Chapter 52

As the sun set, the fire was lit in the stone circle set up for it, and the crowd settled in on blankets and towels for an evening of singing and storytelling. Thorn still hadn’t returned, so I found a seat toward the back of the group and listened to everyone around me. I couldn’t sing for shit, but I certainly appreciated a good tune.

And then, a gorgeous tenor, clear as a bell, rang out across the sand, causing a hush to fall over the crowd. I looked up to see who it was, and my heart stopped and started as Thorn sang a well-known folksong, his friend from earlier sitting next to him with a battered acoustic guitar. Everyone was supposed to sing along, but no one did, preferring to listen.