One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)

by Rachel Gillig

Eleven years, we’ve been together. Eleven years, and I’ve never told a soul.

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The Black Horse made its beholder a master of combat. The Golden Egg granted great wealth. The Prophet offered glimpses of the future. The White Eagle bestowed courage. The Maiden bequeathed great beauty. The Chalice turned liquid into truth serum. The Well gave clear sight to recognize one’s enemies. The Iron Gate offered blissful serenity, no matter the struggle. The Scythe gave its beholder the power to control others. The Mirror granted invisibility. The Nightmare allowed its user to speak into the minds of others. The Twin Alders had the power to commune with Blunder’s ancient entity, the Spirit of the Wood.

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Alyx pressed his hand over mine, trapping it against his arm. “I have your father’s permission, Elspeth.” “But not mine,” I said, more forceful this time. “Now, if you please—”

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Some would give anything to speak to loved ones passed.

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Shame, the Nightmare said. I was just beginning to like him.

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My aunt had clung to me, fresh tears in her eyes, though I’d promised we would be together again soon.

The same aunt who didn't look for you once during equinox?

How strange it looked, alone in the ruins, unmarked but for one dark window situated on its southernmost wall.

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But a Prince is a man, and a man may be bled. He came for the girl... And got the monster instead.

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I cast my thoughts inward, searching for the Nightmare, who, since the mayhem in the wood, had remained still. Strange, how quiet he felt when I was with Ravyn. Almost as if he was gone altogether.

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“Elspeth Spindle,” he said, his eyes—so strange and yellow—ensnaring me. “Let me out.”

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“You’re very beautiful,” he mused. “Your eyes are so dark—so infinite.” He paused. “Like a maiden in a storybook. As if the Shepherd King had penned you himself.”

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“Besides, the Captain bade we wait.” Ravyn looked on unapologetically. “I told only those who were imperative to the task.”

I’m sorry, what is she supposed to be there for then?