Fearless
Page 28
Gryphon rose from his father’s pine desk that had been brought over from the Allied Camp and tucked the letter into his shirt. He accepted his own candle from Zo. Her warm lips brushed his ear as she whispered, “You look very handsome, Commander.”
Gryphon let his candle feed off Zo’s light then together they stepped into the starry night. Gryphon swallowed a gasp as at least a thousand candles lit a path to the resting place of his father.
Joshua held Laden’s giant shield with reverence to his chest. The same shield that used to hang above Gryphon’s family hearth. Tess walked over and took Joshua’s free hand, her tiny tears dancing in the light’s reflection.
“Let’s go,” said Gryphon.
Zo threaded her arm through his and together they followed Joshua and Tess down the lighted path that led to Laden’s final resting place. As they passed, Raven, Wolf, Kodiak, and Freemen all knelt in respect, the lights of their candles held high to illuminate the pathway to heaven for their fallen leader.
A Ram custom.
Among them, Sara stood with baby Jax in arms, her sister, Eva, and new brother-in-law, Stone, at her side.
At the bottom of the hill, Murtog nodded to Gryphon and used his torch to light two giant pyres on either side of the grave. Once the blaze caught, he stepped back in line with Raca, his newly betrothed. The casket sat before the cavity of earth, ready to find peace beneath the soil of Gryphon’s new homeland. Women offered flowers to Zo and Tess, who each tore petals from the stems and muttered words lost to the night’s breeze as they sprinkled them over the casket.
Zo’s eyes sparkled beautifully with tears as she and Tess stepped aside so Joshua could place the shield over Laden’s remains.
Gryphon went last. He dropped to one knee and bowed until his forehead grazed his father’s shield.
“I’m proud to be your son.”
Epilogue
Three years later
Zo knelt in rich soil, thinning a row of new carrots from the kitchen garden on the side of a simple log home. Faint smoke curled out of the chimney and spring flowers lined the walkway to a covered porch.
The wheat fields were just showing their color and the high mountains in the distance boasted a blanket of green. A tall, dark-haired man cut through the fields toward her, carrying a spade while balancing a two-year-old boy on his shoulders. He wore a light woven shirt. No boiled leather. No weapons.
“Mama!” the little boy squirmed down this father’s broad shoulders and ran in a precarious line toward Zo with arms outstretched.
Zo dusted the dirt from her hands just in time to snatch the little boy up. “Hello, Troy. Did you help your father in the fields?”
The boy nodded obediently and Zo kissed his full cheeks before setting him back on his own two legs. He instantly wrapped his little arms around his father’s calf.
“You shouldn’t be working out here. Joshua and I can tend the garden,” Gryphon said.
“Ram in my garden?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “You’ll mistake my lettuce for weeds.”
Gryphon rolled his eyes. “Will you never let me live that down?” He smiled, offering his hand to help Zo stand. She leaned into him, resting her head against his chest, fitting perfectly under the wing of his embrace.
The new life growing inside her kicked in response. “She likes when you’re near.”
Zo positioned Gryphon’s hand over her growing stomach just in time to feel the unborn babe kick again. Zo didn’t know how to explain that she knew their child was a girl. Just as she sensed the moods around her—a skill that had dampened some with the help of the Raven shaman—the growing child gave off a feminine aura.
Gryphon lifted Zo’s chin with a finger. His soft brown eyes studied her face, his attention so absolute her cheeks warmed. Ever so slowly, he bent and touched his lips to hers for one brief, delicious moment. “You are happiness, Zo.”
She smiled up at her husband. “You are home.”
THE END
Acknowledgements
This final book of the NAMELESS trilogy marks the end of an incredible journey through a world in which I have come to love writing. This book—this trilogy—could not have been possible without the support and professional expertise of some very dear friends and family.
Thank you to my parents—all four of you—for supporting me in this wild adventure, to Whitnee and Matt for the child swapping that has made much of my book travel possible, to Casey, Libby, and Boss for making my life rich and meaningful.
Tahsha, Jo, Lois, Margie, and James, your friendship and love mean the world. Brad, my never failing beta ninja, thanks for keeping me honest. The rest of the game night crew, you are the definition of friendship and loyalty and have been such a huge support over the last three years. Thank you for putting up with me.
I have amazing critique partners who helped me discover the potential of this final book. Lois, Amy, and Nichole, thank you for being brave enough to tell me to rewrite… again and again. Wendy Buhler and Melanie Fillmore, thank you for being some of my first cheerleaders.
To Georgia McBride and the team at Month9Books: thank you for the edits, cover design, promotion, and faith in this series. It’s been a fulfilling journey and I’m grateful for the opportunity to get to know and work with you all. Jaime Arnold, you will be missed!
Amy Jameson, my agent and friend, “thank you” doesn’t seem adequate. I look forward to chasing a few more dreams together.
Clint, your belief in me is the greatest gift I’ve ever received. With you I am fearless. You are everything.
JENNIFER JENKINS
With her degree in History and Secondary Education, Jennifer had every intention of teaching teens to love George Washington and appreciate the finer points of ancient battle stratagem. (Seriously, she’s obsessed with ancient warfare.) However, life had different plans in store when the writing began. As a proud member of Writers Cubed, and a co-founder of the Teen Author Boot Camp, she feels blessed to be able to fulfill both her ambition to work with teens as well as write Young Adult fiction.
Jennifer has three children who are experts at naming her characters, one loving, supportive husband, a dog with little-man syndrome, and three chickens (of whom she is secretly afraid). Visit her online at www.jajenkins.com
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NAMELESS
CLANLESS
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
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