The man stared at her for a long moment. “What happened to your home?”
Ryn swallowed, shaking her head. “It’s gone.”
“And you came here for—”
Ryn raised her eyes to the temple as it rose overhead. “Safety.”
“I see. Yes. I imagine that you do want safety. Do you mind if I help you?”
Ryn studied him for a moment. There was a warmth about him, and a kindness that seemed to emanate from him. After everything she’d been through, how could she refuse? She wasn’t sure she would be able to reach the temple on her own. Her muscles were stiff and sore, leaving her questioning whether she would even be able to get to her feet, and that was if her feet didn’t hurt so much they made that intolerable.
“Can you help me reach the temple?”
The man smiled. “It would be my honor.”
They started walking, and at first, pain continued to throb in her feet, and Ryn wasn’t sure she would make it. But the older man offered her his arm to lean on. As she walked, the throbbing and pain in her feet abated, the numbness fading, leaving her better able to keep going, until she needed to lean on him less and less.
“What’s your name?” Ryn asked.
The man watched her for a moment. “Olander. And what is yours?”
Ryn swallowed again, and Olander pulled the water bottle off his shoulder, handing it to her. After she had taken a long drink, she passed it back to him. “Ryn.”
“Just Ryn?”
“Ryn Valeron.”
It might’ve been her imagination, but Olander tensed for a moment. Then he smiled and patted her hand. “Well, Ryn Valeron, I think it’s lucky that I was coming this way.”
“Where were you heading?”
“The same place as you, it seems.”
“The temple?”
He nodded. They had reached the outskirts of the city, and it was late enough—or early enough, she was no longer sure—that the streets were mostly empty. Occasionally, she caught sight of someone making their way along the street, but for the most part, they were left alone. Had she managed to reach the city, she wasn’t sure if she would have felt comfortable traveling through here on her own. Maybe it was best that Olander had found her.
“The Temple of Hysha is a place of great power,” Olander said.
“I’m not looking for power.”
“What are you after?”
Ryn thought about what she wanted. Ever since leaving the village, she had focused on needing to make it to safety, but now that she was here, now that she had the temple in sight, she wondered if that was all that she should want. Maybe there was more for her.
With not only her mother gone but the entire village, she didn’t know what she wanted.
Safety, but what did that mean now?
A name drifted into her mind, one that left her trembling. Lareth.
Somehow, she needed to avoid him.
Olander was watching her, waiting for her answer, though he did so with a kindly expression, and the warmth in his eyes seemed almost as if he understood the questions she had.
“If you didn’t come to the temple for power, then what did you come for, Ryn Valeron? What would safety mean for you?”
She hadn’t given it much thought, but now that she was here with Olander, she knew that she should.
Could she find power?
If she did, she wouldn’t have to fear running. She wouldn’t have to fear Lareth attacking.
Maybe the temple would grant her that.
And if it did, how would she use that power?
The answer came to her unbidden, quickly. It mingled with the anger that raged through her at the thought of Lareth and what he had done to the people she cared about. She didn’t want to be afraid. She didn’t want to run.
“Revenge,” she whispered.
Olander watched her for a long moment before patting her hand. “Then perhaps the temple will provide that as well.”
Grab the next book in The Elder Stones Saga: Shadows Within the Flame.
The Forgers proved to be only part of a greater plan to gain the power of the stones, remnants from powerful beings lost to time. Their power has never been controlled by one person, but now someone is close to changing that.
Having survived the last attack, Haern trains, working with the assassin Galen to hone his skills, learning about poisons and how to best use his control over metal. When he becomes the target of another attack, he must discover what the Forgers plan before it’s too late. His father might be the key to Haern’s understanding, but the more he learns about what his father has done, the less Haern wants to follow in his footsteps.
As Lucy struggles to control her new power, she’s asked to help find the depth of the C’than betrayal. It requires her to learn more about her new abilities and exposes her to dangers she had never imagined. She’s not a fighter, but she must find strength within her to ensure the safety of those she cares about.
While staying with Lucy, Daniel hopes she will eventually come to see him the way he sees her. He trains, realizing that despite everything he learned of fighting, he’s still a novice. He needs to improve his skill to protect Lucy, but saving her might require more than his ability with the sword; it will require his mind.
The stones must be protected from those who would use them for their own dark purpose, but another has maneuvered for decades, and it might already be too late to prevent the stones from falling into the wrong hands.
Looking for more in the world of The Elder Stones Saga? The following series are in the same world but can be read and enjoyed separately.
The Dark Ability: Book 1 of The Dark Ability series and featuring Rsiran.
Shadow Blessed: Book 1 of The Shadow Accords series and featuring Carth.
The Binders Game: Book 1 of The Sighted Assassin and featuring Galen.
Author’s Note
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for reading The Darkest Revenge. I hope you enjoyed it. If you would be so kind as to take a moment to leave a review on Amazon or elsewhere, I would be very grateful.
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All my best,
D.K. Holmberg
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Also by D.K. Holmberg
The Elder Stones Saga
The Darkest Revenge
Shadows Within the Flame
The Shadow Accords
Shadow Blessed
Shadow Cursed
Shadow Born
Shadow Lost
Shadow Cross
Shadow Found
The Collector Chronicles
Shadow Hunted
Shadow Games
Shadow Trapped
The Dark Ability
The Dark Ability
The Heartstone Blade
The Tower of Venass
Blood of the Watcher
The Shadowsteel Forge
The Guild Secret
Rise of the Elder
The Sighted Assassin
The Binders Game
The Forgotten
Assassin’s End
The Dragonwalker
Dragon Bones
Dragon Blessed
Dragon Rise
Dragon Bond
Dragon Storm
Dragon Rider
Dragon Sight
The Teralin Sword
Soldier Son
Soldier Sword
Soldier Sworn
Soldier Saved
Soldier Scarred
The Lost Prophecy
The Threat of Madness
The Warrior Mage
Twist of the Fibers
The Lost City
The Last Conclave
The Gift of Madness
The Great Betrayal
The Cloud Warrior Saga
Chased by Fire
Bound by Fire
Changed by Fire
Fortress of Fire
Forged in Fire
Serpent of Fire
Servant of Fire
Born of Fire
Broken of Fire
Light of Fire
Cycle of Fire
The Endless War
Journey of Fire and Night
Darkness Rising
Endless Night
Summoner’s Bond
Seal of Light
The Book of Maladies
Wasting
Broken
Poisoned
Tormina
Comatose
Amnesia
Exsanguinated
The Darkest Revenge Page 54
