DAWNSTAR (THE STARCHASER SAGA Book 2) by Renee Dugan

Author:Renee Dugan [Dugan, Renee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Renee Dugan
Published: 2020-06-22T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

THE DAY CISTINE decided to resume her training—whether Quill thought she was healed enough or not—broke with a storm brewing above the mountain peaks in low, furious drapes. Despite the dampness seeping into the cottage cracks and the knots of pain clumping in her shoulders, Cistine yanked on her training armor and took the stairs two at a time down to the dining room. To her surprise, Thorne was in Pippet’s usual chair, studying a map and flipping an unbitten apple in one hand; the girl who usually took that seat, sketching between slurps of porridge, was nowhere to be seen.

“If you’re not going to eat that…” Cistine plucked the apple from Thorne’s hand in a pirouette past the table.

He folded his arms behind his neck and stretched so deeply his body arched from the chair, amusement erasing the lines of tension around his eyes. “And where is the Princess off to in such a hurry that she can’t find her own breakfast?”

Cistine took two bites of the apple while she backed toward the door, covering her mouth with her smallest finger. “To intercept Quill on patrol. Which way did he go?”

“Southwest.” Thorne bared his palm and Cistine pitched the other half of the apple back to him. “Good luck with training.”

“And you with your map!” Grinning, Cistine blew him a parting wave and darted from the cottage.

The breeze was almost wintery, and she was glad of her close-fitting armor while she tracked Quill’s footprints toward the gentle inclines beyond the cottage. She spotted Ariadne and Maleck after half a mile, distant shadows giving Quill a wide berth on one of the hilltops—and, to Cistine’s surprise, Pippet as well.

The siblings’ furious shouts carried on the blustery wind.

“Stop, Pip,” Quill was saying when Cistine slipped between Ariadne and Maleck. “We’re not having this conversation.”

“I know we aren’t, because you never want to talk to me—you only want to tell me what to do!” Pippet snapped.

Cistine nudged Ariadne. “What’s happening?”

“One of the archers told her where we’re going next. Now she wants to help.”

“She was particularly quiet during our walk this morning,” Maleck added under his breath. “She asked what happened to the villagers. When we refused to tell her, she went straight to Quill.”

“You’re not coming with us,” Quill’s tone smoothed over like adamant.

“Yes, I am!” Pippet stepped up into her brother’s face. “I’m going to leave this place and there’s nothing you can do to stop me! You can’t keep me prisoner anymore, I want to help!”

Quill gripped her shoulders. “Pip, listen to me. You don’t understand how dangerous the rest of Valgard is, what those villagers have been through. I can’t let the people who hurt them hurt you.”

“Then I won’t go to any villages, I promise.”

“No, it doesn’t matter where you go. It’s what they’ll do if they find you, because you’re my sister.”

Pippet wrenched free. “Then I wish you weren’t my brother! I hate you!”

Quill stiffened, eyes widening with the same pain as when Cistine had struck him and fled from Starhollow.

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