City of Ruin by Charissa Weaks

Author:Charissa Weaks
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: City Owl Press

33

RAINA

I wake with a start.

Disoriented and feeling a slight wine headache, I sit up and glance around the dark loft. Night has fully fallen, and I’m alone. The door knocker clangs again. Loudly. Over and over.

I throw on a tunic and leggings and grab the oil lamp that’s barely still burning and hurry to the lighthouse’s main level. When I throw open the door, it’s Hel. She stands beneath the lantern whose flame Dru and Drae haven’t yet extinguished, wearing a frown and a determined expression that I know well.

I wipe my sleepy eyes, set my lamp on a table inside the doorway, and form my own expression. One that says, What’s wrong?

“I saw a man leave Starworth Tor,” she says. “In a horse-drawn cart. I’d just headed upstairs when Alexus escorted him out.”

“Dedrick Terrowin,” I sign. “The smuggler.”

“I heard,” she says. “But Alexus didn’t turn around and head back to the lighthouse when the man left. He came upstairs and went into Rhonin’s room.”

“There is nothing unusual about that,” I sign. “And… were you snooping?”

“Of course I was. Because there is something unusual about it. Alexus was supposed to be with you tonight. I knew it had to take quite the event to drag him away from this lighthouse.”

I shake my head and shiver against a cool breeze, confused. “So where is he now?”

Both of her brows rise. “He left. On foot. I saw it from my window, so I thought I’d come find you. Then I passed Rhonin’s room.” She lowers her eyes for a moment and pinches the tips of her fingers together. “His door was cracked, and I might’ve peaked. He was maybe a little naked, and very nice clothes and a new double dagger harness lay on his bed next to his weapons. He was clearly distracted enough that he didn’t notice me. I feel like something’s up.”

Trying to think more optimistically, I reach for Alexus through the rune, sending a gentle inquiry along the bond, but…

His end of the bond is closed to me. Again.

An uneasy feeling climbs up my spine like phantom fingers. I hurry upstairs and grab my scrying dish, the decanter of water I keep in the room, and my needle. If Rhonin and the Witch Collector are placing themselves in harm’s way for the second time today, I will know.

Alexus might close me out of the bond.

But he cannot stop a Seer.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.