Chapter Thirty One: Long Shadows

Cinder

They'd returned to the cottage less than a day later. Cinder expected to see River and was surprised when she wasn't there. Surprised...and much to his chagrin, worried. Inana scolded him, blamed him for it. Said he should've stayed with River. He couldn't recall whose idea it was that he go with the witch, but she was probably right. It probably WAS his fault. Most everything was.

He shouldn't have cared about some dumb mortal girl. He had stolen away so many for the Dain, he'd taught himself not to feel any way about it at all. Long, long ago, he'd loved mortal girls. Many of them. Frequently. He'd lure them into the woods for secret kisses. Not to get brutalized by Carmun's terrible abomination of a son.

Now, he thought about it. Thought about all the poor mortals who had the misfortune of meeting him in the waking, human world. It really soured his victorious mood. Just moments earlier, he'd b