BooksBarbecue
Back The Endless Skies
Chapters (57)
  1. Copyright Notice
  2. Dedication
  3. Map
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  55. Also by Shannon Price
  56. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  57. Newsletter Sign-up

“Will you stay with me?” Her warm brown eyes meet mine. “Skies keep me, but I know my son will not see another sunrise. I just know. It will help me to have another warrior here.”

I glance at the nursery. “The teams may yet return.”

“I know,” she replies. “And I hope they do. But if they don’t, warrior Shirene, will you stay?”

I look back at my queen and bow my head low. “Yes, Your Grace. I will stay with you until the end.”

40

ROWAN

Sleep never used to come easily to me, but with Callen on watch and his hand resting idly on my side, I’m out the moment my eyes close. I stir when Callen gives watch to Jai, then drift back off.

My hunger wakes me. Sitting up, I count our numbers—Io is gone. She must be on watch somewhere out of sight. Since Callen’s now holds the cure, I borrow Ox’s waterskin and take a hearty drink. At the horizon, the midnight blue mantle of night has turned the faintest bit lighter. It is probably two hours until dawn. The forest rustles with early signs of life as mist curls around the base of the trees.

I walk the circle around where we’ve sheltered and head back for the trees, stretching my legs. My stomach growls again, and I reach into my pocket for the last of my share of our scrounged meal from last night. Warriors are trained for hunger during the second year of training. Our instructors kept food back, giving us nothing but water while keeping drills the same. At the end of the day, we all got a half of a dry loaf of bread. As the trainers feasted on seasoned fish and all sorts of rich fare, we were given the choice to eat the whole thing, or save parts of it. It was a lesson in discipline, and the need to think ahead. Do you eat it immediately, not knowing when your next meal will be? Or do you save it for when you’re at your wits’ end?

I do as I did in my training, and eat. An aching belly is an aching belly, and the way I see it, strength found right away can carry you until you find more.

“Good morning, Warrior-Elect.” Io nods as she comes up to me. She motions to Sethran’s waterskin, and I hand it to her. After she takes a drink, she sighs and looks out on the land. “I respect that you told us the truth,” she says. “You didn’t have to do that.”

I stiffen. “It would have come to light, anyway, ma’am.”

“Still,” Io replies. “I’m not surprised. If you’re anything like your sister, I know your heart was in the right place.”