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His eyes found mine and held for so long that I sucked in a sharp breath with what I saw in them.
“I did some diggin’ in our records. We ain’t the best at keepin’ recordings, but what I gathered ye are of dwarven blood, girlie. That’s why I know ye can wield this sword because ye…” He touched my hand. “Autumn, ye are the blood of Cabro Lightfoot. My father’s ramblin’ was right. The prophecy… It’s about ye.”
I sucked in a breath, and my head felt fuzzy.I was dwarven blood. It made so much sense that the knowledge didn’t even shock me.
“Ye and Esme share blood.”
That was where the deep sense of familiarity came from. Esme had hinted we might share blood, and I’d kept an open mind to the possibility. “Esme is your cousin. Do we—”
He grinned and gripped my hand tighter. “On another side. We do not share blood. Ye are me family, girlie, with or without blood.”
I smiled gently and nodded. Argen and I had a connection that surpassed blood. “My blood is on my father’s side, right?” “Aye.”
“Do you think he knows?”
Argen cocked his head. “I would imagine he has an idea, but that’s somethin’ ye will have to ask him."
I intended to do just that if I ever saw him again.
We were silent for a long moment as I digested my heritage, the curse, and the queen.
“We can still back out. Go into hidin’.”
I looked up at him sharply. Sahlyn had suggested the same thing back in Xex, but I shook my head.
Argen’s eyes guttered. “I don’t want ye getting’ hurt, girlie.”
“Oh, Argen.” I put my hand on his arm. “I don’t have a choice, do I? There’s a fucking prophecy.”
“Ye always have a choice, girlie.Always.”
“But if I don’t do this, will another assume the mission?”
Argen glanced away. “It has been two and a half decades; what’s a few more?”
I would be dead, doubtlessly, by the time another came in my place to do this. Sahlyn would be too. I knew the queen would have him murdered right along with me for his failures.
“I need to do this. I just don’t…” I didn’t even know what to say. Panic seized my heart, but my soul told me this was something I must do.
“Ye will not be alone. I can’t be with ye on this journey, but I’ll see ye on the other side. Ye will have Sahlyn. Don't tell him I said this, but he's me favorite male human in this bleedin’ land. If ye tell him that, we’ll ‘ave words.”
I laughed. “Because you've met so many male humans?”
Argen groaned, then chuckled. “Even so, he’s still the best of ‘em.”
I couldn’t disagree.
“Ye are brave, girlie.”
“I don't know if it's bravery or idiocy.”
Argen chuckled. “Sometimes it's a fine line.”
I grinned, but my heart tripped with the heaviness of what was to come. “With you and Sahlyn at my side, I can do it. Even if you’re leaving me to go your dwarven way.”
His smile was tight, his features tense. “Ye could go with me… with ye blood, but Sahlyn…”
“I won’t leave him to go through the Whispering Wood alone. I couldn’t.”
