Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 136009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
“Wynter, wait here,” Fordham said in a voice that brooked no argument. Then he grasped Kerrigan’s hand and dragged her into an empty room.
“What?” Kerrigan gasped.
But as soon as the word left her mouth, Fordham shoved her back against the closed door and towered over her, one arm above her head, caging her in. Her mouth went dry at the sight of him and all his deadly power. Her broody princeling turned king, all sinister energy and unbridled fury.
“Are you completely out of your mind?” Fordham demanded.
“Fully in use of my faculties,” she assured him.
“You used my shadows,” he snarled. “You were going to use them to jump. I could feel it, Kerrigan.”
“That was the plan, yes.”
“Do you understand how dangerous that was? How fucking terrified I was for you when that hit me?”
“Ford…”
“No,” he growled. “Listen. I spent decades training my shadows, Kerrigan. We’re stronger together. It won’t take you that long to figure it out. I can show you how instead of you fumbling through it like I was forced to do by my father, as Wynter was forced to do. But you will not jump into them unaided.”
She dropped her bravado at the serious look on his face. “Okay. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You think of nothing but what is right in front of you.”
She pushed against him. “I was in the middle of a fight,” she snapped. “I did what I had to do.”
“You have enough of your own power. Use that. That jump could have killed you. You could have simply ceased to exist without proper training. I wasn’t there to keep you safe.”
She put her hand to his cheek. “I can keep myself safe.”
“I’m serious, Kerrigan. At least let me train you so it doesn’t send me into a blind panic in the middle of a meeting with Barron Laurent, who has made it clear he wants to see me dead.”
Her anger deflated, and she let her hand drop. “You were in a meeting with Barron?”
“He was there, yes. And he called my ability to lead into question. I could barely contain how much I wanted to kill him so I could get to the door to you.”
“I’m sorry,” she said as she melted against him.
“The only benefit was that I snapped at Prescott, who tried to stop me too. I didn’t want to do it, but hopefully it is the start to getting him in with Barron.”
“I hate Barron.”
His arms came around her back. “I feel the same. But mostly I wanted to be out there to keep you safe. Thank the gods that Wynter was there and could see what you were about to do.”
Kerrigan nodded. “So when will we train? We don’t exactly have spare time around here.”
“We’ll figure it out,” he said as if her acquiescence appeased him. “Now, this interrogation. Shall we begin?”
“You’re speaking my language.”
He matched her grin and opened the door.
Wynter made a face at their appearance. “Are you done already? That was quick.” Her expression was deadpan when she looked at Kerrigan. “I apologize for my brother.”
Delle snorted and turned her face down to cover it.
Fordham narrowed his eyes. “I take offense at this.”
“Don’t worry,” Kerrigan said with a wink. “I have no qualms with his stamina.”
“Please stop talking as if I’m not here.”
Kerrigan nudged Wynter. “How are you finding Dozan’s stamina?”
Wynter’s face went blank. “You would know, wouldn’t you?”
Fordham bared his teeth at his sister at the insinuation.
“That was a long time ago,” Kerrigan said. “He’s not one to wait though, so…”
“Another point of conversation,” Wynter said blandly.
“Interrogation instead?” Kerrigan asked.
“Anything but this topic,” Fordham said to the ceiling.
He nodded at Delle, who promptly yanked the door open with a pointed “Your Majesty.”
“Not a word,” he said as he stepped into the darkened room.
Kerrigan tossed a ball of light into the room to illuminate the dark space. She was surprised that Gerrond hadn’t done so until she saw the magic-dampening manacles around his wrists. She winced at the sight. She’d had her magic completely taken away from her, and she would always hate anything that could do it again.
Wynter slid into the seat across from him, a knife in her hand, a twisted smile on her face. “So, Gerrond, is it?”
He eyed her knife skeptically. “This is all a huge mistake.”
“So your dragon said,” Kerrigan said.
Fordham leaned against an opposing wall and watched with catlike eyes and grace. “Tell us what you were doing here.”
“Looking for her,” Gerrond said, gesturing with both hands toward Kerrigan.
Kerrigan frowned. “Me? I thought you said it was a misunderstanding.”
“It was,” he insisted. “The Society sent out a call to arms to locate you, and I answered it.”
“I’m not seeing what you think is a misunderstanding in that,” Fordham said.
Wynter flipped her knife, catching it and throwing it skyward again. She let it embed itself in the wooden table. “If you’re a Society goon, then I will have no qualms slowly peeling your skin off with this knife.”