Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sovereign and Shield
A commander’s test. A sovereign’s trust. A shield who would not break it.
The road broke off at the cliffs, where the sea carved white stone into towers and ledges polished like marble. Water spilled from the heights in silver veils, crashing into the pools below with a thunder that swallowed every other sound.
The Ivory Pillars stood apart from the world—untouched, eternal.
Mist slicked Viktor’s neck, cold enough to bite through the heat of his pulse. He and Gabriel rode up the narrow track, their horses’ hooves echoing against wet stone.
At the clearing ahead, a cart sagged beneath the weight of weapons, steel glinting in the morning light. Amerei stood beside it, her cloak drawn back, sea-spray clinging to her hair.She drew a sling from the cart and weighed it in her palm before tossing a look over her shoulder.
“Bring a bow,” she said to Gabriel.
Her hand closed around the haft of a twin-bladed axe. She lifted it with surprising strength, a smile curving her mouth
“And an axe.”
The sight of her struck Viktor hard.
Sunlight caught the gold in her hair, the spray turning her lashes to silver. She looked nothing like the girl who had almost kissed him the night before—and yet everything about her stole his breath the same. He wondered if she knew he still felt the warmth of her mouth on his—if she could feel it too, when her smile tilted just so.
Gabriel’s brows shot up, a grin spreading.
“Oh, this’ll be quite fun.”
He received the axe from her with exaggerated reverence, as though claiming a crown.
They crossed the field where Evander loosed fiery arrows at a mesa in the distance, each shot cracking bright against the rock. Storne stood beside him, arms folded, eyes sharp with approval.
“Better,” Storne called over the roar of the falls. “Again.”
Gabriel swung the axe Amerei had handed him, grinning like a boy at festival.
Storne clapped a hand to his shoulder. “You any good with a sling?”
Gabriel’s grin flashed. “I can manage.”
“Good. Evander needs practice.”
His gaze cut toward Viktor. “You—come with me.”
Gabriel scoffed, lowering the axe. “You’re leaving me with the kid?”
“There’s a barn a mile that way,” Storne said, pointing. “Try not to let him set it on fire.”
Evander laughed. Gabriel groaned.
Storne was already striding back toward the weapons cart. Viktor followed, Amerei at his side.
“You survived your meeting with Zeporah,” Storne said at last.
“Barely.”
Viktor’s voice came rough.
Storne rubbed a hand over his beard.
