AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He glanced over his shoulder. “He’ll be here shortly, though I fear I cannot intervene any more than I have. I’ve done more than I should have as it is, and the rest, I will leave to you. It’s going to be a long fight, and you have powerful enemies who want nothing more than to stop you from succeeding.”
His form began to glimmer and shudder, but before he faded into the Mist, he spoke.
“My true name is Arlo, God of Earth and Soil, and you, Kiara Frey, born on the longest night of the year, contain one of three pieces of the lost Sun Goddess.”
My shadows furled at my fingers, slipping past the cage and reaching for a man who claimed to be agod.
Arlo dipped his chin. “Youare one of the keys.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
Jude
There isn’t much known about Raina’s mortal life. It is said that she married and had a child, but none have been officially recorded. She did well to hide her identity and that of her descendants. Although, one historian claims Raina had a daughter, her hair the color of midnight and her eyes the deepest honey.
Excerpt from Asidian Lore: A Tale of the Gods
The horse seemed to have a decent idea where she was going. Or rather, she sure as shit didn’t let me lead her.
Starlight galloped through the dense fog, not once stumbling or slowing. She was an arrow in the night, her deep-chocolate coat warm against all the cold white trees we passed, her strong limbs a blur.
“Slow down,” I yelled, yanking on her reins, hardly able to keep upright in the saddle. But she didn’t listen. If anything, she increased her pace, whinnying at me as if in warning.
I swore, gripping tightly to the pommel, my body bouncing wildly as we flew. Ten minutes passed before the stubborn mare reduced her speed to a trot, and I squinted into the gloom, expecting masked men or monsters or some unknown enemy to jump out at me and end my life.
Nothing leaped out and grabbed me, and I heard only the wind whistling through the trees. But then—
A voice. One I’d know anywhere.
I pushed into Starlight’s sides, urging her forward to where that sharp, strong voice rose with frightening resolve.
Kiara.
It was her, and she was speaking, which meant she was alive, which meant…
The mare halted. When she wouldn’t move another inch, I dismounted, wasting no time in sprinting to Kiara. When the clouds dispersed, and I could see more than ten feet in front of me, I snatched my dagger.
Roots and branches and other parts of the forest had grown high, tangling together to form a cage. Trapped within were Kiara and Jake, their mouths open and eyes wide.
“Where did he go?” Jake yelled, head swiveling around the enclosure.
“Who?” I asked, only looking at Kiara, making sure she was unharmed and whole. A growl left me when I noticed the dried blood on her face, and I grabbed the damned wooden bars with my bare hands, trying to yank apart the vines and branches.
She simply stared ahead, lost in thought, her usually sharp features soft and uncertain. What had happened here?Gods, she didn’t even look at me.
I grunted with the effort, but eventually, I managed to tear a decent hole in the cage. Reaching inside, I seized her hand. I’d never seen doubt mar her so terribly.
“Kiara,” I whispered, gently taking her scarred hand in mine. The blue hue of her hands, which had once been masked by the inky black, seemed to shimmer as our fingers entwined. Coldness seeped into my skin where she held me, but I pulled her to the opening I’d made.
“Please come out.” We could talk about why she was in a wooden cage in a moment, but right then, I had the overwhelming need to hold her. Even briefly. I would have to let go, I knew, but seeing her so small and frightened did something strange to my heart. It thumped against my ribs, painful and feral, like a cornered animal.
Kiara allowed me to help her through the gap, and Jake followed after, his blue eyes dark and full of panic. I didn’t give a damn if Jake saw me wrap my arms around her and tug her close. Not that he appeared at all surprised.
“Can someone please explain to me what happened?” I asked, studying the enclosure. Jake’s gaze shifted to Kiara, who proceeded to glance down between our bodies. I had yet to release her. “Look at me,” I commanded, lifting her chin.
Kiara swallowed hard enough for me to track the movement. When her bright, nearly yellow eyes found mine, they were brimming with a different kind of grief.
“My uncle,” she whispered, so low I hardly heard her. “Ornotmy uncle, I mean. He was here.”
