All Chapters of Dark Wolf King (Wolves Of The Night Book 3): Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

“The eagles have enjoyed our peace for centuries,” Lonzo said. “I am in no hurry to send my soldiers to defend the wolves, if it will bring the Fae to my borders. Why should I help you at all? Why not allow the scuffle to play out as it will? The eagles are not involved. This is not my fight, Wolf Queen.”“I’m not asking you to send soldiers,” I said. I bit back the eagerness that threatened to climb into my voice. This was my in — here is how I could convince him. “I am not asking you to put any eagles on the battlefield, should it come to that.”Lonzo leaned back in his chair. “Then what are you asking for, Reyna?”I unlatched my sheathed sword from my hip and placed it on the table. I slid it, hilt-first, across the wood surface to Lonzo. He peered at it curiously.“Our weaponry did nothing against the Fae at the border,” I said. “Except for this sword, and one like it. There’s something about the moonstone in the hilt. Something different.”Lonzo picked the sword up and looked clo

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

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

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

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