The Keeper of Stars by Tameri Etherton

Author:Tameri Etherton [Etherton, Tameri]
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter Twenty-Six

Gentle waves lapped upon the shore of the Kiltern River, the sound soothing to Taryn’s worried mind. “Much worse” had turned out to be the understatement of the century.

She adjusted herself on the bench—the same one she’d sat upon numerous times during her first visit to Paderau. So many firsts had happened here: The first time she’d met her sisters, though she didn’t learn they were her sisters until later. The first time she saw Lliandra and was entranced by her presence and beauty. Her first kiss. Rhoane had kissed her on her birthday just a few paces from where she sat. How innocent she’d been those first heady days on Aelinae.

If she’d known what her future entailed, she might’ve run screaming straight back to Nadra’s cavern and demanded she return to Earth.

Would she have? Truly? No, she would’ve done exactly what she did when she learned her mother was the Empress of the East, and her father the Overlord of the West—embraced her destiny with as much courage and grace as she could muster.

She folded her legs and rested her chin on her knees as she watched boats cruise up and down the river, bringing goods to Paderau. The Kiltern River flowed all the way from Paderau to the Eastern Seas, forming a natural border between Lliandra’s kingdom and Ulla. Somewhere out there, creatures like Enghor gathered, an army of aliens hellbent on destroying Aelans. But did they come willingly? Or had they been forced?

According to Stanton, the ram-ape beasts roamed the countryside looking for something, but he couldn’t ascertain what. Three of his scouts had confirmed sightings of the creatures. He’d received word only a few days earlier about the attack on Tinsley’s group. He confirmed the lord was gravely wounded in the altercation and only survived because Faelara and Loghan had been there to assist. He relayed the news that Tinsley and his group, which included Eoghan, were traveling slowly toward Talaith. As to the man’s condition, Stanton only knew he was alive.

Taryn made a mental map in her mind, placing Faelara and Baehlon in Ulla, and Loghan, Eoghan, Tinsley, Aomori, and Gwainne in Talaith with her sisters and cousin.

As concerned as she was for Tinsley, especially in light of Carga’s admission, it was Stanton’s report on Caer Idris that upset her the most. His spies had found the dungeons empty, but the graveyards full. Kaldaar was slaughtering people wholesale. No one was safe from the god’s wrath—nobility, servants, peasants, they were all fodder for his increasing appetite. The only people he spared seemed to be soldiers, and even those he would randomly decimate if they displeased him.

Of Zakael, Stanton had no update. The new overlord, or king, or whatever Zakael called himself these days, had been silent for near on a sennight. Whispers hinted that the young ruler was dead, but no one could confirm those rumors.

Did they go to Talaith first and see to Tinsley? Or should they go to Caer Idris and confront

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