For a moment, I can’t stop my own tension from rising.
She’s no longer in contact with the medallions or the hammer. They aren’t influencing her any longer.
Yet there is the darkness.
“What did he say of me?” Asha demands to know.
“That he would find you and free you,” Torva replies. “And thatyouwould listen to him, even if nobody else would.”
“‘Free me’?” Asha’s lips part and her forehead creases. “Listen to him… about what?”
Torva shakes her head. “He kept shouting that Lysander gave him no choice.”
Nearby, Graviter has tensed. “My son gave him no choice?” he snarls. “What did Thaden mean by that?”
“Their speech was jumbled through the dark magic,” Torva says quickly. “I heard only parts of it. Without context, I cannot give you clarity.”
“Without clarity, misinterpretation is easy.” I growl, fully aware that I have used partial truths and ambiguity many times to achieve a particular outcome.
I remember again the way that Thaden spoke to Asha when he was captive in my prison. He asked her why she was doing the bidding of a wolf when she could raze the entire city to the ground.
Torva continues. “But I heard one thing clearly: Thaden Kane demanded that Milena make you a hammer, Asha. He wanted to deliver it to you.”
Asha’s eyes widen, while mine narrow.
“Milena refused,” Torva says, her voice wobbling. “And that’s when she cut off her own hand so he could not force her to craft the hammer.”
“Shecut it off? Her own hand?” Asha’s green eyes flash to me. “But she said…”
“She implied that her attacker cut off her hand,” I say.
Asha’s lips press into an unhappy line. “I don’t like this. He wanted to free me? Speak with me? He thought I would believe him? Something isn’t right here.”
Once again, it feels like we’re on the cusp of danger.
“Without clarity,” I growl again.
Asha nods rapidly. “Misinterpretation could get us killed. It could get my family killed.” She shakes her head, a near-wild movement. “He wouldn’t have kept up his façade if he didn’t want to keep my family alive to use them as leverage against me. But if he becomes volatile and thinks he has no other options, he may act without reason.”
Across the way, Torva is downcast. “I’m sorry I can’t provide the answers you need, Asha Silverspun. As soon as Milena cut off her own hand, Thaden raged at her. He entrapped her in the tree. He took her hammer and her three medallions. I couldn’t stop him from leaving. He was already a skilled Blacksmith and his physical strength, now that he has merged with Lysander, is immense.”
He’s as strong as I am. When he first appeared and I had him imprisoned, he easily broke through his chains—although he pretended to be constrained at first. Bronze dragon scales extend across his right shoulder, up the side of his neck, anddown his right arm. Also down his torso beneath his arm, extending to his waist.
Torva draws herself upright again as she focuses on me. “I heard what you said about a forge, Wolf. You cannot safely ride Graviter. His scales will rip up the skin on your legs. But my scales are soft. You and Asha can ride with me.”
Graviter speaks up. “I can carry Milena in my talons.”
Torva bristles. “You will break her back that way.”
“I can hold on to her,” I say quietly, glancing at Asha, knowing that she will no longer have the same physical strength she did when she had access to her power. “Between us, we can keep Milena safe on your back, Torva Viridia.”
“Very well,” Graviter says. “Gather your things and we will find this forge.”
Chapter 49
The wind rushes past us as Torva Viridia sweeps her wings and carries us up into the air and across the cliff’s edge.
My stomach plummets, but I focus on keeping myself on her back and holding on to Milena where she rests between Asha and me. We’re both facing forward with Asha in front and me at the back.
