by Hannah King
When the three of us finally made our way through the belly of the city and out to the riverbank, I stumbled to the ground to breathe for just a moment. Camphraz did the same, and the Ambassador waited for us. The now familiar cough rattled my ribs once again. Short, stabbing pains shot up in my heart and my limbs felt like jelly. We’ll die out here, I realized. We didn’t have a chance in the dark and the cold, both of us weak from illness.
But it doesn’t matter, I told myself. The Sustainers had won. The ships had set sail, and with only two insignificant people out of hundreds left behind. They were on their way to a new life, safe from Faldir’s terror.
I thought of all the people back in the Brawl Mountains. If they’d survived temper, the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and cousins, would all be grateful, proud to know that the Parters hadn’t beaten us. Their sons and daughters were free, no matter how far away. And maybe one day, they would see each other once more. I snapped out of my thoughts.
“When you’ve rested enough,” the Ambassador was giving us further instructions, “follow the river to the south until you reach the narrowest part. You can cross there and go where you choose.”
“Thank you,” I managed. The Ambassador nodded, then turned as if to leave, but he hesitated.
Facing us once again, I saw his face was twisted, almost as if with pain. He swallowed hard, and suddenly a look of determination crossed his features.
“I’m coming with you,” he said quietly.
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Thank you for reading The Lantern’s Curse. If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review at Amazon.com. Authors like me depend on reviews from readers like you. Thank you in advance for helping more people hear my stories!
-Hannah
HANNAH KING lives in Maine. An avid writer, runner and theatre buff, she enjoys fresh air, a good cup of tea or coffee, and showtunes. For more information, visit her website at http://hannahkingbooks.wixsite.com, or follow her on Twitter @hannahkingbooks or find her on Facebook at Author Hannah King.