Page 11 of Thorns & Fire (The Ashes of Thezmarr #2)

Wren

‘The kingdom of Delmira was once ruled by the Embervales, a family of lightning wielders who held the most prosperous lands in the midrealms, until it fell to the shadow wraiths during the reign of King Soren and Queen Brigh’

– The Midrealms Chronicles

H E HAD FLINCHED . Flinched at her magic. In all their years of knowing each other and fighting together, Torj had never done that. He had never feared her, or her power. Until now.

Was that why he’d ended things? Despite all that had come to pass between them, she had earned that fear. She could still feel the rough texture of his scars at her fingertips. She’d marked him for ever, and she supposed he had done the same to her, only her scars were on the inside.

‘Embers ... ’

The nickname sparked something painful within her. There had been a bond between them of some kind, he’d admitted as much... but what? Something to do with sharing her power during the war? Something that he wanted no part in?

With the ghost of his touch still lingering on her skin, Wren walked away from the Warsword before she fell apart. A sob lodged itself in her throat and familiar panic rose in her chest... but she would not break. Not now. Not because of him.

Forcing down the wave of grief that threatened to knock her legs from beneath her, she returned to the camp that had been set up in her absence.

She felt eyes on her instantly, and though she knew there was only concern in her friends’ stares, she resented them.

The fact that people knew she was hurting made her feel all the more vulnerable, and it made her sick to the stomach.

As she joined Thea at the fire, her sister studied her. ‘You alright?’ she asked.

Wren sighed, glancing back at the lone figure at the edge of camp. ‘Let’s just find out why he’s here.’

Thea knocked her hip against Wren’s. ‘You want him dead, say the word.’

Wren’s answering laugh was hollow. ‘I’ll keep that in mind. But I could probably do a better job.’

‘No arguments here,’ Thea quipped.

The group settled around the fire for bread and roast hare, and Wren tensed as the Bear Slayer returned. He seated himself on the ground, putting much-needed distance between them, and looked to Thea expectantly. ‘Well?’ he prompted.

‘What happened to Cahira?’ she asked without hesitation. ‘We were told it was her we were meeting.’

‘Cahira’s dead,’ Torj said bluntly.

Thea stared at him. ‘ What? ’

‘Dead,’ he repeated. ‘She was captured by the People’s Vanguard not long ago. And handed over to the enemy who’s calling himself Silas the Kingsbane. What he did to her... She didn’t recover. She’s gone.’

‘Silas the Kingsbane...?’ The name tasted bitter on Wren’s tongue. ‘That’s the bastard’s name? The same coward who attacked Drevenor?’

‘So Queen Reyna told us. A moniker fit for all the royal blood he intends to spill, apparently,’ Torj replied.

‘Let him fucking try,’ Thea muttered, shaking her head. ‘Poor Cahira. She was one of the first to pass the Great Rite after the war...’

‘She was a fucking Warsword ...’ Kipp said slowly. ‘When was the last time a Warsword was slain ? How did this happen? What did they do to her?’

‘Dark alchemy,’ Wren ventured, more desperate now than ever to set foot back on Delmirian soil. ‘That’s what they used in the attack at Drevenor.’

‘Yes.’ Torj pushed his food around. ‘And now there’s another Warsword missing.’

Thea looked to Wren, disbelief clear in her eyes. ‘So this is it... Silas the fucking Kingsbane and the People’s Vanguard really have the power to wipe Warswords from the midrealms?’

‘We already suspected that,’ Wren reminded her gently, not looking at Torj. ‘The world is changing.’

Thea was tracing the scars on the backs of her hands. ‘There was a time where only three Warswords roamed the world... We can’t go back to that.’

‘We won’t,’ Torj interjected. ‘Even with Cahira gone, there are far more Warswords than we had back then.’

‘You’re forgetting that Vernich is retired , out in the middle of nowhere – fishing, of all things,’ Thea countered. ‘And with another missing, our numbers are sliding.’

‘There’s more,’ the Bear Slayer said quietly, reaching for his pocket. He retrieved two items and tossed them onto the ground between them, the fire illuminating the strange pieces of curved bone.

Wren’s chest constricted, and the acrid burning scent surrounded her suddenly. ‘Tell me those aren’t what I think they are.’

A horn and talon of a monster. The very kind that had threatened to consume the midrealms with shadow.

‘I wish I could,’ Torj replied. ‘I retrieved them from Silas’s stronghold. From a crate full of them.’

Wren was going to be sick. She was going to hurl all over her boots—

Boots. Hammer. Saddle. Flask. Buttons. She focused on each object until her vision stopped blurring.

‘So that’s how they’re doing it,’ she said eventually. ‘They’re extracting whatever magic lingers in these remains and infusing it with their own alchemy, corrupting it even further...’

A shocked noise escaped Thea. ‘They’re insane. Don’t they remember what it was like? Don’t they remember that we nearly lost ?’

‘That’s why we’re here.’ Wren reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘It’s why getting to Delmira and finding that plant is so important. So we can stop them.’

Torj grimaced. ‘Thea, the guild has asked you to escort Queen Reyna to Aveum. She’s refusing to return to Drevenor and Audra seems to think you might be able to persuade her otherwise.’

Thea flung an arm in Wren’s direction. ‘But Wren—’

‘Will be safe with me, until Audra can find an alternative replacement as she promised,’ Torj replied. Wren tried to suppress a snort from across the fire and failed. He ignored her, pressing on. ‘And you should know – Wilder’s been injured.’

‘ What? Why didn’t you lead with that ?’ Thea snapped, eyes wide as she leapt to her feet.

‘Because he’s fine.’

Thea looked ready to strangle the Bear Slayer. ‘Tell me. How bad?’

‘He’ll be fine , Thea. Just keep an eye on him when you get there. You know how stubborn he gets.’

‘What happened?’ Her eyes were bright with worry.

‘We’ve been in several ambushes over the past few days. Stupid bastard failed to mention that he was hurt until I saw the blood dripping onto the floorboards.’

‘Ambushes?’ Wren blurted the word before she could stop herself, her stomach suddenly roiling with concern. She had noted the cuts and bruises on the Bear Slayer the moment he’d arrived, but it was another thing to know he’d been in true danger.

Torj simply nodded before continuing to reassure Thea. ‘I’ll let him explain the rest. He told me to tell you not to worry. I told him you would anyway.’

‘Imagine the state he’d be in if our positions were reversed. I’ll worry as much as I damn well please.’ Thea turned to Wren, her face lined with anguish. ‘I didn’t want to leave you just yet—’

Wren forced a smile and waved her off. ‘Go. You belong at his side.’

‘I really did want to see it with you this time,’ Thea said quietly, her gaze drifting north, to where their homeland lay beyond the borders.

‘One day,’ Wren told her gently. ‘Now go. There’s a Warsword who needs fussing over.’

Thea nodded and got to her feet. ‘I’ll leave now.’

Wren walked her sister over to her stallion and hugged her. ‘Be careful.’

‘Careful’s my middle name,’ Thea grinned as she broke away from the embrace.

Wren huffed a laugh. Noting the Bear Slayer lingering in the shadows, clearly wanting a final word with his fellow warrior, she bid her sister farewell.

Without looking at Torj, Wren passed him, but as soon as he reached Thea, she slowed her steps and ducked into the nearby underbrush.

She knew she shouldn’t eavesdrop, that it was a childish solution, but if Torj wouldn’t talk to her, he’d left her no choice.

She spared little guilt for Thea, knowing her sister would have done exactly the same in her shoes.

Wren watched as Thea checked over her tack, speaking to the Bear Slayer in a low voice, her words drifting through the night. ‘After this expedition, Audra will keep her word to replace you,’ she warned. ‘The Guild Master is many things, but her word is her bond.’

‘I know,’ Torj replied hoarsely.

‘So don’t fuck it up.’

‘Thea, I can’t—’

‘You need to fix this, Elderbrock. And you’ll have no chance of doing that if you’re not by her side.

Don’t leave her again. Don’t fuck it up ,’ she repeated firmly, before setting her gaze in the opposite direction.

‘As for being on the road? Keep a watchful eye. We were followed from Settler’s Port.

There are bounties on all of our heads, and plenty of hungry villagers keen to claim them. ’

‘You dealt with them? Whoever followed?’ he asked.

Thea mounted her horse. ‘Wren did.’

‘Of course she did.’ His words were warm and rich with pride, and from her hiding spot, Wren felt them wash over her in a wave. It contradicted the way he’d flinched at her magic... It made no sense.

‘You need to tell her,’ Thea said gently.

Wren stiffened, her heart suddenly hammering.

But a smile tugged at her lips. Thea clearly knew she was there in the shadows and was trying to get Torj to explain himself.

If Wren hadn’t been so desperate for answers, she would have laughed.

It was typical of her sister. Gnawing at the inside of her cheek, she peered through the underbrush, studying the warrior, waiting.

‘There’s nothing to tell,’ Torj said at last.

Wren’s stomach bottomed out. The Bear Slayer was lying. He was lying to all of them. Why? What was so bad that he couldn’t bear to tell them? To tell her ?

‘You know where you’re going?’ he asked Thea, changing tack.

Thea scoffed. ‘I always know where I’m going, Bear Slayer.’

Torj gave a hollow laugh. ‘Then stay safe.’

‘And you, Bear Slayer. Keep her safe.’

Torj started back towards the camp and Wren scrambled to hide her presence, but not before she heard his parting words to her sister...

‘I’d die before I let anything happen to her.’