“Well, I do,” I tell him. “And since I’m going to be here for a while, I’ve decided to help you decorate.”
His gaze darkens, something sharp flickering beneath the surface as if he’s weighing whether to put a stop to this… or simply endure it. But he says nothing.
Instead, he glares at me and I simply smile in return, and it occurs to me that this has got to be the strangest kidnapping in the history of kidnappings.
And as his scowl deepens, I’m beginning to suspect I may be a more difficult hostage than he anticipated.
CHAPTER 51
AUREN
The Goblin castle is carved into the side of Mount Thryn’var. Its gray stone spires claw at the sky, the towers wrapped in tangled, thorned vines, making it look less like a stronghold and more like a wound the mountain never managed to close.
A memory flashes through my mind of Vivienne’s nightmares as I study the twisting vines. The dark magic of the bargain has been calling to her all this time…
A handful of guards pace along the outer wall, while at least half a dozen stand posted at the front gate.
Hidden in the shadows of a jagged outcropping, I sit atop Vaelen as I study Thornreach castle. Every muscle in my body is tense as I think of Vivienne, imagining her in danger.
She’s in there. I can feel it through the fated bond. I’m surprised that I don’t feel any panic coming from her, and I worry a calming spell may have been cast upon her.
Behind me, my warriors wait astride their Dire wolves in grim silence, dark shapes among darker stone. Everyone issilent. Below us, two Goblin guards patrol the side entrance, their spears slung carelessly over their shoulders.
Surely their King must be expecting me. So why is his castle not on higher alert? Something about this feels wrong.
My magic stirs beneath my skin. Perhaps this is a trap or maybe it’s simply madness.
One of the guards mutters something to the other and lumbers away from his post toward a side passage.
This is my chance. “Now,” I whisper.
Vaelen launches forward. The others move as one, wolves surging down the slope in absolute silence until the last moment, when claws strike stone and the Goblin at the gate whirls in alarm.
His spear comes up too late. Dain is on him first, wrenching the weapon from his hands while I haul him bodily backward by the front of his tunic and slam him against the wall hard enough to rattle his teeth.
His eyes are wide with terror. “What in the seven hells are you—” He stops abruptly. His gaze moves over my crown, and the warriors behind me, and his expression shifts from fear to relief. “Oh,” he says. “It’s you. You’re early.”
“What?”I stare at him in disbelief, then realize that this must surely be madness. That’s the only thing that can account for his relaxed demeanor as half a dozen Dark Elf warriors and their snarling Dire Wolves glare at him.
“Right. Of course.” He clears his throat. “Sorry. Very dramatic entrance, well done.”
Baring my fangs, I tighten my grip on his tunic as I hold him against the wall. “Where. Is. My. Wife?” I bite out each word as a deep growl vibrates in my chest.
“She’s fine,” he blurts. “More than fine.”
The words do nothing to soothe the violence coiled inside me. “Take me to her,” I demand. “Now.”
“Yes,” he says at once. “Gladly.”
I shove the Goblin forward and he stumbles, nearly tripping over his own feet before hurrying into the side passage.
We dismount from our wolves and follow him inside. The Dire wolves prowl through the Goblin stronghold like shadows given fangs, their paws silent against the stone.
My warriors and I move in tight formation. I keep one hand on my sword and the other flexing at my side as magic crackles between my fingers. If this is a trick, I will raze their castle to the ground, burying every Goblin in this mountain beneath the rubble.
Thorned vines crawl across everything here—columns, walls, archways, doorframes—dark and twisted, with needle-sharp points.
The further we move into the castle, the stranger it becomes. Servants rush through the corridors carrying trays heaped with food, bolts of cloth, silverware, books, candles. One nearly drops an entire tray when she sees us, then presses a hand to her chest and breathes, “Thank the gods.”
