Shadow & Storms (The Legends of Thezmarr, #4)

by Helen Scheuerer

‘You’re dead anyway,’ she promised. ‘But touch him again, I dare you.’

‘Then the whole world will know who you are.’ He’d echoed Talemir’s concerns. But Thea had made up her mind. A tempest roared within her, demanding to be unleashed upon the evil in their midst. ‘It’s about time that they did.’

‘Hello, Apprentice,’ said the familiar rich, warm voice.

Artos laughed darkly. ‘Oh, but you are. You are the firstborn daughter of Queen Brigh and King Soren Embervale.’ Thea met his gaze with a cold stare of her own. ‘No, I’m not.’ She stepped back, pulling Wilder with her, just as darkness erupted before them, and Anya emerged from the shadows, balls of lightning crackling in her palms. ‘That would be me,’ she said, and hurled her magic at Artos.

‘Wherever the fuck you’d like, lad. The Singing Hare is all yours.’ ‘Wrong,’ Kipp said sharply. ‘It’s yours. The Laughing Fox is mine, or will be one day. And I don’t mean to see it overrun by shadow any time soon. I will not go quietly into the fucking darkness… Will you?’

Together, we are a tempest that will rage. A storm that gathers must break, and by the Furies will we break upon them.’

Thea stared at Princess Jasira, at the shadows pouring from her fingertips, at the wraiths standing guard either side, and at the enormous rheguld reaper looming at her back. A daughter of darkness. A strange tingling warmth spread through Thea’s chest, unnatural, uneasy…

Audra. With a warrior’s cry, the older woman raised her blade and split a howler in two, blood spattering across her pristine armour and shield. A strangled sound escaped Thea. Audra was here, and she had brought the former women warriors of Thezmarr with her.

‘Rest in peace, dear friend. You will be remembered and cherished as long as tales of valour are told.’

Talemir glanced down at his hand before knocking it away abruptly and pulling him into a hard embrace. ‘The honour has been mine, brother.’