“Auderley.”
Dash had heard Halla’s gasp as she’d caught up to him. Infuriated and desperate, he’d entrusted his sister’s body to her and then he’d been on his way to find her killer.
Until a dragon had slowed him down.
At that time, he’d assumed Renata had been overtaken by trophy hunters, enemies or wizards.
Now he knew it was a planned coup against him. Even if he’d given his sister permission to take his army, she wouldn’t have come back alive.
Keryna had other plans.
This was all his fault.
There had been no saving Renata. It both sickened and comforted him to know that. Most of all, it just pissed him off. Because the one thing he could have changed was that last night with her. He should never have lost his temper.
Not with his baby sister.
A sudden shadow fell over him.
“What are you thinking?” Tanis knelt down by his side.
Sighing heavily, he tossed a piece of wood into the fire. “That I played into hands I shouldn’t have. Of all creatures, I should have known better.”
She leaned against his side to offer him comfort. “Don’t beat yourself up, beast.”
“You’re right. I shouldn’t. There are so many others who want to do it for me. I probably wouldn’t have to walk three feet to find one.”
She laughed. “You need to get some sleep while you’re able.”
“Probably. Tomorrow is sure to be an even longer, more fun-filled day than today was.”
They were safe for the moment, but it wouldn’t last. Marthen’s shield would allow them protection for the night. Yet they were still in the middle of enemy territory.
If an elf found them here...
Tanis should be fine even as a human. He doubted they’d harm her.
Dash would be recognized and dealt with. While he could hold them off for a bit, they would ultimately win and his would be a nice hide they’d use for shoe leather. Or a decoration in the hall of one of their three ruling monarchs.
He glanced over to Tanis. “I’m also thinking I should have been kinder to the elves as a king.”
Her eyes widened. “What did you do to the elves?”
He tossed another stick into the fire as he remembered it as if it were yesterday. “I sent them a giant wooden statue of myself as a unicorn.”
She scowled at him. “Well, that’s not so bad. I mean, it is a little egotistical. But not too awful.”
He gave her a flat, droll stare. “It was carved from their sacred mother tree.”
She gasped as the full horror of what he’d done dawned on her. “Oh, thatisterrible, Dash! Why in the Thirteen Kingdoms would you do something like that?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. He should probably regret it, but he didn’t. Other than the fact that the blowback now would be extreme when he needed their support.
“Don’t you dare shrug at me, beast. Tell me what you were thinking.”
He let out a tired breath before he explained his actions. “One of their princes raided a fairy distillery, drank a bit much of their ale and ended up setting fire to a grove of dryads in his drunken stupor. Thirty-five of them were severely injured, but thankfully none of them died. When I demanded he be punished, his father refused. Said they were noble elves. It was an accident and that the dryads weren’t as important as his legacy. Since none of the dryads had died, he didn’t understand my anger over it. After all, he argued, trees were just trees. They were nowhere near asvaluable as an elf. So, I decided to make a point. Especially given that the elves are supposed to be protectors of the forest.”
If a tree was just a tree...
