Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 242728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1214(@200wpm)___ 971(@250wpm)___ 809(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 242728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1214(@200wpm)___ 971(@250wpm)___ 809(@300wpm)
According to Leca, when he came to stand beside me as he sometimes did, silently offering his company even though I hadn’t asked for it, he told me that giving Runa such tokens blessed the hunt and honoured the fire and its guidance.
I’d grunted something in response, consumed by Runa and how she no longer seemed apart from these people. She belonged, and...I only had myself to blame.
The morning after she’d divined the hunt, the clan woke with festive excitement as the first frost of the season crisped dried grass and glittered on icy lupics. A band of males strode toward the willows growing along the river’s edge.
Led by Aktor, half the male population followed and didn’t return till dusk, carrying between them log after log, depositing them into a large pile in a freshly cleared area a short distance from the chief and chiefess’s large home.
Runa met my eyes across the clearing where she’d appeared from the healer’s lupic, her hands stained green from whatever medicines she’d been working with.
Tral’s voice boomed over the camp, reaching the ears of many as he clapped his chore-dirty son on the shoulder with a smile, raising a cup of purple wine. “It’s official! Aktor has begun the rite of passage of providing a hearth for his mate!”
My nape prickled as everyone whooped and celebrated in the fading sunshine.
Runa froze and Zetas licked my wrist as the faintest coil of shadows bled out of me.
“It’s a full moon tonight!” Tral pointed at the still-light sky. “And you know what that means!”
Tiptu went to his side, smiling happily at Aktor as Bon squirmed in her arms, reaching for his older brother. My gut clenched as the male who’d dared hurt Runa reached for his tiny sibling, his eyes alight with affection, his embrace solid and protective.
“It means we only have one more moon cycle until the Aium festival!” Tral said. “One more month before Runa and Aktor become one!”
I struggled to catch my breath.
It’s too soon.
I was no further along in learning how to break the blood bind.
It’s too soon!
“And that isn’t the only good news!” Tral beamed. “Solin informed me this afternoon that the fire has hinted a visitor is on his way! A wanderer who heard from the runners we sent to Karfe and Lagol to tell them of the matehood of our successors. He will no doubt bring news from far and wide.”
My ears rang as excitement broke out amongst the clan. Even the stoic elders grinned.
Who was this wanderer, and why was he coming?
Bouncing his brother in his arms, Aktor scanned the happy clan, not stopping until he spotted Runa on the threshold of the healer’s lupic.
Another gush of shadows unfurled from my back as he marched toward her, carrying his sibling as if Bon was his own youngling, daring to stop before Runa and—
I growled.
He dared press a kiss on her cheek.
Runa flinched and stepped away, wiping her face where his lips had touched.
But the clan didn’t seem to care.
They all whooped and hugged their loved ones as if they stood in the presence of a good match.
My stomach roiled.
I wanted to be sick.
Runa met my stare again, both of us stiff while the rest of the clan danced.
For an eternal moment, we stared.
And stared.
And when I couldn’t stomach her despair any longer, I turned and walked into the grasslands.
The moment I was out of eyesight, I broke into a run, leaving Zetas behind.
She howled as I summoned Rivoza’s airborn power, wrapped myself up in shadows, and vanished to a different nightmare, far away from mortals and wolves.
And there, hidden from those I loved, I fell to my knees, drove my fists into the earth, and let loose the torrenting, whipping, lethal pain inside me.
My head cracked.
My bones broke.
Death ricocheted out of me.
Squawks of parrots.
Chirps of finches.
A snarl from an unseen predator.
Their hearts stopped.
Their spirits snapped free.
And I fell into darkness as their stolen lifeforces sliced agonisingly through me.
Chapter Forty-Five
. Runa .
“DO YOU THINK YOU COULD make what he’s wearing, Hyath?”
Niya leaned over me, whispering to Hyath who sat on my left. I reclined a little, allowing the two girls to chat in front of me while we sat on our familiar log by the fire.
Hyath bit her bottom lip. “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
I agreed with her.
Where would you start? What was he wearing? What was it made of?
I couldn’t tear my eyes off the colourful, glittery visitor who’d appeared at twilight, stepping from the grasslands with a bundle on his back, an instrument I’d never seen in his hands, and a wave of hello to the startled Nhil.
He’d immediately been whisked into Tiptu and Tral’s lupic to be welcomed.
Solin had cut our lesson of Quelis history short, leaving me on an unfinished story about what animals were naturally born into the fire’s embrace and how I could harness them if needed. Just like the elements chose mortals to be gifted, they chose beasts and birds too.