Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103333 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103333 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
“You mean submit, something Hunters don’t do. We track. We hunt. We get our prey. But we never surrender. Can you imagine the turmoil Scotara would be in if the king surrendered to love and put that love before the kingdom?”
“Perhaps it would make him a more tolerant ruler.” Seeing how his remark annoyed his da, Dar quickly added, “And speaking of the king… I have a message from him for you.”
“Tell me,” his da said, anxiously.
“The king spoke openly about a spy being in Scotara, but in private he told me that he also believes that one of his own has betrayed him and sends information to Tharne, ruler of Drogath. He wants you to find out who it is that betrays him and he wants him delivered to him alive, so he may see him suffer.”
“It means secretly infiltrating his inner circle.”
“I informed him of that. He made it clear that he is to be made aware of who you send and they are to report directly to him.”
His da rubbed his chin. “I will need to give this thought. It will not be an easy hunt.”
“I have an idea that I think would work,” Dar offered.
“Tell me,” his da said eagerly as he refilled their goblets with wine.
Dar made his way to his cottage, the village silent at this late hour, and the air chilled. Torches flickered along the pathways, and he took his time enjoying the sting of the cold night air. He would hurry, wanting to speak with his wife, but talking with his da took longer than he had expected, having detailed what the king expected of him and Elara. However, he kept the news about the ethereal figure to himself. That information was not to be shared as he and Elara had agreed.
He figured Elara was already asleep. Though the thought of joining her in bed, wrapping himself around her, hastened his steps a bit.
Feelings were a Hunter’s enemy. If a Hunter allowed himself to feel mistakes could be made, prey lost, the mission a failure. So, he had been bred like his father before him, therefore, love was not something to be considered, let alone felt.
And yet… he felt something for Elara. Something that gripped him so strongly that he could not ignore it. And he did not want to. He would not admit it to his da. He had a difficult time admitting it to himself. But he felt something for his wife, and it was growing stronger by the day.
He reached his cottage and eased the door open, not wishing to disturb Elara if she slept, and stepped inside quietly shutting the door behind him. The fire had burned low and he cast a quick glance at the bed and froze.
A dark shape hovered over Elara, and it turned toward him.
The dark hood concealed its face, but it raised a slim finger and shook it at him.
He sprang forward, stretching his hands out to capture the creature, and it swirled like a cloud of smoke and shot up the chimney.
Chapter Twenty
Village of Falkrith
Dar’s Cottage
* * *
Elara woke with a start, disoriented, her eyes going wide seeing Dar’s hands reaching out to her as if ready to strangle her. She jerked upright with a sharp breath, her heart pounding as she scrambled backward off the bed. She barely landed on her feet, his hand grabbing her arm, stopping her from fleeing.
“Easy, Elara, it was not you I reached for,” he explained, his hand resting at her waist after releasing her arm.
The gentle weight of his hand slowed her thundering heartbeat. “If you weren’t reaching for me then…” She let the question hang there.
He glanced at the fire that burned low, embers glowing faintly, smoke curling lazily up the chimney. Nothing hovered there now. Nothing stirred.
She grew concerned when his jaw tightened and his eyes sparked with a hint of anger.
His hand slipped around her waist, drawing her closer. “The healer was here, hovering over you.”
A chill crept over her, prickling her skin. “You saw her?”
“Aye, I saw it just after I entered. It hovered above you, dark and looking as if it was about to devour you. When I moved, it turned and shook its finger at me.”
Her brow creased. “Why would she hover over me? I am not ill. I wonder if she was trying to tell me something. She certainly had a message for you—stay away.”
His own brow narrowed. “You don’t believe it meant you harm?”
“She is a healer. She wouldn’t inflict harm.”
“You don’t know that,” he argued. “If it is born of dark magic and has the power over death, then there is no telling how dangerous it might be.”
Elara shook her head. “I don’t agree. If she wanted to harm me, she could have easily done so by now, and she hasn’t. She only warns me and now you as well. She warns us to stay away, not find her, but why? Why if she can help does she stay hidden?”