Page 76 of The Dead Queen

I lean in toward Hunter. “The Wolf Code.”

“Wolf Code? What the hell is that?”

Tristan looks peeved. “It’s not called the ‘Wolf Code’. We simply have morals. Honor. Something you southerners could learn a thing or two about.”

I roll my eyes. “Let’s not start.”

Hunter takes the bait. “I don’t see anything immoral about saving our asses.”

Tristan turns to Hunter. “And would you doom an impoverished family to a life of slow starvation? Because that’s what you would’ve done if I’d killed those men. Poor people do foolish things when their families are suffering.” His eyes grow hard. “That’s something Annwyn people understand. That’s why we don’t kill others unless absolutely necessary.”

Hunter scoffs, indignant. “Couldn’t you just bring him back to life, anyway?”

Tristan whirls around, his face furious. “We do not reanimate people.”

Hunter pushes back. “No? What about your Dead Queen?”

Tristan shakes his head slowly. “She is exactly why we don’t do it.”

“Only one northerner is allowed immortality then?” Hunter asks. “Sounds selfish to me.”

In a flash, Tristan pushes Hunter’s back into a nearby tree. For a moment, I fear they’re going to fight. But just as quickly, Tristan releases him.

“When we reanimate, the soul is still lost.” He says this with an ache in his voice, like he knows from experience what it’s like to lose someone he loves. “The creature—or human—is never the same as they were before death claimed them. You can’t call people back. Not really. It always causes more pain.”

He turns and grabs the unconscious thief by the ankles, then drags him out of the middle of the road. The man’s face is a bloody mess, but he’ll survive. Though I don’t envy the headache he’ll have when he wakes.

Tristan takes a coin from the waist of his trousers, then tucks it into the unconscious man’s hand before standing to face us. He adds, “When you have the power to reanimate, you learn to respect the sanctity of life. Real life. The sort that has a soul and free thought.” He turns from us and walks toward his horse.

Next to me, Hunter digs the toe of his boot into the dirt, appearing somewhat chagrined.

It seems, despite his rough exterior and murderous abilities, Tristan might not be so different from Hunter after all. Both live by a code of honor—the knight sworn to protect the royal family, and the Wolf bound to respect the sanctity of life.

If I’m not mistaken, the look Hunter gives him is a little less hateful. One might even call it “begrudging respect”.

Chapter 24

After two more days of travel, icy autumn raindrops begin to fall.

Behind me, Hunter mumbles a curse under his breath. Tristan doesn’t bother mumbling. He just says one loud and clear.

The forest comes alive with the sound of dripping leaves. It would be peaceful if we weren’t stuck in the middle of it, rain streaming into our eyes and cascading over our mouths. The dirt road turns to a muddy puddle as the horses clomp through it.

I try to stop my teeth from chattering, but it’s hopeless. We’re all soaked through to the bone. Hunter doesn’t complain, but I can feel him shivering behind me. Tristan looks like a wet dog slumped in his horse’s saddle. Even Marigold huffs with displeasure.

“I suspect we may drown before we reach the northern border,” I say.

Neither man responds.

A rumble of thunder overhead rattles my bones. Before long, our horses struggle with each step, their hooves sinking into the wet earth. I glance up into the sky. Beyond the tree canopy, the downpour shows no sign of letting up.

Up ahead, there’s a crossroads. One continues north, the other points toward a small village to the west.

“We need to take shelter,” I yell over the pounding rain.

“We have to stay ahead of the King’s Guard,” Hunter says.

“There’s no way they’re chasing us in this.” I wipe rain water out of my eyes.