Leonard grinned. “There you are.” Blood—her blood—was on his teeth, on his mouth and chin. And those dead eyes glowed as he spat her blood onto the earth. She probably tasted like a sewer to him.
There was a shrieking in her ears, and Matilda lunged at him. Lunged, and then stopped as she took in the world with stunning clarity, smelled it and tasted it and breathed it like the finest wine. Gods, this place, this kingdom smelled divine, smelled like—
She had shifted.
She panted, even though her lungs were telling her she was no longer winded and did not need as many breaths in this body. There was a tickling at her neck—her skin slowly beginning to stitch itself together. She was a faster healer in this form. Because of the magic … Breathe. Breathe.
But there it was, rising up, wildfire crackling in her veins, in her fingertips, the forest around them so much kindling, and then—
She shoved back. Took the fear and used it like a batteri
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Leonard eased off her and said quietly, not needing to be near for her to hear while he assessed the forest beyond, “There is a swift river a third of a mile east, at the base of a large cliff.” He didn’t look at her as he extended two long daggers, and she didn’t nod her thanks as she silently discarded her makeshift weapons and gripped the ivory hilts. “When I say run, you run like hell. Step where I step, and don’t turn around for any reason. If we are separated, run straight—you’ll hear the river.” Order after order—a commander on the battlefield, solid and deadly. He peered out of the tree. The smell was nearly overpowering now, swarming from every angle. “If they catch you, you cannot kill them—not with a mortal weapon. Your best option is to fight until you can get free and run. Understand?”She gave another nod. Breathing was hard again, and the rain was now torrential.“O
Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 150
Matilda gave a foot of spidersilk to the overseer after he carefully grafted it onto Abbey ’s wings. She’d gotten extra—lots of it, in case it ever wore down—and it was now locked in the false bottom of a trunk. She told no one where she had been, or why Abbey ’s wings now shimmered in a certain light. Ashley would have murdered her for the risk, and her grandmother would have butchered Ashley for not being there. Matilda was in no mood to replace her Second and find a new member for the Thirteen.Once Abbey had healed, Matilda brought him to the mouth of the Northern Fang to try the Crossing. Before, his wings had been too weak to attempt the plunge—but with the silk reinforcements, he’d stand a far greater chance.But the risk remained, which was why Ashley and Surreal waited behind her, already on their mounts. If things went wrong, if Abbey couldn’t pull up or the silk f
Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 151
But he didn’t know what he could say, or do, to make it happen. Because Sorscha had her obligations, and he had his.If he left to be with her, if he turned on his father, or if his magic was discovered, then his brother would become heir. And the thought of Hollin as king one day … What he would do to their world, especially with their father’s power … No, Leonard could not have the luxury of choosing, because there was no option. He was bound to his crown, and would be until the day he died.There was a knock on his door, and Leonard smiled, wondering if Sorscha had come back. The grin vanished as the door opened.“We need to talk,” Chaol said from the threshold. Leonard hadn’t seen him in weeks, and yet—his friend looked older. Exhausted.“Not going to bother with flattery?” Leonard said, plopping onto the couch.“You would see through it anyway.” Chaol shut the door behind him and leaned against it.“Humor me.”“I am sorry, Dorian,” Chaol said softly. “More than you know.”“Sorry
Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 152
The next two weeks fell into a pattern—enough that Matilda started to find comfort in it. There were no unexpected stumbles or turns or pitfalls, no deaths or betrayals or nightmares made flesh. In the mornings and evenings, she played scullery maid. Late morning until dinner she spent with Rowan, slowly, painfully exploring the well of magic inside her—a well that, to her horror, had no bottom in sight.The small things—lighting candles, putting out hearth fires, weaving a ribbon of flame through her fingers—were still the hardest. But Rowan pushed, dragging her from ruin to ruin, the only safe places for her to lose control. At least he brought food with him now, as she was constantly starving and could hardly go an hour without eating something. Magic gobbled up energy, and she was eating double or triple what she used to.Sometimes they would talk. Well, she would make him talk, because after telling him about Aedion and her own selfish wish for freedom, she decided that talking
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Shielding her eyes from the glare, Matilda scanned the cliffs and the spit of beach far below. It was scorching, with hardly a breeze, but Leonard remained in his heavy pale-gray jacket and wide belt, vambraces strapped to his forearms. He’d deigned to give her a few of his weapons that morning —as a precaution.They’d returned to the latest site at dawn to retrace their steps—and that was where Matilda had picked up a trail. Well, she’d spied a droplet of dark blood on a nearby rock, and then Leonard had followed the scent back toward the cliffs. She looked down the beach, at the naturalcut arches of the many caves along its curving length. But there was nothing here—and the trail, thanks to the sea and wind and elements, had gone cold. They’d been here for the past half hour, looking for any other signs, but there was nothing. Nothing, except—There. A sagging curve in the cliff edge, as if many pairs of feet had worn the lip down as they slid carefully over the edge. Leonard
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Leonard’s animal eyes glowed as they fixed on her. “Why don’t you tell me?”“The king never said anything about this. He—he …” Had something gone wrong in Adarlan? Had Benjamin somehow told the king who and what she was, and the king sent these men here to … No, it had to have taken weeks, months, to get these creatures smuggled here. “Send word for Wendlyn’s forces—warn them right now.”“Even if I reached Varese tomorrow, it would take over a week to get here on foot. Most of the units have been deployed in the north all spring.”“We still need to warn them that they’re at risk.”“Use your head. There are endless caves and places to hide along the western coastline. And yet they pick here, this access point.”She visualized the map of the area. “The mountain road will take them past the fortress.” Her blood chilled, and even her magic, flickering in an attempt to soothe her, could not warm her as she said, “No—not past. To the fortress. They’re going after the demi-Fae.”A slow, grave
Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 155
For weeks now, Benjamin hadn’t had any contact with any of his friends— allies, whatever they had been. So, one last time, Benjamin slipped into the rhythm of his old duties. Though it was more difficult than ever to oversee the king’s luncheons, though making his reports was an effort of will, he did it. He had heard nothing from Aedion or Ren, and still hadn’t yet asked Dorian to use his magic to test out their theories about the spell. He was starting to wonder if he was done playing his part in Alin ’s growing rebellion.He’d gathered enough information, crossed enough lines. Perhaps it was time to learn what could be done from Anielle. He would be closer to Morath, and maybe he could uncover what the king was brewing down there. The king had accepted his plans to take up his mantle as heir to Anielle with hardly any objections. Soon, he was to present options for a replacement.Benjamin was currently standing guard at a state luncheon in the great hall, which Aedion and Dorian
Unexpected Rise of Leonard Storm Chapter 156
A cooling breeze kissed down Matilda ’s neck. The forest had gone silent, as if the birds and insects had been quieted by her assault on the invisible wall. The barrier had gobbled down every spark of magic she’d launched at it, and now seemed to hum with fresh power.The scent of pine and snow wrapped around her, and she turned to find Leonard standing against a nearby tree. He’d been there for some time now, giving her space to work herself into exhaustion.But she was not tired. And she was not done. There was still wildfire in her mind, writhing, endless, damning. She let it dim to embers, let the grief and horror die down, too.Leonard said, “Word just arrived from Wendlyn. Reinforcements aren’t coming.”“They didn’t come ten years ago,” she said, her throat raw though she had not spoken in hours. Cold, glittering calm was now flowing in her veins. “Why should they bother helping now?”His eyes flickered. “Alin .” When she only gazed into the darkening forest, he suddenly said,
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