Zephyr and the Western Wolf by Sam Burns & W.M. Fawkes

Author:Sam Burns & W.M. Fawkes [Burns, Sam & Fawkes, W.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Zephyr

The king relied on the good will of the people. He couldn’t very well go back on his word in front of a crowd.

Of course, I’d never thought that he would. He might not appreciate the optics of owing a favor to the tribes of the wastes, but losing a carriage he’d never wanted to begin with? That wouldn’t ruffle him any more than losing a disappointing son had.

Even still, it took Father a moment to turn his magnanimous smile on Macarius. I had to fight the urge to plant myself between them, but Macarius had proven he was quite capable of standing on his own. I was the mess here, and in all likelihood, Father would have an easier time treating with a warrior than he ever had with me.

“Of course. Juriah owes you a great debt, Macarius.” My father stepped forward, offering his hand, his rings turned toward the sun. “You are our most honored guest.”

Rather than bend to kiss father’s signet ring, Macarius scowled, reached out, and gave his hand a clap and a squeeze.

Terra trapped her laugh behind lips pressed tight shut, but she turned her wide eyes on me, her eyebrows inching toward her hairline.

Father cleared his throat. “Yes, well, we ought to go inside and see you settled. It will take some time to arrange your reward.”

Discreetly, he brushed his palm on his hip when he pulled his hand away.

The castle was cooler than the courtyard, the sun blocked out by stone and dark wood. Father issued orders to servants on his way past, and we were all scrambled about the palace, led this way and that, put up in rooms.

Mine . . . was gone.

Or, well, it wasn’t, exactly, but when I was ushered into what had once been my childhood bedroom, there was little sign that I’d ever lived there at all. The drapes were new, a burnished gold that I never would’ve chosen. The bed was the same, but the quilt on it wasn’t the frayed one that my mother had stitched. I’d favored that one all my life.

But of course it wasn’t there. It’d burnt in the tower along with everything else.

Absurd, to be offended that I’d left no mark on the place that I’d abandoned, but as I stood in the middle of that wide, dim room, a creeping cold worked up the back of my neck.

I wanted Macarius—just to hear that he meant to return me to Elidi at the end of this. He’d keep his word.

I knew he would, but seeing him and hearing it would’ve made this more palatable.

Or perhaps I just needed out of this room. I’d seen them guide him toward another, just across the hall, and when I stuck my head out, there were no guards to keep me there.

That, more than anything else my father had done, was surprising. Normally, he’d make it a priority to control the fallout of all this. I’d expected to wind up locked in a tower in truth.

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