Shadow Witch (Skyelorn Chronicles #1)

An Irresistible Offer

Marithyda's nightmare woke her at twilight. She jerked up from her leafy pallet, gasping, sweat cradling her neck. Everything in her cave was as it should have been: the fire was put out, the boulder blocked the entrance. And now, across the small space, Paolin slept peacefully against his horse. She watched him for a moment, watched as his long white hair fluttered with each sleeping breath, as he unconsciously smoothed a hand against the large animal's pelt. Upon his arrival, she'd been alarmed to discover that she truly missed him. His face had leaned out since she last saw him, and she couldn't help noticing the new muscles pressing against his tunic.

          He was quite handsome now. And terribly stupid to seek her out.

          Exasperated, Marithyda rose and slipped through the small crack left between the boulder and the rocky entrance. The cool mountain air carried sprinkles of rain towards her, but they felt refreshing against her feverish skin. She always had the same nightmare, the same time, the same way: Prince Markus stood in front of the royal banners, his face pale yet determined; her knife flew through the air, tossing and turning; it pierced his heart, took his life. Marithyda had the same dream every night since the dreadful event occurred, and eventually came to suppose that it was a well-deserved consequence for her deadly folly. She deserved all the misery in the world.

          Overhead, a bird squawked and dashed for the cover of a pine tree high in an adjacent mountain peak. She followed its journey and focused on calming her breaths. She had a lot to think about. Paolin's offer, while tremendously dangerous and idiotically risky, held its appeal. What if she did infiltrate the very institution that ruined her life, and used it as a stepping stone to the King? She could use her magic to disguise herself, as Paolin suggested.

All she knew was that she needed the King dead.

          She remembered the stolen nights with the Prince, and the things he'd told her about his father's unbelievable cruelty. Then she recalled Paolin's words: he mandated the creation of forced labor camps. The Touched had never been treated like normal citizens before, but they were at least allowed to live in peace. Now, everything was different.

          Because of her. Because her one mistake doomed all of her kind.

          She had to do something; if not for herself, then for everyone else.

          With her mind firmly made up, she spun around and started to walk back into the cave. Paolin was there, leaning casually on the large, jagged stone. Marithyda stopped suddenly in her tracks, surprised and outraged to have been caught unawares.

"Were you watching me?"

          "Couldn't sleep either," he admitted sheepishly. It took all of her willpower not to snap at him again.

          "A knock would have been nice," she muttered, trailing her fingers through her hair. It'd been a while since she washed it in the river. As she had said earlier, she wasn't exactly expecting visitors.

          "A knock on this stone?" He replied, gently rapping his knuckles against the makeshift door. "Might have split my hand open."

          "You know what I mean," she grunted, rolling her eyes. She tried to pass him and enter the cave, but he stepped directly in her path and grinned like a ruffian. She wanted to toss him over the nearest cliff and embrace him at the same time.

          "Will you quit grinning like a shark?" She complained, pushing past him. He followed her inside. "It's no wonder your only friends are animals."

          "First of all, that hurt." Paolin pretended to wipe tears from his eyes as he helped guide Tulip to her feet. "And second of all, animals beat the company of Harlan's cronies any day."