Chapters (46)
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- Thirty-six
- Thirty-seven
- Thirty-eight
- Thirty-nine
- Forty
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
Flick shot Tristam a look of pure loathing as he was led away. One by one, the crowd wandered off. Tristam gingerly probed the side of his face with his fingers. If he’d won that fight, why did he feel so disgusted with himself?
“That was some restraint you showed there. I might’ve clocked him myself.”
Tristam looked up to see Martin. “You were part of that crowd?”
“The shouting was hard to miss.”
Tristam shook his head, only to stop when it made his headache worse. “He didn’t say anything that I didn’t want to say to Willem myself.” He sat down on the courtyard grass. It was awkward in his court finery, and he ignored puzzled glances from servants. Martin shrugged and sat down beside him.
“I do feel bad that we lost her,” said Martin. “I like her, for all she’s a criminal.”
“You don’t seem that surprised at Willem’s decision.”
“Guess I expected it, coming from a family of Red Shields. If we get in trouble, they don’t usually come rescue us either.”
Tristam nodded, absentmindedly fingering the insignia on his tunic that marked him as a knight. “When I took my vows, I pledged to obey the Council and protect Forge’s citizens. I never thought those two vows would clash.”
“So what do we do now?” asked Martin.
Tristam squinted in the direction of the forest. “I don’t know.”
Thirty-two
T H I R T Y - T W O
Kyra fidgeted in her chair as Brendel strummed his lute. He hummed a short melody, then stopped to jot down some notes.
She finally gathered the courage to speak. “Why end it this way? Why not stop at the point when they fall in love?”
Brendel tapped his jaw with the end of his pen. “You don’t change legends to suit your fancy, Kyra. Ballads tell a truth about the way of things. It means something that Lady Evelyne fell in love with the felbeast in human form. And it means something that she realized he would never turn from his bloodthirsty ways.”
“But the story’s just so…hopeless. Why can’t he change? Why can’t he learn?”
“The story is a warning for those who would be Evelyne. There was a time when you heard the tale and understood it. Remember when James betrayed you?”
Kyra stopped, clenching her fists in frustration. It was true that she’d agreed with the legend back then. “But I don’t like it anymore,” she said.
“Why not?”
She knew the answer, and so did Brendel, from the look in his eyes. But she couldn’t say it.
Brendel smiled sadly. “You’ve realized that you are not Lady Evelyne, haven’t you?”