completely missed the real
threat. The pain of an arrow was the least of her worries when it sent her
headfirst into the forest floor. She didn't even have time to curse her own
stupidity before the ground came at her too fast and with another flash of
pain, everything went black.
Waking up to find herself
with a pounding head and tightly bandaged shoulder Katrine knew by the feel of
the coming twilight that a great deal of time had passed. Not that she could
see it from where she was but the feel of the familiar weave around her told
her she had not been taken far, and that time had passed. Besides that
knowledge, her connection was muted. Which could be because of the hard rock,
which was cold beneath her unfortunately naked body, and the solid stone walls
surrounding her, or she could have hit her head hard enough to affect her concentration,
which would make it difficult to seek the weave. Either way she had few
options, especially when she realized she was tied hand and foot. Her next
thought should have been about her situation. It was not. Katrine wondered
where Khalon was. She knew with a pang in her belly that he would not have
given up; she just hoped he was as accomplished at surviving in the wilds as he
was at fighting outcasts.
Then she heard a voice
that caused every nerve in her body to lock. All her thoughts turned to
herself, and the man she had hoped never to see again.
"You should never
have run from me, witch." Why was it that she could hear Khalon call her
witch and it felt like a caress, on this man’s lips it made her want to wash.
"You are going to wish you had died that day at the river before I have
finished with you."
Katrine heard the malice
he spewed and let it wash over her while she pressed her eyes tighter against
the pain that turning her head so quickly produced. Inwardly she sighed and
sent a brief apology to Deni wherever he was. She had tried to let this go,
because he was Deni's son, she had left the Outcasts behind and moved on. But,
she had always known this day would come, even if she tried to tell herself
leaving was enough.
She opened her eyes and
met Renault's black eyes. It looked like she was going to have to kill him
after all.
CHAPTER TEN
Khalon knew Katrine was
in trouble even before he found the blood and a red strand of hair where it was
clear she tumbled out of the trees and struck the ground hard. He followed the
fresh trail moving fast. It ended with more blood and a discarded bloody
arrow. Renault, he thought grimly. Knowing in his gut that it was the black-eyed
Outcast who had her. Khalon gritted his teeth against the growl that was
forcing itself out of his chest. The thought of Katrine not only hurt but also
at the mercy of a twisted bastard that targeted her as a child, was enough to
make him crazed.
Being on foot following
the trail the horse left behind through the thick wilds gave him an advantage,
until they veered back onto the North road. Khalon cursed fluently. From the
sound of silence all around he was nowhere near either his horse and the rest
of the Southern Warriors of his brothers troops, and there was no sound in the
distance of the escaping horse, which meant he had quickly lost whatever lead
he had, and he had no way to get it back. Cursing again, Khalon secured his
weapons and started running, guessing that the Outcast would be heading north
away from the battle. He kept a look out for holes in the greenery while he
ran. If Renault veered off into the green again, he did not want to miss it.
With the sun going down, he could only hope that Renault stopped soon, and that
it was not too dark to see his trail when he did.
***
Katrine waited for
Renault to finish his crazed ranting that promised long pain filled and
degrading hours at his mercy. Then she waited longer as he stroked the fire
and prepared the branding iron he had heating over the open flames. That
threat. The pain of an arrow was the least of her worries when it sent her
headfirst into the forest floor. She didn't even have time to curse her own
stupidity before the ground came at her too fast and with another flash of
pain, everything went black.
Waking up to find herself
with a pounding head and tightly bandaged shoulder Katrine knew by the feel of
the coming twilight that a great deal of time had passed. Not that she could
see it from where she was but the feel of the familiar weave around her told
her she had not been taken far, and that time had passed. Besides that
knowledge, her connection was muted. Which could be because of the hard rock,
which was cold beneath her unfortunately naked body, and the solid stone walls
surrounding her, or she could have hit her head hard enough to affect her concentration,
which would make it difficult to seek the weave. Either way she had few
options, especially when she realized she was tied hand and foot. Her next
thought should have been about her situation. It was not. Katrine wondered
where Khalon was. She knew with a pang in her belly that he would not have
given up; she just hoped he was as accomplished at surviving in the wilds as he
was at fighting outcasts.
Then she heard a voice
that caused every nerve in her body to lock. All her thoughts turned to
herself, and the man she had hoped never to see again.
"You should never
have run from me, witch." Why was it that she could hear Khalon call her
witch and it felt like a caress, on this man’s lips it made her want to wash.
"You are going to wish you had died that day at the river before I have
finished with you."
Katrine heard the malice
he spewed and let it wash over her while she pressed her eyes tighter against
the pain that turning her head so quickly produced. Inwardly she sighed and
sent a brief apology to Deni wherever he was. She had tried to let this go,
because he was Deni's son, she had left the Outcasts behind and moved on. But,
she had always known this day would come, even if she tried to tell herself
leaving was enough.
She opened her eyes and
met Renault's black eyes. It looked like she was going to have to kill him
after all.
CHAPTER TEN
Khalon knew Katrine was
in trouble even before he found the blood and a red strand of hair where it was
clear she tumbled out of the trees and struck the ground hard. He followed the
fresh trail moving fast. It ended with more blood and a discarded bloody
arrow. Renault, he thought grimly. Knowing in his gut that it was the black-eyed
Outcast who had her. Khalon gritted his teeth against the growl that was
forcing itself out of his chest. The thought of Katrine not only hurt but also
at the mercy of a twisted bastard that targeted her as a child, was enough to
make him crazed.
Being on foot following
the trail the horse left behind through the thick wilds gave him an advantage,
until they veered back onto the North road. Khalon cursed fluently. From the
sound of silence all around he was nowhere near either his horse and the rest
of the Southern Warriors of his brothers troops, and there was no sound in the
distance of the escaping horse, which meant he had quickly lost whatever lead
he had, and he had no way to get it back. Cursing again, Khalon secured his
weapons and started running, guessing that the Outcast would be heading north
away from the battle. He kept a look out for holes in the greenery while he
ran. If Renault veered off into the green again, he did not want to miss it.
With the sun going down, he could only hope that Renault stopped soon, and that
it was not too dark to see his trail when he did.
***
Katrine waited for
Renault to finish his crazed ranting that promised long pain filled and
degrading hours at his mercy. Then she waited longer as he stroked the fire
and prepared the branding iron he had heating over the open flames. That
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