A muscle twitched in Farrin’s cheek. He made his expression apathetic and hoped no one noticed.
Sunnira shook her head. “You need to be careful with her, Tenebris. Farrin did well against her because of his magic, but she could trample anyone else.”
Tenebris grinned and pinched Sunnira’s cheek. “You think she’s better than me, you impudent brat?” he asked, his voice warm with affection.
“I think she’s a monster,” Sunnira said.
Farrin wished she would stop talking.
“Well, it’s a good thing I am one as well.” Tenebris pointed to the tent. “Is this it?”
“I hope it meets your expectations, sir,” Farrin said.
“I’m sure it will. Give me a few hours to get settled, and I’ll meet up with you and your little trainees for dinner,” Tenebris said. “That means you, too, Sunnira.”
Sunnira kissed Tenebris’s cheek. “You don’t need to tell me—you aggravating man. I have patients to attend to.” She winked at their leader, waved to Farrin, and drifted off in the direction of the medical tent.
Farrin bowed. “Welcome to the First Regiment, sir.” He turned to his subordinates. “Dryden and Bluff, you’re on scouting duty.”
“Sir?” Bluff said as Dryden stamped her feet and rubbed her gloved hands together.
“I want you to make a wide circuit of the camp and see if you can sense Princess Rakel. Dryden will be your escort.”
Bluff squinted. “You think she’ll attack us?”
“It is unlikely, but with Tenebris in our camp, we will take no chances,” Farrin said.And if she is near, I need to know so I can stop her.
“Yes, sir!” Bluff and Dryden saluted.
“Bunny,” Farrin continued. “We’re?—”
“Say, Runt, what is that shining spot?” Tenebris asked. He held the flap of his tent open, but his gaze was on the distant, glittering smear that rested against what the people of Verglas called Ensom Peak.
“That would be the ice-castle Princess Rakel constructed during her exile,” Farrin said.
“She made that?” Tenebris asked. His voice was odd. It lacked its usual pleasant tone.
Farrin hesitated. “Yes.”
“I see.” Tenebris disappeared into his tent without saying anything more.
Farrin stared at the tent for a moment, then motioned for Bunny to follow him. He made his way through the camp, wondering at Tenebris’s reaction.He wasn’t angry. But his voice, it was…off.And he seems much darker than I remembered.
When Tenebris had saved Farrin some odd years earlier from a life of slavery and slaughter, Farrin thought Tenebris the most powerful magic user on the continent. He’d always assumed the heavy atmosphere that followed Tenebris was because of his immense power. After all, besides Rakel, Farrin had never met another individual so saturated with power.
But Rakel does not have the same air. She commands respect without fear—and she is not heavy. She is light—and very bright.
Farrin’s shoulders lost some of their stiffness as he pictured the beautiful, snow-haired princess and her expressive blue eyes.Is it because of the difference in their powers, or in their characters?Farrin grunted in disgust.She has addled me. The midnight flavor of Tenebris never bothered me previously.
“Forgive me if I’m out of line, Colonel, but do you agree with Tenebris’s plan?” Bunny’s voice was hushed as they passed a campfire.
“To kill Princess Rakel?”
“No. To slaughter Verglas citizens.”
Farrin stopped walking.
“Yeah.” Bunny scuffed her boot in the trampled snow. “That was my first time seeing our leader up close.”
