Dawn of Cobalt Shadows (Burning Empire Book 2) by Emma Hamm (best e ink reader for manga .txt) 📕

of one who was flayed alive. Prolonged by alcohol which dulled the wounds and smelling salts that continually awakened the man.

“Enough,” Camilla scolded. “I don’t know what history you two have, or even what Protector means, but you’re upsetting him, Jabbar. I won’t have you doing that any more than necessary.”

“He knows what it means. And he knows that if he wanted to take that position on, then he failed her. He failed us all.”

Raheem watched Jabbar leave the great hall with a sinking feeling in his gut. The Beastkin was up to something, and he didn’t have it in him to figure out what. All Raheem wanted to do was find out what really happened to Sigrid, and then figure out where her grave was.

There were lilies in the forest he’d come across that she would have liked. Crystal lilies, the locals had told him. So pale a blue they were almost transparent. They looked very much like something she would enjoy.

“Raheem?” Camilla asked. “Come with me.”

She didn’t have to tell him twice. He would follow her to the end of the earth if it meant he found out what had really happened.

Together, they left the great hall and began the meandering walk up to Camilla’s private quarters. He’d never been there before, though he’d seen the Beastkin woman leave dinners and make her way up the stairs.

The woman must have legs of steel if she’d made it all the way up here on her own every night. He counted nearly four hundred steps before they made it to the landing. She poked her head through the door, inhaled deeply, then gestured him through.

“Did you just smell your room?” he asked.

“I wanted to make sure we’re entirely alone. Thankfully, we are.”

“Why would someone be in your room?” He could already guess. Without Sigrid, the Beastkin factions were likely to fall apart once again. They needed one, unifying person to continually make sure they were all getting along. Sigrid had been a symbol of home for them. The loss of her must have taken a great toll.

“One can never be too careful. I have to tell you something, but you can’t tell anyone else.”

What a start to the truth she was about to tell him. The sickly pain of hope made him clench his fists tight. “Please tell me this is all some elaborate ruse.”

She hesitated, licked her lips, then slowly nodded. “In a way.”

Raheem reached out for the bedpost next to him, slowly sagging against it. “Thank the gods. She’s alive?”

“Well, don’t say it so loud, you dolt!” Camilla glanced around them like someone was going to peel out of the wall. “No one can know except us. I thought you got her letter?”

“What letter?”

As he watched her eyes widen in surprise, and perhaps a little horror, Raheem realized something had gone very, very wrong.

“What was the original plan?” he asked. “Tell me everything, in detail.”

Camilla, gods bless her soul, didn’t hesitate. She spat out the words faster than most people could have understood. Every detail was stripped clean, and she only paused when he interrupted her to ask a clarifying question. There was so much more that he wanted to know. Why had she left when there wasn’t any real reason to? Why hadn’t Camilla tried to convince her that the Beastkin just needed a little time? They had to learn how to be both human and animal. There were bound to be hiccups in this journey.

Camilla heaved a sigh when she completed her story. They’d ended up clasping each other’s hands, she on her own bed, he in a chair he’d dragged closer to her.

“That was a very brave thing for you to do,” he said, squeezing her fingers in his. “It mustn’t have been easy.”

“It shouldn’t have been so hard. But I felt as though I were going against the gods will, for a sister who might not—” she choked up and stopped talking.

“You’ve been remarkably capable, my dear. Now, you can rest easy knowing someone else carries the burden with you. I’m sorry you’ve been alone all this time.”

“Thank you.” The words were almost explosive coming out of her mouth. They rocked her entire body forward as she curled in on herself, pulling his hands closer to her heart. “I didn’t think anyone would understand. I’ve been so tired, so very tired and scared.”

He’d never been able to stand a woman’s heart breaking in front of him. Raheem stood, gathered Camilla against his chest, and leaned back against one of the bedposts.

He rocked her while she cried and marveled at how young some of these people were. Even Sigrid with her stalwart attitude and icy eyes was still just a child in the grand scheme of things. None of them had loved as he had. None of them had lost as he had.

His greatest fear was that they would all lose someone very dear to them, very soon. War had a way of doing that to families and friends, and this was only the beginning.

Camilla leaned back slightly, sniffing. “Did you find what you were looking for in Wildewyn?”

More than he wanted really. Raheem hadn’t expected to fall in love with the place while he searched for the locals’ opinions on Beastkin. The land here was beautiful, the people kind, and he couldn't for the life of him understand why there was a war between the two kingdoms.

“I did,” he said. “The people are not afraid of you. Most don’t even know you exist.”

Raheem had been surprised by the realization that most of the Earthen folk were completely oblivious to what their royals were doing. They stayed in their little villages on the edges of society, living lives that were… well, quaint.

The first person he’d come upon didn’t care at all that Raheem looked different from them. The man had laughed at his accent, commented that it was difficult to understand him, and blushed because he felt it rude that he couldn’t understand what Raheem