Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 140462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 702(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 468(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 702(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 468(@300wpm)
I feel like a polished diamond. Sharp, clear, and impossible to shatter. But can I avoid breaking if the man I chose to sacrifice everything for is no longer with me?
I remain dead quiet as the creature approaches, terrifying in its radiant beauty, but when it meets my gaze and sits with a soft whine, my heart leaps, because there is no doubt that he recognizes me.
The part of me that cares about proving my worth to everyone at the Nocturne Court, screams with fury, because I told him to never use the mask. But my heart is stronger, and I stroke the beast’s smooth forehead as I try to ignore the throbbing pain in my shoulder.
It opens its jaws, and several clusters of marroweed fall into my lap.
“Thank you.” I sigh and gather the flowers into my bag. I then force myself to slide off the branch and onto the muddy ground. I’m so torn between mourning the loss of the excellent bargaining chip and being elated by the presence of this mythical beast. I don’t know what it means for Hawk and me yet, but I pet Sunwolf’s fur. It’s soft as down. Hawk’s bony muzzle pokes at my hip, and I give in to the weakness in my body, putting my arms around the wolf’s neck. It’s purring, and now that I recognize that it’s a sign of contentment, fear, and tension leave my heart, allowing me to feel every consequence of the standoff.
My muscles ache. My shoulder’s broken. My head is spinning as if the bassal trampled me after all.
“We need to leave this area,” I say, exhausted to my core. “It’s not safe here. See those stars?” I point out the twinkling red constellation called the Blood Serpent. “Let’s go in that direction. With you like this, we should be able to cross without relying on Fenren’s winding paths.”
Hawk’s eyes might be dark and matte like polished stone, but I know he’s looking straight at me when he gives the faintest bark and then jerks his head, causing my hand to touch his back. I have no idea what he means until his elongated form lowers, and his stomach touches the ground.
“Are you sure?” I ask, but I am so exhausted nothing sounds more inviting than a bed of fur warm as the sunshine I used to despise.
I decide to take Hawk’s little whines as an invitation to climb him. It’s not the easiest of tasks for a man with a bad shoulder, but he doesn’t complain when I have to pull on his fur to do so. I straddle his nape and lay forward with my cheek buried in his warmth.
“Follow the red stars,” I mutter, suddenly exhausted, as if I’ve inhaled the spores of a Cerulean Puffball. After days of travel, his fur and closeness are like a cocoon of safety, and for once I don’t have to be alert and in charge, because the Sunwolf can keep me safe.
Hawk can keep me safe.
It doesn’t feel like riding a horse. The beast under me is hotter to the touch, even with the thick padding of fur, but also broader, taller, and softer. As I relax, sinking my face into the thick hair, a voice deep inside tells me to let go. To close my eyes and let the tide wash over me.
Is this how souls feel just before they disintegrate in the river that takes them away from their world? There’s no fear, only the deepest contentment.
Back in the realm of humans, I detested the sun, but as Hawk moves, carrying me away from the scene of the fight that almost ended with our deaths, I can’t resist the comfort of the warmth he’s radiating, not after the nights we’ve spent in the swamps. He even smells like sun-parched rock, but for once the crispness of that scent is pure comfort.
I must have fallen asleep in my spot between his shoulder blades, so I’m not sure how much time passed, but the pain in my arm catches up with me eventually.
I moan despite clenching my teeth to avoid alarming Hawk. Fortunately, I’ve got the marroweed, so maybe my suffering won’t be endless. I rise to my knees and look around.
We’re not in the swamps anymore. I can tell even before spotting bright blue flowers between the trees and bushes thanks to the fresh scent of ferns. For a moment, I’m confused, because the moon must have set by now, but I realize it’s Hawk’s bright fur that brightens the night.
Sensing that I woke up, he makes a little bark, and I stroke his back to let him know I’m fine.
I feel that I recognize this forest, but most importantly, it’s time to deal with my injured shoulder and work out what’s happening to Hawk. Once he stops walking, I slide off his side, biting my lip to stifle a groan of pain when my shoulder presses too hard on his flank.