She frowned. “What does that mean? Who are you?”
Again, her questions went unanswered as Vade started east again. When they made it to the end of the tree line by the field leading to Gurn’s house, he stopped and dropped his pack.
He reached behind his back and grabbed the hilt of the bizarre longsword. When he pulled the weapon over his shoulder, Orelia gasped.
A steel blade lengthened from the cross-guard, stretching until it formed the longest sword she’d ever seen, so gargantuan it had to be considered a greatsword, a weighty weapon only batalins were known to carry. Orso she’d heard.
“Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.” Orelia already knew what it was by the sickening twist of her insides seeing the faint white light emanating from the edges of the blade, but she needed to hear him say it.
He donned a proud grin. “It’s exactly what you think it is.”
“Why in the hells do you have a seidr weapon? Sorcery is illegal!” Out in the woods, no one would hear her mention the forbidden magic.
“Beautiful thing, isn’t it? And light as a feather.” Vade twirled the glowing blade in a graceful movement only a skilled warrior could perfect.
“What if someone catches you with that? You could be put to death!”Then she’d be dead too.
“I’m the one that brings death,” he said simply, like the words were supposed to be comforting.
When he looked across the grassy field at her neighbor’s home, a chill ran over her skin. “Wait a minute, you’re not planning on using that on him, are you?”
Those black, depthless eyes slid to hers.
Orelia instinctively angled herself away from him. “Who are you?”
The grin that twisted his mouth was the picture of nightmares. “I’m the king’s royal executioner.”
six
Dismayed at Vade’s answer,she froze.
“Stay here.” He started for Gurn’s house, and despite what he’d just said, she grabbed his sword arm.
“You can’t kill him!”
He shook out of her hold. “I said stay here.”
“Why are you doing this?” Panic shook her voice.
“His name appeared on the stone,” Vade said matter-of-factly. “Now, keep quiet and don’t leave this spot, unless you want to find out what my blade tastes like too.”
“I won’t let you do this!” She yelled to warn Gurn, but a black tendril of darkness coiled around her head and covered her mouth.
Orelia tried to yank the tendril off her face, finding it cool and firm like flesh. The lifelike feel of it made her stomach churn. She kept pulling, but the shadow wouldn’t budge.
Unbothered, Vade entered the field of swaying pampas grasses that were almost as tall as he was.
Even though she couldn’t talk, Orelia ran after him, not caring that the grasses cut like weapons themselves. The blades sliced at her sleeves, snagging on the wool, but she wouldn’t let him hurt Gurn.
When she rushed up on Vade crouched in the thick of the field, he turned and flicked two fingers at her. More shadows wrapped around her ankles, and she fell flat on her face.
Orelia blinked repeatedly while the shocking sting of slamming into the ground faded. She tried to stand, but her ankles were bound so tightly that it took several tries without falling over, and by the time she managed, Vade was long gone. The bindings wouldn’t allow her to walk, and she could barely see over the thick, feathery plumes.
Orelia screamed, but her noises were non-existent, the shadows concealing her desperate sounds. Tears welled as she helplessly watched a sliver of darkness slink around the side of the house, skirting along the wooden siding.
The humble farmer was oblivious as he poured more feed into the troughs, his flock gathered around him.
Gurn, who never bothered anyone.
