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Or was he talking to me?
She snarled again, and if I were in her place, I would’ve snarled too.
What peace? My life had been hell, and the only short relief I’d had from it had been those days my friends and I were in that inn.
We should’ve forgotten our revenge and freedom and run away to another land together instead, but it was too late.
I could only hope the other kings would be as understanding as Namir when my friends tried to kill them.
Shadows wrapped around us, circling Namir and my wolf, closing them into a bubble together. Though my wolf continued snarling at him, she didn’t fight to get free of his grip on her fur, or his shadows.
They felt… comfortable, in a way I didn’t have words to describe.
“Listen to the shadows,” Namir instructed, his gray eyes still burning my wolf to the soul. “Hear them move, and whisper. Let them calm you.”
My wolf’s next snarl was half-hearted, and her eyes followed the movements of the shadows as they spun and twisted slowly above Namir’s face.
Her head began to sway side to side, then up and down, and the magic that had been tensed in my chest began to relax slowly.
Finally, the protective shield over my heart shattered, and the wolf’s form broke apart. I landed hard on Namir’s chest, panting and swearing. His hands were wrapped around the back of my head, and he pulled my forehead lightly against his. The shadows still swirled around us, holding us in a soft, quiet bubble.
“That was good, Diora,” he murmured. His lips were only a breath from mine, and my face twisted in another snarl.
“I probablykilledyour friend.”
“Lavee is tougher than she looks. And she knew better than to scare a sleeping wolf, anyway.” His voice was light, and soft, despite what had just happened.
I rolled off his chest, ignoring the pain in my head and body as I slammed to the ground. When I shoved at his shadows, they parted for me, and I stalked back to my small tent.
If it hadn’t been nailed into the ground with the thick poles and stakes, I would’ve moved it.
Lavee was bloody and a bit pale when I passed her, but she was breathing, and her throat looked almost healed.
Jesh nodded at me, and I scowled at him too.
That bastard wasnotmy friend; none of them were.
I needed to figure out a way to kill Namir and get out of there, before my monster took over again and then ravaged the entire damn city. Namir might be able to stop her for a while, but he hadn’t seen the full extent of her magic.
The damage she could do…
Stars, it was terrifying.
Even if I couldn’t kill the king, I needed to get far from the city.
So I zipped myself into the tent and carefully stripped out of my even-more-ripped dress, using the dirty, bloody silk to wipe my face before tucking it underneath the comfortable mattress I’d claimed for the time being.
Eventually, he would fall asleep or go back to the castle. And then I would slip away, so I couldn’t hurt anyone else.
Chapter6
They walked further awaybefore resuming their practice. No one mentioned my transformation or my wolf’s attack; at least, not when they were close enough for me to hear them speaking.
After they moved, their voices were caught in the wind, barely a murmur when they reached me.
I remained in my tent, staring up at the top of the thing and trying to sleep for the rest of the afternoon. I never managed to fall asleep though, and eventually, my hunger dragged me back outside.
I ate more bread, cheese, and dried fruits and vegetables, avoiding the sour one Namir had been eating and a few others with strong flavors. The voices of Namir and his friends, along with the sounds of their swords clanging, were a bit clearer without the canvas blocking them out. I tried not to listen, but couldn’t help that I heard a few of their words.
