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)
Sylvan shifts and grips my fur harder. I kinda love that I get to feel his ass and thighs all the time when he rides me. It’s kind of pervy, so I won’t comment, but it is what it is. Soon enough though, we’re on the other side, and my prince speaks again.
“I’ve been thinking about something.” He strokes me again, and I wag my tail so hard it smacks a bush and several birds fly out of it with a screech. Sylvan just laughs. “Watch it! They might have eggs in there.”
I howl in apology, but I don’t think the birds take it the way I mean it. They're small, pale blue and, as Sylvan told me, people call them mourners, because they come in several pastel shades, which in this reality isn’t a color scheme every little girl wants in her bedroom, but shades people wear to funerals.
Sylvan has shown me so many interesting things since we started this journey. Somehow, he knows the names of all the flowers, herbs, and little critters we encounter, but also stories related to each and every one. I appreciate having him as my guide through the Nightmare Realm.
[Tell me,] I demand as we leave the bridge behind.
“I realized I was so focused on my goals and how you fit into them, that I forgot to ask what you want, my love. We are at a metaphorical crossroads. My past hopes and dreams might be in ruins, but we get a fresh start, and I don’t want to make plans based on my own vision. I want a life to satisfy both of us.”
I twist my head as we follow a stone-paved road with numerous weeds growing between the cobbles. As dramatic as the views of the coast are, it’s a relief to step out of the cold wind and be once again surrounded by thick trees covered with vines shimmering like glitter.
I’m touched that he wants my input, that my needs are so important to him. He is the sweetest creature I’ve ever met.
[I... want us to be safe and comfortable. Where would be a good place for us to settle?]
Sylvan chuckles and points to a tall, partially crumbling tower above the tree crowns, not that far away from us. “I don’t think we can count on safe and comfortable tonight. See those ruins? Three centuries ago, a pack of werewolves used to live there, and my ancestor led the fight to get rid of them. You’d think that’s a good thing, since they were a nuisance to the elves in the area. But it turns out, they kept worse monsters at bay. The bassal kind. In their absence, the forest has become even more dangerous, and this castle has not been inhabited since. We will be safe once we reach a city.”
It’s like he’s waving a treat in front of me, and I turn because I just have to see those ruins. I speed up, mindful not to throw off my rider, but the closer we are to the tower, the faster my heart is beating. Soon enough, we dash along a crumbling wall and reach a gate that hasn’t been closed for decades. Only one of its wings is still present, partially buried in the damp ground and rusting, but what counts is that nothing’s stopping us from entering. I carry Sylvan down the rocky path leading to a garden overgrown with thorny bushes.
The place is like something out of a gothic fairytale, but I already have my prince.
“What is it?” Sylvan asks as I smell one of the many blood-red flowers dangling from a wide tree.
[I’m just curious. I wanted to come and see this place. Your whole world is so new to me, and everything is exciting. And werewolves? Makes me think. Am I a werewolf? Should we look for them? Would they accept me?]
Sylvan chuckles. “You are not a werewolf, Hawk. If you wish, we could track down a pack of werewolves, but I do not think it wise. It’s best no one knows about the return of the Sunwolf. We are hunted because of my crimes, but while the Lord of the Nocturne Court can ignore my existence, he cannot afford to do the same if he finds out about you.”
The garden is denser close to the tower, as if the forest around us has managed to leave its mark on every single structure. When the stone walls of the castle finally emerge from beyond the trees—two floors with rows of empty windows and foliage crawling up every surface, I’m struck by the wild beauty of this place.
It’s like finding the ruins of some lost civilization.
[If werewolves exist, does your world also have vampires?] I ask, remembering the themed room at The Burning Corpse. [Are they natural enemies?]