Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“We will leave,” Fordham said quickly to try to forestall the violence.
Mendy had finished with the bonds. Kerrigan rose hastily to her feet and hurried to his side.
“I have done a disservice to your people by impersonating you. For that, I am sorry. We will not delay you any longer.”
“Wait,” the male said, shouldering past Enta. He clapped a hand on Fordham’s shoulder. “Any male who can make us believe he’s Erewan is a male that I wish to know. You are welcome at our fires.”
“Aye,” Mendy agreed.
The rest of the circle cheered their agreement. Only Enta looked furious and red with embarrassment.
“Thank you, Darvin,” Fordham said, putting a hand to his chest and bowing slightly.
“You and your girl can stay the night,” Darvin said. “Isn’t that right, Enta?”
“Fine,” Enta grunted. “You are welcome at our fires.”
“I would like to hear your story. A prince of the Dark Court who has fallen for a half-Fae enemy,” Darvin said. His gaze between Kerrigan and Fordham was keen. “Regale us this night. It is not many who could have a lover follow them up the mountain.”
Fordham nodded to Kerrigan, and then they entered the Erewan circle. A fur coat was draped over Kerrigan’s shoulders to ward off the cold. Food was passed around the circle. Enta still sulked in irritation. All her plans had unfolded in the span of an evening. Kerrigan felt sorry for her, but she wasn’t giving Fordham up for anything.
As they ate, Fordham told them his tale—his exile, the dragon tournament to join the Society, and his curse. It was hard to believe all they had endured together, and how much more there was to go. Even Enta leaned forward as he told the more daring and dangerous parts of their story. By the end, they were enraptured.
Darvin nodded. “This is a worthy cause. A worthy reason to climb the mountain. It is not an easy journey, but in the morning, we’ll take you as far as we can go.”
Fordham bowed his head. “Thank you.”
Kerrigan nodded. “We appreciate it.”
The rest of them dispersed at the end of the story, bedding down into rolls around the fire. Fordham’s gaze slid back to her, and she saw the fury he’d carefully contained as he feared for their lives. He jerked his head to the side, and she followed him away from the mountain folk.
When they were nearly back into the snow, Fordham pulled her to a stop and slammed her back against the rock wall.
“Hey!”
“What the hell are you doing here?” he snarled. “You blew my cover. Do you have any idea how long it took me to get in with these people? Do you know how close they were to killing us?”
Kerrigan shoved him backward. “Don’t condescend to me. I was there. I know exactly how close we got. But I wouldn’t have had to do any of that if you had told me where you were. If you had asked for my help.”
“I told you that I didn’t need your help,” he barked back.
“Clearly, that’s not true. Because it was only by me coming here and blowing your cover that you got what you had come for. We’re going up the mountain.”
“No. No, we,” he said. “Just me.”
“Fordham, I am going with you.”
“I didn’t want you here, Kerrigan. I wanted to handle this on my own.”
“Why?” she demanded. “Why must you do it on your own? Haven’t you learned yet that we’re better together?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Why?” she bellowed at him. “Why? Just tell me why.”
“Because I can’t lose you,” he roared. He leaned forward, one hand on the wall at her head. His breathing was ragged as he hung his head. “I can’t lose you.”
“Ford,” she whispered. Her hand came to his face, lifting it up to look at her. “We’re better together.”
“Until this curse is lifted, I can’t guarantee your safety. And the last thing I want is for me to get this close—this close—and to lose you.”
“When I’m not with you, I can’t guarantee your safety.”
His eyes sparked like lightning in a thunderstorm. As if he’d never thought about it from her perspective. Never considered how much she had been worried about him out here, all alone.
“Please,” she whispered. “I can’t leave. I can’t leave you here. I had another vision.”
His eyes rounded for a second before flattening. “You haven’t had one since the tournament.”
“And you might have noticed that I’m working on my powers. That was how I found you in that dream.”
He blinked. “That was real?”
“Yes. There’s so much I need to tell you, Ford. So much. But it was real. I don’t know if I can do it again. There were special circumstances that made it possible. I learned something else after that. I can cast for visions now.”
“What did it show you?”
She swallowed. That, she didn’t want to reveal. She didn’t want to tell him. “It doesn’t matter. I just knew I had to see you.”