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Dark Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 3) 42
The valley was surrounded by mountains on all sides, making it feel secretive, tucked away from the rest of the world. Gazing down at the trees below, I understood why Lonzo was so reluctant to invite the outside world in. This part of Cruora was an oasis.The sound of steel crashing into steel caught my attention. I hurried along the ledge, to the staircase Parlan had told me would be there. Carefully I made my way down the narrow steps, onto the ledge below.“Hah!” Adora shouted, as her blade sliced through the air and narrowly missed Kodan’s arm.The training area was a large, round arena carved into the side of the mountain, with seats chiseled in stadium-style all around us. A few eagles lingered in the seats, watching the sparring match with curiosity.Adora shouted twice more and swung the blade in time with it. Her steps backed Kodan up as she forced Kodan to parry the two blows, but the Nightfall general was grinning as she did so.In the arena, Adora hardly looked like the w
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The valley was surrounded by mountains on all sides, making it feel secretive, tucked away from the rest of the world. Gazing down at the trees below, I understood why Lonzo was so reluctant to invite the outside world in. This part of Cruora was an oasis.The sound of steel crashing into steel caught my attention. I hurried along the ledge, to the staircase Parlan had told me would be there. Carefully I made my way down the narrow steps, onto the ledge below.“Hah!” Adora shouted, as her blade sliced through the air and narrowly missed Kodan’s arm.The training area was a large, round arena carved into the side of the mountain, with seats chiseled in stadium-style all around us. A few eagles lingered in the seats, watching the sparring match with curiosity.Adora shouted twice more and swung the blade in time with it. Her steps backed Kodan up as she forced Kodan to parry the two blows, but the Nightfall general was grinning as she did so.In the arena, Adora hardly looked like the w
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“Don’t say that,” Adora said with a sharp exhale. “We’ll figure something out even if that is the case.”Kodan didn’t look convinced, but she said nothing.Aerika set her mug down. “This might help.” She reached into her hair and withdrew the clip keeping it off her face. Her hair fell like a white curtain around her striking face, and she placed the clip in the center of the table.It was a small silver comb, no longer than the width of my palm, and the spine was inlaid with moonstone.“What is it?” I asked.“My mother gave this to me,” she said. “She said to always keep it close. She said if the Fae ever…if they ever came for me, then this would protect me from them.”“What does it do?” Fina asked.“I don’t know,” Aerika admitted with a small, sad smile. “But it comes directly from the Fae. If the alchemist needs to figure out what exactly the enchantment on the weapons does, maybe this will help.”I nodded. “It might. Especially if the enchantment on our swords is old wolf magic.”
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It was impressive. It was stunning. It was the kind of thing I’d only dreamed of as a girl in Daybreak. I’d always imagined myself traveling, visiting places like this, soaking in the culture and the music, savoring the incredible sights.And I did enjoy it—but this wasn’t just travel. Every moment in Cruora was another moment Corinne had to gather her strength, and her troops.“Your Highness,” I asked quietly, leaning closer to Lonzo. We were seated at the two largest wooden seats on the dais. After the dancers finished, he watched, with pleased detachment, as the ballroom filled again. “When can I expect to meet this alchemist you have called?”Lonzo sighed. He poured us both a bit more of the crisp white wine which I’d learned was a specialty of the nation. “You’re quite eager, aren’t you?”“You might say so,” I said. “As much as I cherish the hospitality, you must understand--”“Queen Reyna, I do understand,” he said with a huff. “Lynx is an old man, and he lives deep in the mount
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We reached the gurgling river bisecting the valley. It was wide but calm, the crystal-clear mountain water sliding over the few boulders emerging from the riverbed. Next to the water, a large tree hung its branches over the water. Built into the branches was a large, plain platform, with no walls, but a roof was built in the branches above it. Vines hung throughout the tree, wrapped in sparkling lights, twinkling even in the midday sun.“What is this place?” I asked.“Healer’s shop,” Parlan said. He gestured at the tree trunk. Planks were nailed into the trunk, creating a ladder that led up to the shop.Kodan nodded. She stood by the trunk, arms crossed over her chest like a sentinel. At least with how open the platform was, she’d hear if there was any ruckus.“Thank you, Parlan.” I gripped a plank on the trunk and began to climb.I pulled myself up onto the platform and was met with silence.“Hello?” I stepped gingerly onto the creaking wood, half-expecting it to collapse beneath me.
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Lynx shushed me. I bit back a grin. He was so entranced in the sword that he forgot to treat me like royalty — and honestly, it was refreshing. He reached into the pile of strange instruments without looking and withdrew one. It was a magnifier, similar to the one I’d seen King Lonzo use, but this one was smaller, and more telescopic. Lynx held it to his eye and peered at the moonstone, muttering to himself.I said nothing as he examined it. Not even as he stood up, still muttering, and took the sword to another table, and then another, peering and tapping at the moonstone with various instruments as he did so.Finally, he returned to the table. “It’s not simply an enchantment,” he said. “This is not regular moonstone.”“What do you mean?” I asked.“It’s a blend. Look, I’ll show you.” He picked up the jar of odd, oozy liquid and placed it on the table next to the sword. With a deft hand he unscrewed it, retrieved a small dropper, and then withdrew a small amount of the liquid from the
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“I must,” I admitted. “If I want to bring down the Fae Queen, I have to.”Lynx nodded. “Leave the sword and the comb with me. As soon as the moonstone arrives, I’ll see what I can do.”16I had nothing to do but wait.Lynx had promised Falcon would be fast, but still the waiting was like an itch I couldn’t dispel. I attended Lonzo’s extravagant dinners and listened as he walked me through the details of his coastal mapmaking and the fisher-eagles’ routines. I sharpened the remaining swords we had at the Fortress blacksmith. I had the servants do our laundry and repair the nicks in our tents. I did everything I could think of to pass the time, and still, time seemed to crawl.On the second day with no word, Fina invited me to go into town again with her.“What for?” I asked as I laced up my boots. I’d agreed without question, simply grateful for something to do besides twiddle my thumbs.“Honestly?” Fina asked with a small smile, “I’m just killing time. Usually, Adora would be begging
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Had a portal opened in Cruora? Had the Fae arrived, swords raised, ready to slaughter the townspeople? Or were there dragons, turned mindless like the Fae soldiers had been, ready to burn the forest to the ground with their fiery breath?“Relax,” Fina said. “It’s a training facility.”I exhaled and slumped back. The adrenaline drained out of me just as rapidly as it had arrived. I hadn’t realized how on edge I had been — the waiting around was killing me. I tightened my grip on my mug of coffee, savoring the warmth, though I found I wasn’t interested in drinking it anymore. My heart was beating fast enough already.“Come on,” Fina said. “Let’s go check it out. It’ll make you feel better.”“How do you know about all of this?” I asked. We deposited our mugs and climbed back down the ladder.“Because I had the same reaction when I heard it,” Fina said. She hopped off the ladder and her feet hit the earth softly. “Had to go find out what was happening to make myself feel better. They real
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Dark Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 3) 76
“It sounds like a good plan to me,” Elias murmured. “These are the kinds of innovations we should be encouraging, don’t you agree?”I nodded. In the months since the war, reconstruction had started across Frasia. We’d rebuilt the manor, as well as the walls of the city. The buildings damaged in the fighting had been repaired as best we could. Then after that, Elias and I arranged for convoys to travel to each of the packs, providing resources and answers to all of those who had been affected by the fighting.Everything was going well. But to my embarrassment, I often found myself a little…bored.Fina caught my eye from where she stood in front of the dais. She raised one eyebrow, and I straightened up to better give the young wolf my full attention.Since the end of the war, Fina had been working as my head spy, occasionally running missions to other packs and nations with Kodan. She’d come into her own as a spy of Nightfall, and when I saw her training with Adora in the barracks, she
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He shook his head. “I knew it had healing properties,” he said. “Or…I hoped it did. I bought it off a Fae jeweler outside of Starcrest, before relations with Faerie worsened. I thought it was beautiful, and I wanted something she couldn’t get in Frasia proper.” He chuckled to himself. “I wanted to impress her. The jeweler told me it had healing properties — that it had strong, old Fae magic. I never had a chance to give it to her. But I did have it looked at again, when I was older, to learn more about the magic. But there wasn’t much the scholars of Starcrest could tell me. I knew it had healing powers, and I knew it was strong. But I didn’t know…”“That it would affect me like that,” I said.“That you would be able to wield it,” he said. “You surprise me at every turn. Just like your mother did.”“I wish I could’ve met her,” I said softly.“I do, too.” He folded his hand over mine on the table. “When you and Elias visit Starcrest next, I’ll show you where she’s buried. It’s a beauti
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In the afterglow, I leaned against the headboard of our bed with the blankets pulled up to my hips. Amity and Rue had delivered a small meal a few hours ago, and Elias carried the tray from the table to the bed. We shared a few bites of fruit and soft bread with butter, and Elias poured us each a small glass of fragrant red wine.It felt indulgent, luxurious — like we were the leaders of a wealthy and peaceful nation. It was a glimpse of what life could be like once Frasia has recovered.Elias popped a grape into his mouth, then settled on the bed next to me, careful not to jostle the tray at the foot of the bed. He smoothed his hand over my thigh and squeezed. “So you still have your magic,” he murmured.I laughed and squirmed a little closer to him, despite the nervousness curling in my chest at the mention of it. “I guess so,” I said. “I thought it’d go away eventually, but…”“It hasn’t changed?” he asked.I shook my head. “It feels like it’s settling.” I rubbed my hand over my ste
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Elias smirked and lifted an eyebrow. “What’s that look mean?”“Come here,” I demanded. “Kiss me.”“Love it when you’re so nice and polite like that,” Elias teased.He climbed onto the bed and crawled over me, letting the towel slide from his hips. He knocked my fingers away from the string on my dressing gown and unfastened it himself, then slid the soft fabric open. He caught my lips in a sweet kiss as he flattened his hand on my belly and smoothed over my skin. I hummed into Elias’ lips as I slid my hands over the strong planes of his back, and down to his pert ass. I squeezed.He chuckled into the kiss, then dropped his weight atop me hard enough to make me huff out in a surprised “Oof!” That only made him laugh again as he kissed my cheek, my jaw, my neck.I hummed in pleasure and wrapped my arms around him tightly, keeping his body pressed close to mine. I loved being this close, loved the feeling of all that warm muscle pinning me down, keeping me safe. We kissed for a few long,
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“You did well,” Elias said, low. “Efra still stands.”“At what cost, though?” I asked. “We lost so many.”“We did,” he said. “But not everyone. And Corinne is defeated. Decisively.”“It shouldn’t have happened at all,” I whispered. Guilt chewed at me like a hungry dog. “These soldiers should be alive.”“Reyna.” Elias put his hands on my shoulders and turned me to face him. “You can’t think like that.”“Like what?” I asked.His golden gaze burned into mine. “You can’t undo what’s been done. Our subjects need us now more than ever.”I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “How can they trust us after so many have died?” I asked quietly. “What will we say when the citizens return from the forests?”“We say the war is over,” Elias said fiercely. “That the Fae Queen is defeated, and Frasia remains free. And we stand strong for our pack.”I closed my eyes briefly. He was right. After so much death and turmoil, the wolves of Nightfall needed to be able to rely on us.“Your pain only shows
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Around us, more Fae rushed in, launching snarling attacks on Elias, Ealric, and Kodan. I trusted them to hold their own and hold the soldiers back from me as I focused my attacks on Corinne.I grinned at her. “That all you got, Queen?”She shrieked again, then swung her sword back and brought it down with the force of a warhammer.The world seemed to slow down. Each breath burned in my throat. The sun glinted off Corinne’s white hair, and off her bloodstained blade, as she turned on her heel to follow my movements. I parried her sword, the sound of steel clashing against steel drowned out by the crackle of our competing magics. I roared and bared my own teeth. Then, driving my foot hard into her shin, I sent her stumbling backward. I launched forward, slashing my sword at her throat, but she dodged, knocked me backward with a punch, and then swung her sword in another high arc.Corinne was fast, faster than anyone I’d ever fought, yet the moonstone quickened my heart and my feet as we
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But I couldn’t hear the battle around us anymore. All I could hear was the pounding of my own heart.Elias pressed his hand to my chest.I took a deep, gasping breath, like I had just broken through the surface of the sea, as cool power rolled through me. My hands flew to Elias’ arms and clung desperately, as the moonstone power coursed through my veins. It eliminated the burning inside me and even stitched up the terrible gashes in my thighs. My vision cleared, and the fog lifted from my mind.“Reyna?” Elias smoothed the hair from my forehead. His brow was still deeply furrowed in concern.“Hi,” I whispered.“Gods above,” Elias choked out. He leaned down and kissed me fiercely. “I thought I lost you.”The moonstone ring was obviously enchanted differently than the swords were — it had healing properties in it. Thank God Ealric had been here to tell Elias what to do. My whole body ached with exhaustion, but the pain had dissipated. I returned Elias’ kiss, then he helped me sit up.“We
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I had to rely on my skills. I met his sword with mine. Clang. Clang. His eyes burned with rage as he pushed me backward. He grinned that sharp-toothed smile, like he wanted to devour me himself. He pushed his blade against me, forcing me back step by step, then suddenly he lunged down and dragged his claws — claws?! — over the meat of my thigh. His fingers, like his teeth, were sharp and threatening, like that of a beast, and with ease he opened four gashes in my muscle. Pain seared through me, and I gasped as my knees quivered. I lost my balance and fell backward. But I still had my sword.“Silly wolf,” Eodwin sneered. “Thinking you’re a warrior. You’re nothing but a lost little girl out here on the battlefield.”“I am more than a wolf,” I said through gritted teeth. I pushed through the pain and clambered back up to my feet. My sword weighed heavily in my hand, but I narrowed my eyes and lifted it up. “I am a Queen.”Eodwin laughed. The made the hair on my nape stand on end. I gripp
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Orange light glowed deep in the darkness. The roars grew louder, closer, and then with a rush of beating wings, dragons poured out the portal, surrounded by rushing flame. There were at least two dozen of them, maybe more. Flames poured from their mouths onto the balds, setting the scrubby grass alight and scorching it to nothing. They flew with soulless determination, over the balds, and directly to the city.My horse whinnied and jerked backward, barely avoiding a burst of flame as the dragons soared overhead. The one who had expelled the flame barely noticed my reaction. It simply snapped its jaws shut and kept flying.“They’re under Fae control!” I called. “Bozhin, to the dragons!”Bozhin shifted into his immense war gryphon form. He cried out, and the few eagles at his side shifted into their forms as well. They took to the skies, streaking after the dragons. Bozhin led them higher, so they were above the beasts, and then led them in a rapid dive-bomb. Bozhin went talon first. He
