Shield of Sparrows (Shield of Sparrows, #1)

by Devney Perry

The Guardian. A man rumored to be more vicious and deadly than any creature crafted by the gods.

The man who entered next didn’t look like a god incarnate. He didn’t appear to be a ghost. He was tall and broad, like the other Turans. Muscled to the point of distraction. His chocolate-brown hair tickled the tops of his shoulders, and his chiseled jaw was covered in a short beard of the same shade. At first glance, he was just a man. Striking. Intimidating. But still, just a man. Yet his irises did not have the typical Turan green starburst. They were solid, molten silver. Liquid metal. Colorless, like my dress. The Guardian.

A King cannot kill his Sparrow, and a Sparrow cannot kill her King, either directly or indirectly, without death befalling them both.

“Turans are loyal to Turans.”

“Not all monsters are born from the gods, my queen. Some of us were made.”

Was it me? Was there something I did, I said, that made people inherently not trust me? I didn’t gossip. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d shared someone else’s secret. I did draw people sometimes without their knowledge. Maybe that was an invasion. Except very few saw my sketches. After showing Father and Margot when I was younger and being met with scowls, I’d mostly kept my art to myself. So what was so wrong with me that no one trusted me? Or was it really a lack of trust? Maybe the heart of the issue was faith. No one believed in me. No one had trust that I was capable. I couldn’t fight. I had more than my fair share of clumsy moments. I wasn’t cunning and sneaky like Mae. Had Father kept the whole truth about the crux and Allesaria from me because he feared I’d get caught and spill his secrets? Well, he didn’t need to worry. I’d never tell the Guardian the truth. My priority was my father’s errand. To earn his trust. To prove to him I wasn’t his worthless wallflower of a daughter. And in doing so, I hoped I’d help him find a way to save our people. It might seem like an impossible task, but damn it, I wasn’t giving up yet.

“Thanks,” I deadpanned. “And I was certain I wouldn’t earn any compliments today.” “Praise is for the bedroom, Cross. Not the training ring.”

“You want their love.” “I don’t know if they’re able to love.” Probably not in the way that Brielle’s family loved her. “I’d settle for their confidence and trust. Maybe a little faith that I’m not entirely useless.”

Did you ever stop to think that maybe the door to your cage has always been unlocked, Sparrow? And all you had to do was push it open?

“That you’re bright and beautiful. That you’re brave, even in the night.”

“When I am nothing but dust and ash, Turah will endure. I do not need a crown. And I have made peace with my destiny. But before I step into my grave, my choice is you.”

“I don’t want that hope, Odessa. I’d rather live expecting the end than wait for a cure that will never come.”

“I think the person with a story to tell is your mother.”

“I love you.” “Yes, you do. Don’t forget.” “Never.” “Neither will I.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “I will find you. Here, or in the shades.”