Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 120029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Impossible promises are easy, but when Tristan reaches for me, golden eyes on fire, I find myself believing him regardless.
I am such a loser.
“Fine. We should go,” I say and pick up Lady, who yelps unhappily.
The gorgeous moonlit pond no longer seems so magical. Even the kelpie isn’t as fascinating now that dark clouds have gathered over my heart.
Am I really this gullible? I’ve always had this problem. I try to avoid lying, so I assume others are just as sincere. After everything guys put me through, deep down I still believe in love. I want to trust Tristan.
But it’s difficult to stay cheerful and excited when I know he’s going to desert me with a man who would rather see me die than be stuck with me.
Tristan knows better than to attempt conversation while I brood, so we travel in silence, over moors and through woodlands that are breathtakingly wild and beautiful yet don’t manage to lift the gloom that settled over me the moment I found out the truth.
Lady is my only solace, so I stroke her, and give her bits of leftovers from breakfast, and even some jerky Tristan purchased for the road. For me, he got a bunch of baked potatoes, but I lack the appetite even when my stomach starts growling.
Guilt is radiating off Tristan like a dense fog, but I don’t feel compelled to pretend he didn’t hurt my feelings. I might be naive in my beliefs about love, but I still have my dignity.
The hilly landscape transforms as we near the ocean, and while we remain on the road, once in a while passing other travellers, I spot all manner of animals. Some are remarkably familiar, like the hares differentiated from the ones in my world by the greenish hue of their fur, others mesmerize me with their fantastical nature.
During another short break, a black bird, iridescent like an oil slick, catches my attention. Its beak is as long as my arm and threatening spikes jut out of it, but as it perches above us, its large purple eyes seem more curious than menacing.
As soon as Tristan notices my interest, he explains to me that the bird is a type of seagull. It bonds with another for life and they hunt by diving into the water and impaling fish on the spikes, then letting their partner eat off the beak and feed them in turn. Gruesome, but also maybe kind of romantic?
When he starts telling me more about sea creatures, the atmosphere between us finally relaxes a bit, even if it’s far from yesterday's love high.
As I ease into having a conversation with him, endless questions fill the air. How far is the Nocturne Court? Will he write to me? What are some good and easy vegan snacks in this world?
I hope Gloombane will be as easy-going about my dietary choices as Tristan.
I know we’re getting ever closer to the ocean when the breeze becomes salty, but I’m still not ready when the trees part to reveal waves shimmering like silver cloth. As we make our descent toward the shore, Tristan points out a vertical shape emerging from the waters far away, perhaps a mile from the shore.
“That’s Gloombane’s tower, or rather the Nightcloak captain’s tower, and he happens to currently hold the office.”
It’s not even built on an island, just a single building jutting out of the dark waves. It will be a very long three weeks, but I imagine a place like that comes with a library.
I lean back into Tristan, seeking the comfort of his warmth, even though he lied, and might even not be sincere about his intentions. He’s the one constant I still have, and if he stopped the kelpie now and rolled me into the grass, I wouldn’t have protested.
But then we both spot a lone figure at the small pier below, and my body goes rigid. “Please, ask to stay,” I rasp and slide my fingers under his sleeve to sense his skin for a while longer.
“I will,” he whispers and kisses the back of my head.
It’s as much reassurance as I can get now.
The boat doesn’t inspire confidence either. It looms behind my promised like an omen built of charred bones, its sails flapping in the wind so loudly it’s intimidating.
Gloombane fits the scene in his dark cloak, but when a gust blows back his hood, he smiles at us, his bright hair floating around his face.
“Finally!” he yells as we approach, and sounds… cheerful?
As soon as we’re close enough, he comes over and extends his hand to help me down from the kelpie, away from the safety of Tristan’s arms. He is just as handsome as my knight, with noble, elfin features and mesmerizing eyes.
“We’re sorry we took so long,” I say and unzip the duffel bag, because I can’t possibly hide Lady’s presence from him. “We needed to take stops because of her.”