Shadow Empress (Night Elves Trilogy Book 3) by C.N. Crawford

Author:C.N. Crawford [Crawford, C.N.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Corey Press Inc
Published: 2021-02-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Ali

We were nearly at Bilskirnir, the towering castle of the gods. Three blocks away now. My breath rasped in my throat as I ran in an all-out sprint, on a narrow street that took us between crumbling buildings.

As I moved, my gaze swept up the length of the castle. The first few hundred feet were pure stone, but after that small windows dotted the walls, dark and empty. If anyone, or thing, lived within the marble edifice, it was impossible to tell from outside.

“Is there an entrance?” I gasped.

“I hope so.”

Galin, you need to learn to be more reassuring.

I rushed after him all the same, running down a particularly narrow alley. Then lightning flashed directly in front of us, so bright it completely blinded me.

When my vision cleared again, fear slithered up my spine, and I skidded to a halt. A massive shadow moved in front of Galin, glowing yellow eyes beaming in the darkness.

Galin slowed, raising his hand to scribe. But the dragon blood had left his voice raspy, barely audible. And before he could finish, the wolf lunged, its huge maw gaping open, ready to snap shut like a bear trap.

Galin dodged just in time, but the wolf was already crouching, preparing to spring.

“Skalei,” I whispered. The hilt of my knife was in my hand, and I threw it hard. It spun into the wolf’s eye.

The wolf leapt back. With a mewling cry, it turned and bounded off into the darkness.

Galin whirled, shock etched on his features.

I exhaled. “Been practicing more than just spells.”

Galin opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t seem to raise his voice above a whisper. And that meant he wouldn’t be doing powerful magic anytime soon. Fear began to claw at me. If Galin couldn’t scribe a portal, and we were being hunted by giant wolves, we had no margin for error.

“Let’s go,” I whispered. “Skalei.”

With my blade in my hand, we started running again.

We cut through the rubble of a ruined building, heading for the next street. Howls cut through the air, making the stones tremble, and Galin pulled me into a doorway. Just in time—two massive wolves bounded past, eyes glowing in the dark.

“They can’t smell us because of the rain,” Galin whispered.

With the wolves past, we crept out again, more slowly now. The rain fell in ice-cold sheets, hammering my skin. My clothes were saturated, and I started to shiver.

A deep growl trembled over the horizon, rumbling across the ruins.

Galin pulled us into another doorway. Rainwater slid down his tattooed chest in little rivulets.

“Ali,” he rasped. “You need to scribe a portal. My voice isn’t working well enough for the spell. You did it before. When the troll—” He winced, falling silent, eyes closed. Clearly it hurt him to speak. “I’ll help with the rune.”

I sucked in a deep breath. “Okay.”

Galin slipped behind me, his powerful body pressed against mine. Warmth radiated over me from his chest, and he slid his hand down my arm, sending a hot shiver through my body.

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