Of Earth and Flame (The Ithenmyr Chronicles #1) by Elayna R. Gallea

Author:Elayna R. Gallea [Gallea, Elayna R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-07-18T16:00:00+00:00

Run

I bent, running my hands down the back of the small black cat that was rubbing up against my legs. Its fur was silky and soft beneath my fingers. The animal arched its back, a soft purr escaping it as I rubbed behind its ears.

I hummed. “Aren’t you just the sweetest?”

In response, the cat licked my fingers. I laughed, continuing to pet the feline until another branch snapped.

“What are you doing, Sunshine?” Xander’s gruff voice came from behind me.

I turned. He was holding a cleaned rabbit in his fist. The animal was comically small in Xander’s large hands. Gesturing to the cat, I raised a brow. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

He glared at the animal, sneering at the small feline. “Get away from that thing.”

I look at him, then the cat. “This? It’s harmless! It just doesn’t like you.”

As if to prove my point, the cat hissed at Xander before rubbing itself against my legs once more.

“Get away from that thing,” he growled.

I scoffed, petting the feline behind its ear. “I can’t say that I blame him for his character assessment.”

Xander shook his head, walking over and grabbing my arm. He dragged me away from the animal, who just stood there, watching us.

“It’s not just a cat,” he insisted.

“Yes, it is,” I said, putting my hands on my hips. “In my towe…. when I was growing up, I had a cat that visited me nearly every day. It would stay with me and keep me company when no one else did.”

In fact, that cat looked just like this one. All black, except mine had a white moon under its neck.

“Aileana,” Xander started again, “this is a—”

Just then, hoofbeats came from behind us. Xander turned away from me, dropping the rabbit on the ground and grabbing his sword in a practiced movement. He widened his stance. “Arm yourself,” he hissed. “We will continue this discussion later.”

I bristled at the order, but after a moment, did as I was told. Daggers in hand, I watched and waited as the sound of hoofbeats got louder.

The cavern was surrounded by trees, and from the corner of my eye, I saw my feline friend scampering up a nearby tree. I made a mental note to ask Xander what all the trees were called. With every passing moment, my heart pounded faster in my chest.

Waiting was excruciating. Every second felt like an hour. As we stood still, the wind blew through the trees, whispering in my ear.

The spirits of old are waiting for you, Protectress of the Woods. Call upon us if necessary.

The wind’s voice was everything and nothing. A whisper and a yell. It sent shivers down my spine, but before I could reply, a pair of horses appeared. I relaxed as Jo and Daegal came into view.

“Hello there, you two,” the Fortune Elf called out. He rode up to us, his face drawn. “I’m glad to have found you both in one piece.” Daegal dismounted, coming to stand before us. “When we came back, and you were both gone, we had a bit of a scare.

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