“Please tell me he’s not licking them.”
“You don’t want to know what he’s doing.”
“I won’t look.”
“I wouldn’t advise it.”
Warden’s gaze softens as he gently brushes back a lock of hair which has blown over my face.
“I’m sorry you were dragged into all of this.”
“Warden, I was already a part of whatever this is.” I touch the sword at my side. “Probably deeper than I know, so I was always going to end up here.”
“With me?”
“Oh, probably,” I say airily. “You or the Shellycoat.”
I find myself pulled against a hard, muscular body, a growl enclosing my mouth in a passionate, dominate kiss.
“Never,” he says. “You were always, always mine.”
HAZEL
Warden insists I ride on him as we make our way across the beach to the rocks where Linton is waiting.
“Did you find anything out at all?”
“There’s a Dunnie,” Linton says. “But I trapped it.” He shrugs. “If it was doing the Thegn’s bidding, it won’t be for much longer.”
Warden glares at him.
“I’m not going to ask what that means.”
“I was an assassin…” Linton says before Warden holds up a hand and stops him.
“Anything actually useful that doesn’t involve you and the Reaper?”
“The Thegn went into the Underhill,” Linton says, staring out at the sea. “It definitely has the amulet.”
“How do you know?” Warden asks.
“It was glowing and Thegns don’t glow.”
I look at Warden, who drops his chin to his chest. “I had a small hope it might not have been able to access the magic within the amulet.”
“It has,” Linton says cheerily. “And you’re going to stop it.”
Warden lifts his head and works his jaw. “I am,” he says, narrowing his eyes. “I am going to stop it, for my mate, for your mate, and for all the Yeavering.”
“You are.” Linton shoves his hand in his pocket and pulls out something which is a mottled green and grey. “You can use this.”
He hands the item to Warden who turns it over in his strong fingers before handing it to me.
It’s stone, and it is heavy. The green parts are seemingly shot through with silver the way it glitters in the light. Unlike the other amulet, this one is warm in my hand, and as I inspect the carving, I see it is not a dragon this time.
“It’s a horse!”
Warden is staring wide-eyed at Linton.
