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“Entirely accurate,” he replies.
“Do you think Patrick will follow through with what he promises? Do you truly believe he will allow a Rossingol to sit on the throne again?”
“Patrick? What of his father?”
“According to the letter my brother received, his father is dead, and that is why they were not in Navalis when it fell.”
“Dammit. I never cared for the king of Soreno, I certainly preferred him over his son.”
“Because he’s a bully.” I recall Fort confessing to me that Patrick had massively disrespected him by mocking his inability to speak.
“He’s a coward.”
Tears burn in my eyes as emotion claws at my throat. “If I have to marry him, Fort—”
Fort rolls me onto my back and climbs on top of me, settling his legs between mine. “You will do no such thing.”
“I promised Bowman, but—”
“We will find another way, Carleah.”
I shake my head. “We’re out of time.”
A massive horse explodes into my tent. Fort is up, his sword in hand, standing between me and the huge white creature before either of us realizes it’s Shadow. I grab my tunic and slip it over my head then rush forward to help Fort get the limp man down from his back. Blood smears Shadow’s white, rain-slicked body, and it coats the man tied to him just as severely.
As soon as Fort lays Lacrae onto my cot, he retrieves his trousers as I look the elf over for injury. “Lacrae!” I call out.
Thunder drowns out my voice.
His golden eyes flutter open, and he stares blankly up at me. “Carleah?”
“I am here. What happened.” I look him over for injuries, but most of the ones on his face and arms appear to be scratches. It’s not until I notice the blood soaking his tunic that I feel true fear. I lift it up, and blood pours from what looks to be a bite mark in his side. Quickly, I retrieve the blanket on our cot and press it to his wound.
“Fort.” I say his name like a plea for help.
“I’ll go get Alysia.” Quickly, he tugs on his boots and shirt then rushes out into the storm.
“The elves are missing,” he tells me. “But my sister left this for me in a spot she knew only I could find.” He tries to reach into his pocket, but his hands are shaking so badly that he can’t.
So I do. I pull a damp piece of parchment from his pocket and unfold it. A bloody fingerprint is smeared on the right corner, and some of the ink is smudged, but the words cut far deeper than the note I read earlier.
Brother,
The Tenebris are too many. They ravage our village with one sole purpose: to destroy. I leave you this on the off chance you will come looking, but I truly hope you do not.
They were demanding to know how to find the map to the dwarven caves. If they are able to get in, they can get their monsters free of Dead Man’s Land. Those of us who are left are going into hiding with some of us venturing to the dwarves in an attempt to warn them of the coming threat.
I only hope we make it in time. I know we did not always see eye-to-eye, brother, but I have always loved you.
Your sister.
“Oh no.”
“The Tenebris found me as I was leaving. Shadow got me—” He holds out his hand, and the large horse drops his nose to Lacrae’s palm. He inhales and exhales deeply then lies down, his large body taking up nearly all of the space beneath the cover of my tent.
“We will find them,” I tell Lacrae. “I promise.”
Lacrae reaches for my hand. “The dwarves must know of the threat, Carleah. For if the Tenebris find them first, our realm does not stand a chance. Not even Soreno has the power alone to take them on.”
