“Oh?Tempting.” He flashed her a wry grin.
The sight of it only infuriated her more. Gods, it was humiliating how close he had come to seducing her.
It didn’t take much.
Only a smile and the kind of attention that made her feel seen. He knew how to say the right thing to get his way, and he was doing it now.
Electricity danced along her arms at the thought of singeing that ridiculously handsome face.
But Rawn frowned at her disapprovingly. “My lady.”
She glowered.Honorable elf.
“You’re angry with me,” Klyde stated the obvious.
“Oh, I am far past angry,” she hissed through her teeth.
At least things between them were now clear.
Lucenna flicked a finger to release him from his bonds. Though she took her time and made sure the magic chafed him a bit.
Once freed, Klyde rubbed his wrists. “Thank you.”
“Thank Lord Norrlen. If it were up to me, I would have given you a few new scars.”
He still had the nerve to laugh. It wasn’t a jest.
Lucenna worked her jaw. “Well? Show us this weapon that can kill an immortal.”
“I’m still not convinced he’s a Skelling,” Zev growled, the words rumbling in the back of his throat.
Rawn canted his head. “Looks can be deceiving, my friend.”
“I suppose you can say I am human. Mostly. Like the wee lass, my ancestry is somewhat … peculiar.” Klyde headed for the unused bed and crouched by the old wooden chest set by the footboard. “Skellings were powerful dark fae in their time.” His eyes flickered to Lucenna. “And they were known to have a penchant for murderous women.”
She gritted her teeth, containing the urge to murder him for saying such a thing in front of the others.
“What happened to them?” Zev asked.
“It’s not really known for sure.” Klyde lifted the chest’s lid and sorted through whatever was inside. “Most believe they died out during the Dark War against the Shadow God, also known as the Endless Night. Others believe the Skelling tribe retreated deep into the Frost Lands when their chief died. They were powerful, wild things, especially when they shifted into their hawk forms. But the half-breeds with human blood, who couldn’t shift or fly, joined civilization.”
“Humans mated with Skellings?” Lucenna asked incredulously. She imagined them as ugly, bird-like creatures with beaked faces and feathered bodies.
“It’s not mentioned in most of Azure’s history books, but the first union came to be over a thousand years ago,” Klyde said, his tone taking on a mysterious note. “When the Queen of the Everfrost, wife of the Ice Phoenix, married her sister, Ansa Morkhàn, to the son of the Skelling Chief.” Klyde bore a satisfied smile at the shock on their faces. “It was to bring peace to the land. But Ansa’s grandchildren were not born with wings and couldn’t survive with the tribe, so they returned to the Morkhàn clan. That’s where their descendants remained, to one day become the heirs of Old Tanzanite Keep.” Standing, Klyde faced them, holding a large object wrapped in a frayed white cloth. “And from there comes my family line.”
Despite the fire in the hearth, she suddenly felt colder, like whatever secret hid beneath the cloth made the temperature drop in the room.
Lucenna didn’t move, and her heart beat faster as she watched Klyde slowly unwrap the cloth. Nestled inside was a long black blade, but not one made of steel. It was curved, fashioned with a rough handle. The circumference thinned along its length toward the sharp, pointed end.
A Skelling talon.
CHAPTER 3
Dynalya
Dyna stepped out into the hall, and the door thudded shut behind her. It took every effort to control her shaky breaths. Why was Klyde apologizing for whatthat onehad done to her? Gods, she couldn’t even think of his name without her entire body spasming with pain. She shut her eyes and willed away the tears threatening to spill.
Stumbling down the hall, Dyna headed toward her bedroom but paused at the threshold.
