Sorrow's Peak (Serpent of Time Book 2) (73 page)

“The U’lfer your men brought back spoke of a witch’s prophecy, did he not.”

“A senseless, rambling collection of words that mean next to nothing.”

“Not next to nothing. What he told the torturer was true. In the south, hidden away in the tundra… All that remains of the wolves in this world await extinction. Her brother, her nephew, her love… If you crush all she holds dear, she will fall before you.”

“Her… love?”

“You are jealous of him, even though you say you don’t really want her. You only want to ruin her because she escaped you. Because she foiled your plans.”

He looked away, ashamed of himself for the thoughts that rippled through him. He didn’t want her, but part of him did just because she’d run from him.

“I am not jealous,” he insisted, but even he doubted his own words. “I just find the idea of destroying something she loves more appealing than you could possibly imagine, that’s all. I want her to suffer.”

“Then march south with your men, merge with the king’s soldiers near the mountain pass, lead them into the tundra and destroy everything she cares about.”

“Your goddess,” he began, “She has shown you this? She has seen me do this?”

Deallora regarded him, cold golden eyes flitting across his features as he turned inward to look at her again. “You defied Her counsel before. What She shows me now is your final chance for greatness. You began this, Trystay. It is up to you to finish it before it’s too late. But if you waver again, if you ignore Her wisdom, She will not hesitate to crush you where you stand.”

Steeling himself against that warning, he attempted to hide the sound of his gulping swallow unsuccessfully. “I will not defy Her again.”

“Good,” she grinned. “We march south then, on the morrow. But first things first, come,” gesturing across the bed, she reached toward him. “Let me show you what She has seen, my love.”

Studying her hand, Trystay hesitated. For so long he’d sought the advice of a foreign goddess, one not of his people, only to please Deallora. He’d defied Ninvariin’s will, ignored Her advice and done the opposite of everything She’d instructed him to do. It brought him nothing but grief. He would suffer grief no more. It was time he started listening.

Reaching forward, the tips of his fingers brushed Deallora’s. A surge of magic tingled through his hand and made him shudder.

Leaning out, she curled those fingers around his and drew him into the bed with her and with a kiss she showed him his glorious future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Melzer spent the majority of her life as a writer denying she actually liked to write romance, only to wake up one morning and discover that every single tale she'd ever written had somehow revolved around the heart.

She has since given into the whim, spinning yarns of love and firmly believing that everyone deserves a happy ending.

Jennifer lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her husband and daughter, but dreams nightly she is laying on the beach watching the stars fall over the Atlantic Ocean.

Subscribe to the newsletter on
her official website: JenniferMelzer.com for news and updates on upcoming books.