Legacy of Gods and Ruin: A Dark Fantasy Romance (Shadow King Trilogy Book Three) by Piper Easton

Author:Piper Easton [Easton, Piper]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pierced Soul Publishing
Published: 2024-03-03T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The mountains tower above us, steel gray peaks capped in white snow. The small village is nestled up against them, a scattering of cottages along the skirts surrounded by lush fields of nerium and long grass. Grazing sheep crisscross and meander, bleating to each other in their fluffy wool coats.

It’s cold yet, despite the way the sun slants over the land, throwing the cottages in relief against the mountain. Mist hovers along the ground as the dampness of night clings on, slowly losing the battle against the sun’s rays.

The village is more remote than I expected. Aside from the handful of cottages in front of us, faded brick chimneys pumping wisps of smoke into the air, there’s nothing but gently rolling green in every direction.

Hora sits on the westernmost edge of Vaeya’s territory, with Iluna’s to the east and Sabiya’s to the north. We’re far enough from the forest that I can’t feel its buzzing presence, but I’m not sure how far exactly.

There’s only a single pockmarked road into and out of town, wagons used in trading their prized wool with the rest of Acaria having carved deep gashes in the earth. You don’t find this place unless you’re looking for it.

A boy with a flash of red hair hops over a low fence and uses a long stick to prod the sheep grazing in the field into motion. Anytime one of them wanders too far out of line, he nudges it back, ushering them through a fence into a new field and latching the gate behind.

Kaia pushes the hood of her cloak onto her shoulders and props her hands on her hips as she stares beyond the village to the mountain. So used to seeing her in a gown, she looks like a stranger in a pair of leather breeches and a linen tunic. A sack is slung across her body, the glass vials inside clinking as she moves.

“The pass is there.”

She points to a distant spot on the far edge of the village where a narrow path appears to wind down from the mountains, curving through the rough brush at the mountain’s base like a snake.

“How far up is the grove?”

Her nose scrunches, and she taps her fingers against her hip.

“An hour? Maybe more. The trail starts easy enough, but it isn’t long before it becomes steep and a bit precarious in places. I’ve only been here twice before.”

“That’s two more times than me.”

She nods. “I’ll lead. But stay close. I’d like to get in and out as quickly as possible.”

She steps from the shadow of the large shade tree and picks her way across the pitted road. People take note of our presence as we move through the village, but no one stops us or asks us to explain ourselves or even calls out a greeting. Kaia drops coin into a jar beside a basket of fresh bread and takes out a loaf, ripping off a chunk and holding it out to me.

“I doubt we’ll need provisions for such a short trek.

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