after all.”

Dangling an arm over the edge of the granite, Nova plucked a long blade of yellowed grass from the ground, rolling it into a ball between her fingers before tossing it into the snow.

“How did you know where to find me?” she asked, sullen.

“I wouldn’t be much of a tracker if I couldn’t locate and follow a trail of familiar footprints in the snow.”

Nova snorted involuntarily, then clapped her hand over her mouth. Bryn smiled as she rolled her shoulders and twisted her neck with a loud crack. Letting out a sigh, she lay next to Nova.

“How was the shift this time?” Nova asked, turning her face to Bryn.

“Much better. The more I do it, the easier it gets.” Bryn pressed her eyes shut and tilted her face toward the sun.

“If only I could practice using the Light of Illora. Know anyone else who’s cursed?”

“About a thousand someones,” Bryn replied.

Nova immediately thought of Fawn and frowned, wishing it were possible to rescue her friend without waiting for the Council to convene.