Shield of Sparrows Chapter 13
Odessa wakes to the sound of gulls and realizes they’re approaching land. On deck, the Guardian tells Odessa they’ll reach Turah by midday, then launches into her first combat lesson with a dagger. He challenges her to keep the weapon away from him, disarms her twice, and trips her before a crewman interrupts. When Odessa asks for the Guardian’s real name, he says she has to earn it. He also tells Odessa he’ll never trust her, and the comment stings more than she expects.
Zavier later admits the training was his idea and tells Odessa the Guardian is the most skilled warrior in the kingdom. He notices Odessa seems unhappy, so she tells Zavier she’s homesick before he’s called back to the other ship.
The ships eventually drop anchor off the coast of Turah. Odessa notices the Guardian staring at the land with a grim expression. She moves to board a rowboat, but the Guardian appears at her side and tells Odessa they aren’t finished with each other yet.
Shield of Sparrows Chapter 14
The group rows to an isolated gray beach with no town or roads in sight. Odessa spots the Guardian talking privately with the High Priest and notices the Shield of Sparrows case strapped to the priest’s back. She wonders if her father’s plan involves the physical destruction of the treaty. The High Priest then walks off into the forest alone, in a different direction from the rest of the group.
Tillia meets Odessa and her maids with horses and warns that the heavy trunks will struggle to keep up. Odessa packs light, taking only her journal and a spare dress.
Zavier later pulls Odessa aside and tells her he knows she has kept his secret only to win his favor. The remark unsettles Odessa. She realizes both men have seen through her from the start and feels completely out of her depth as a spy.
The warriors separate Brielle and Jocelyn from Odessa and lead them away with a different group. Zavier takes the remaining riders into a dense forest with no visible trail, and Odessa follows, determined to find the hidden road to the capital.
Shield of Sparrows Chapter 15
The group travels through the forest after dark to avoid nocturnal predators. By the time they reach a campsite on an open plain, Odessa is in intense pain and can barely function. The riders set up camp near a river and build a circle of fires for protection. Zavier helps Odessa off her horse and takes her to a private tent with a cot and a tub of hot water.
The Guardian enters without an invitation and tells Odessa the group will rest for a day and a half. He warns her not to wander past the fires and says he’ll resume her training the next day. Odessa asks him to send Zavier to her, but he makes a disturbing comment about how the prince shares his women. The remark rattles her. Brielle walks in a moment later, and the Guardian leaves.
In the bath, Brielle voices a theory Odessa already suspects. The Turans rode through the night to keep them disoriented and unable to track the path to the capital. Just as Odessa begins to drift off, a massive roar erupts from the darkness beyond the firelight.
Shield of Sparrows Chapter 16
Odessa can’t sleep and walks through the camp. Tillia follows on Zavier’s orders but grows suspicious when Odessa mentions Allesaria and stops answering her questions.
The Guardian takes over watch duty. Odessa asks about the roar she heard, and the Guardian confirms it was a grizzur. He shows Odessa the blood on his tunic and leads her to the creature’s body, an enormous beast resembling a bear with long white spikes along its spine and massive claws. The sight of the nearly decapitated monster shakes Odessa. She reminds the Guardian she wants her own sword, and he agrees, telling her to be ready for training at sunrise.
After the Guardian leaves, Odessa watches Zavier and three warriors ride out at a gallop. The Guardian follows shortly after. Odessa notices but stays put. Later, another roar echoes through the camp, and she remains awake the rest of the night.
Shield of Sparrows Chapter 17
Odessa begins her training session with the Guardian at sunrise as a storm moves in. The Guardian gives Odessa two short blades and teaches her basic techniques like blocking and striking at vulnerabilities. She struggles to balance on the muddy ground and falls repeatedly.
The Guardian realizes Odessa can’t bring herself to attack him and provokes her by targeting her deepest insecurities. The Guardian claims her family abandoned her, suggests her sister is sleeping with her former fiancé, and points out she never got to say goodbye to her little brother. The tactic works, and Odessa lashes out, but she still can’t land a single hit and collapses from exhaustion.
Zavier steps in and orders the Guardian to stop. Despite the Guardian’s protest, Zavier ends the session. He tells Odessa he must travel to the city of Perris on urgent business and that she’ll continue toward the fortress of Ellder without him. Back in her tent, Odessa finds a warm bath and a single apple waiting for her.
Shield of Sparrows Chapter 18
The group camps against a large rock formation with no tents. A small ring of fires protects the thirty-six warriors who remained after Zavier and his rangers left for Perris. The Guardian is also missing.
Through the night, packs of bariwolves circle the camp and communicate in clicks. The warriors fend them off, but things turn dire when a massive grizzur charges at a full run. The fires burn low, and the people in camp are terrified. Then the grizzur’s roar breaks off. The Guardian emerges from the darkness and walks through the flames, covered in dark blood. The warriors erupt in cheers.
The Guardian goes straight to Tillia for a private, intimate conversation. Odessa watches and feels a strange unease she chooses not to examine.
Later, the Guardian crouches beside Odessa and speaks more gently than usual. The Guardian tells her to sleep and assures her they’re safe. Odessa feels grateful but says nothing. The next morning, the group rides past the dead grizzur and continues toward the mountains.
Shield of Sparrows Chapter 19
After several days in the foothills, Tillia tells Odessa the group will stop at a village called Treow instead of heading straight to the fortress of Ellder. During the journey, Odessa thinks she witnesses a romantic moment between Tillia and the Guardian, but the Guardian is only telling her that her husband Halston will soon be joining them. The relief Odessa feels unsettles her.
Treow is built entirely in the trees, with houses on high platforms connected by ladders and rope bridges. Tillia explains the Turans build this way to stay safe from predators, then leads Odessa to a private treehouse where her belongings, a hot bath, and a meal are waiting.
The Guardian stops by and tells Odessa that Zavier has been delayed in Perris. The Guardian asks directly if her father sent her to spy. Odessa denies it, but the Guardian calls her a bad liar and warns that she won’t be allowed to travel to the capital until Zavier trusts her.
On his way out, the Guardian unhooks the rope ladder, tosses it to the forest floor, jumps twenty feet from the balcony, and walks away unharmed. Odessa is left trapped alone in the treehouse.
Shield of Sparrows Chapter 20
Tillia takes Odessa on a tour of the central village. A pony rider arrives with mail, and Tillia explains that hundreds of these messengers travel across the kingdom to keep towns connected. Odessa realizes the riders might know the secret routes to the capital and decides to watch them.
The Guardian interrupts and takes Odessa to a training area for a grueling three-hour session. He’s relentless and shows no mercy, and Odessa falls many times.
During a water break, Odessa asks what the Guardian was like as a child. The Guardian admits he was reckless and often broke the rules. Odessa also asks about the markings on his leather arm guards. He tells her each one represents a life he has taken, a way to ensure he never forgets.
Before the session ends, the Guardian warns Odessa about Turan loyalty. Odessa understands. If the Guardian ever discovers her betrayal, he’ll kill her without hesitation.
Shield of Sparrows Chapter 21
After another challenging training session, the Guardian disappears without a word and leaves Odessa alone in the ring. Odessa heads back to the village and meets Cathlin, the local librarian, who agrees to open the building early for her. She picks out a few books on history and monsters, one of them a scathing critique of her home kingdom by a man named Samuel Hay. Odessa also runs into Brielle and promises to find her a better place to live so they can be closer.
That night, Odessa reads Samuel Hay’s book and is stunned to find he calls her people thieves and suggests her father had a hand in her mother’s death. The accusations leave her fuming.
Later, a scratching sound pulls Odessa awake. She looks over the railing and spots a dangerous lionwick below. Odessa signals to the Guardian on his nearby balcony, but he refuses and tells her to handle it herself before going back inside. Then Odessa hears another voice in his room. The thought of him with someone else unsettles her. She locks her door and spends the rest of the night staring at the stars.
Shield of Sparrows Chapter 22
After her training session with Tillia, Odessa heads to the common area for breakfast and sees the Guardian ride through camp with an expression of pure fury. Shortly after, armed soldiers arrive and surround the square. Their leader is King Ramsey, Zavier’s father.
Cathlin signals for Odessa to stay out of sight while the soldiers spread through the village, pulling every book they can find from the library and private homes to burn in a pile at the center of town before they leave.
Odessa returns to her treehouse to find it ransacked. Her clothes are scattered, her hair dye is ruined, her borrowed books are gone, and her gold crown has been stolen. She checks the satchel she stashed on a high branch outside the balcony and finds her journal, money, and necklace still safe.
The Guardian watches from his balcony and laughs. Odessa knows he’s now certain she’s keeping secrets.
Shield of Sparrows Chapter 23
A week passes, and Odessa settles into a routine in Treow. She trains with Tillia in the mornings and spends her afternoons riding or exploring the area. Odessa tries to pull information from the mail carriers, but the pony riders ignore her. Her attempts at spying are going nowhere.
When the Guardian returns, he takes over from Tillia. Odessa is caught off guard by her own reaction to seeing him again. The Guardian tests her reflexes with a light slap to the face, and when she partially deflects his second attempt, he acknowledges that she’s making progress.
A young girl named Evangeline appears at the edge of the ring. The Guardian clearly knows her and tries to send her back to her lessons, but approaching horses stop everyone. Evangeline sprints toward the clearing, and the Guardian follows. Odessa trails behind out of curiosity.
Zavier rides in with three other rangers, dismounts, and drops to one knee. Evangeline runs to him and calls him Papa.
Shield of Sparrows Chapter 24
Odessa meets with Zavier to talk about his daughter. Zavier explains that Evangeline is four years old, her mother died in labor, and he keeps her hidden to protect her from the royal court. Odessa asks to spend time with the girl, and Zavier agrees.
When Odessa asks about their travel plans, Zavier tells her they’ll relocate to Ellder before the upcoming migration. The news is a serious blow to Odessa. She realizes she won’t reach Allesaria in time to complete her father’s mission.
Back at her quarters, Odessa impulsively kisses Zavier on the cheek. Zavier doesn’t pull away, but the pity in his eyes makes her feel foolish. She apologizes, and he touches her face briefly before walking away.
Inside her treehouse, Odessa finds the Guardian lounging on her bed. He mocks her for the kiss and asks again whether her father sent her as a spy. Odessa tries to deny it, but her response comes out too fast and too nervous to be convincing. The Guardian says nothing more, leaps to his own balcony, drops her rope ladder to the ground, and slams his door shut.