Its gray, thick fur was matted with fresh blood and gore, its golden eyes dull as they stared lifelessly into the forest beyond.
An unholy groan escaped Renova’s lips, followed by a sickening slurp, and my breathing began to quicken as the Embodieds’ actions rose to an unmatched level of war. They’d killed the princess of Lotrennia, and now, they fed on the guardians of the Land of Light and Life.
Kresida’s hand quivered on her knee, and I placed my palm on top of it. She peeled her dark eyes from the horrific sight and set them on mine.
“We need the others,” I signed, making small movements with my hands. “Move out.”
Her eyes were hard, a pained mixture of grief and anger swimming in their dark depths, but she nodded. My boot twisted silently in the mud when a heart-stopping whine reached my ears.
I snapped my head back to the clearing and waited for the wolf to cry again, but Ganmira and Renova had paused, lifting their heads and cocking them. Their long, pointed ears twitched as they listened. I stared at the face of the wolf they devoured, waiting for any sign of life, when the soft whine came again, this time farther away.
My heart pounded against my ribs.
There were more wolves.
Renova and Ganmira stood slowly, their strange forms almost glowing in the soft light of the woods. Their naked bodies appeared elf-like, though their limbs and ears stretched too long. The matching blue eyes narrowed as they scanned the woods for their next meal.
My gaze cut back to the dead wolf in the clearing, and my breath hollowed out. The remnants of large, full nipples bordered its butchered abdomen.
She had pups.
A small whine cried in the distance, and the Embodied snapped their heads in the direction before a blast of golden light ripped from their forms. My forearm flew before my eyes to shield my face, and when I blinked them open, the hulking form of two massive Nivis bears stomped through the forest.
Kresida and I moved.
The forest flew past us in a hush of heavy breathing and wind. The white bears hurtled through the trees before splitting at the start of a wide path. They opened wide, bloody mouths, bits of wolf hanging from the dagger-like fangs stretching from their gums.
The sound that followed straightened my spine.
Rather than a blaring roar, an ominous huff escaped their maws, the taunting laughter of the Embodied enough for my hair to stand on end.
Kresida and I skidded to a stop as their prey came into view.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
DRYSTAN
Set aside your pride. Your matron would have wanted our alliance to keep.
– Unanswered correspondence from White Hawk to New Dragon.
Drystan – Gilded Fortress, Lotrennia
The king of Lotrennia’s dark brows knit together as he stared at the white múritinne ring on the shining table. Tiny bits of rainbow light reflected off the wide band, dancing with the orange evening light filtering in through the window of the Gilded Fortress. One elbow perched above the other arm that crossed in front of him, and he placed a fisted hand at his mouth as Isla finished explaining the process and the spell we’d used to create the mind armor.
My friend’s delicate, pointed ears cut through her silky black hair. The tiny pink rings adorning her bronze skin caught in the light. Isla’s small hand slapped over the ring and slid it closer toBayne, her head shaking slightly as she looked to the captain of theEvectawith raised brows.
“Take it.”
I tracked the words from her lips, and my eyes cut to Bayne. Wariness hunched in his features, and he slid his gaze to mine.
“How do we know we’re not doing exactly what they want us to do?” he asked, signing the words as he spoke.
“Because Lyvia said Tynan is also trapped,” Isla explained, her temper flaring as she popped her fists on her hips. “He wants to stop Sintarrak as much as we do.”
Bayne’s brows narrowed. “Lyvia could have misunderstood. She’s always been too trusting,” he murmured.
A surge of irritation hit me despite the truth in his words.She’d been too trusting of Bayne, I wanted to say, instead clenching my fists to keep the words from forming.
