The troll swings its claymore at me again, but I anticipate its move, leaping over the blade. My uncle’s sword beams with ice magic. Like my mother, he was always adept in both blade and the arcane. He clashes his sword against the troll’s, but his magic sends a freezing burst of icicles right at the monster’s face.
Seizing the opportunity, I sink my teeth into its vulnerable leg, eliciting a roar of agony. The cave troll staggers.
My paws pound against the icy ground as I propel forward, leaping on to its back.
“Kill it!” Irahn cries. He unleashes another barrage of dagger-sharp icicles.
My fangs sink deep into the troll’s neck, severing the rotted life coursing through its monstrous veins. It gives a mammoth bellow of pain that weakens, becoming less of a roar and more of a lament. Then it topples forward.
I leap off its back, landing beside my uncle. The cave falls silent.
Irahn exhales loudly, then shakes his sword, scattering droplets of troll blood across the icy wall. “That beast of yours is quite something.”
“The beast and I are the same,” I rumble back, the wolf’s voice low.
“Come on.” Irahn gestures deeper into the tunnel. “More where that came from.”
I follow on silent paws as he leads me past the dead troll and into the cave mouth. As soon as we enter, the green lines illuminate a familiar sight.
Thorns. Thorns everywhere, overtaking the walls, the ground. Except these are all frosted over. A rough-cut path has been made through the brambles.
This chasm truly is my doing.
“That monster is only the beginning of the threats you’ll find down here,” Irahn says. “Without the Deep Guard, they’d pour up out of the chasm and make their way across the realms.”
“You see now I am capable, Uncle. Let me serve here in your stead. I will keep the monsters at bay. I owe the realms that.”
“I don’t doubt your skills in battle or even as a warden.” Irahn stops and turns to me. “But I will not take the stewardship.”
My heart hammers in my chest. “Why not?”
“You came to Voidseal to prove to me why you cannot rule. Instead, you have only shown me it must be you.”
I close my eyes. “My people would never follow a beast like me.”
Irahn places a hand beside my ear. I startle, realizing this is the first person to ever touch me in this form besides Rosalina … andhim. One of the only people to ever look upon my wolf without fear. “Keldarion, nephew,” he says, “have you tried?”
28
Dayton
Igrip the reins tightly, feeling the rough texture of the leather against my hands as the ibexes carry us up the treacherous rocky mountain path. Farron has taken to his, though he’s always had a way with animals, from ponies to horses to his great elk. He can look into a beast’s eyes and know its soul.
Maybe that’s why he likes me,I think.
“Little bumpier than riding Thea,” Rosie says, bent so low, her stomach is pressed to her ibex’s back. Its black horns curl around her.
“You’re doing fine,” I call over.
“Trust your mount.” Farron spurs his ibex closer and gently pats her beast’s nose. “These animals know the route well. They’ll get us there safely.”
Rosalina nods, and we continue up the long path to the monastery, riding the local ibexes. We rented a couple from a farmer outside the city, though he insisted we keep a wary eye out for goblins. Thank the stars we chose the mounts. My feet ache just thinking of trekking all the way up here.
The ibexes’ sure-footed steps harmonize with the rush of the nearby river and the distant roar of cascading waterfalls. The path steepens ahead, and the scent of pine and earth mingles with the fresh afternoon air, filling my lungs with each breath.
As we ascend higher, the monastery comes into view, perched majestically atop the mountain. “Who the hell would give up everything to live on the top of a bloody mountain with not a tavern in sight?”
“It was built on one of the highest peaks in the Vale so as to be close to the Above.” Farron gives a light chuckle. “It’s a sign of devotion, Day. The monastery is situated in the Spring Realm, but Spring does not abide over it. The Golden Acolytes and the Queen’s Army answer only to the Queen. But with the High Clerics gone and Kairyn governing it now, I’m sure much has changed.”
