teleporting. At that point, you can speak to the Sols with ease because I’ll be able to ’port you as you wish.”
“I can’t wait.” Yet I had to for another day. That sucked.
“I’ll get you to Carver so you can mind-merge in plenty of time. No harm will ever come to you in my care.”
Silas. I wished he were here. I was an independent woman, but merging my mind with his had increased my dependency on him. Not that great.
“I meant what I said. Nothing bad ever.”
The depth of Maslin’s vow had me barely holding back tears. I trusted him. “I know you won’t.”
“There’s nothing we can’t deal with. I’ve promised to look after you, and I always keep my–”
The sharp clang of steel on steel beyond the door had me swinging around. My heart pumped faster. What the...
Swords? What was going on?
Maslin stepped in front of me, obliterating my view of the door as he withdrew a short dagger from a sheath along the inside of his arm. He passed me his oil lamp. “Stay here,” he whispered, and slunk to the side of the door.
“Damn it, Carver. Stop fighting with Guy. I had him bring us here, as you demanded. And you, Loveria, let go of me. My arms are killing me, pinned to my back.”
It was Goldie. Guy had brought her? Silas and Loveria were here too?
I slid in beside Maslin and set the lamps on the floor.
Silas stood in a fighter’s position, his sword raised against Guy’s. This was unexpected.
“Your enchanter drew his sword on Silas first.” Loveria had Goldie restrained to one side. He continued, “I’ll let you go, Wincrest, when Moyer lowers his weapon. We both agreed to no blood being spilt while we searched for Silas’s mate.”
“Hope isn’t lost, you dimwit.” Goldie cranked her head around and glared at him. “Maslin told Guy he was bringing her here. Here is where they’ll be.”
Silas shot Loveria a quick look. “There’s no tribe here as they said there would be. They lied.”
“Warriors do not lie.” I stepped into the doorway.
Goldie harrumphed. “See, I told you she’d be here. Let go, you imbecile.”
Loveria pushed her away and wiped his hands on his buff leather pants. “Gladly.”
“Are you hurt?” Silas’s gaze moved over me.
“No. I’m among my own, remember?”
Guy pounced on him and Silas heaved to the side, barely bringing his blade up in time to deflect the attack.
I wagged my finger at him. “My mate, you need to be more worried about yourself. And, Guy, if you draw blood and he can’t walk, you’ll carry him out of here.”
“I’m not carrying him.” Guy tapped the flat of his blade. “Damn, you being bound to a protector is all kinds of wrong.”
Silas grumbled as he joined Loveria. “Hope, come here.”
I leaned a hip against the doorway. “No, I’m good, thanks.”
He glared. “Get. Here. Now.”
I crossed my arms. “No. I’m. Good. Thanks.”
“You cut me off during our telepathic connection.”
“Tough. Sometimes I get moody when someone says they are going to kill someone else. Who I know.”
“What do you expect me to say? You told me you were with him.” He shot a daggered look at Maslin.
“Puh-lease.” Goldie let out the mother of all sighs. “As much as I want to hear you two fight, we’re losing daylight. I gather we’re sleeping here.” She clamped one hand on Maslin and the other on Guy, hauling them past me.
Silas advanced. “I promised your aunt no blood would be shed if Moyer brought us here, but if I see Sol even breathe on you, all deals are off.”
I looked into his eyes and the truth blazed back at me. “Maslin knows you’re my mate. I made that clear, not that you and I are fully committed to each other.”
“Trust me, we’re committed.” He pulled me to him and bent his head. “You are a difficult mate, disappearing constantly from my sight. I couldn’t focus on my work with the way you left.”
“Too bad. I can’t teleport, so I’m at the whim of others.”
His
“I can’t wait.” Yet I had to for another day. That sucked.
“I’ll get you to Carver so you can mind-merge in plenty of time. No harm will ever come to you in my care.”
Silas. I wished he were here. I was an independent woman, but merging my mind with his had increased my dependency on him. Not that great.
“I meant what I said. Nothing bad ever.”
The depth of Maslin’s vow had me barely holding back tears. I trusted him. “I know you won’t.”
“There’s nothing we can’t deal with. I’ve promised to look after you, and I always keep my–”
The sharp clang of steel on steel beyond the door had me swinging around. My heart pumped faster. What the...
Swords? What was going on?
Maslin stepped in front of me, obliterating my view of the door as he withdrew a short dagger from a sheath along the inside of his arm. He passed me his oil lamp. “Stay here,” he whispered, and slunk to the side of the door.
“Damn it, Carver. Stop fighting with Guy. I had him bring us here, as you demanded. And you, Loveria, let go of me. My arms are killing me, pinned to my back.”
It was Goldie. Guy had brought her? Silas and Loveria were here too?
I slid in beside Maslin and set the lamps on the floor.
Silas stood in a fighter’s position, his sword raised against Guy’s. This was unexpected.
“Your enchanter drew his sword on Silas first.” Loveria had Goldie restrained to one side. He continued, “I’ll let you go, Wincrest, when Moyer lowers his weapon. We both agreed to no blood being spilt while we searched for Silas’s mate.”
“Hope isn’t lost, you dimwit.” Goldie cranked her head around and glared at him. “Maslin told Guy he was bringing her here. Here is where they’ll be.”
Silas shot Loveria a quick look. “There’s no tribe here as they said there would be. They lied.”
“Warriors do not lie.” I stepped into the doorway.
Goldie harrumphed. “See, I told you she’d be here. Let go, you imbecile.”
Loveria pushed her away and wiped his hands on his buff leather pants. “Gladly.”
“Are you hurt?” Silas’s gaze moved over me.
“No. I’m among my own, remember?”
Guy pounced on him and Silas heaved to the side, barely bringing his blade up in time to deflect the attack.
I wagged my finger at him. “My mate, you need to be more worried about yourself. And, Guy, if you draw blood and he can’t walk, you’ll carry him out of here.”
“I’m not carrying him.” Guy tapped the flat of his blade. “Damn, you being bound to a protector is all kinds of wrong.”
Silas grumbled as he joined Loveria. “Hope, come here.”
I leaned a hip against the doorway. “No, I’m good, thanks.”
He glared. “Get. Here. Now.”
I crossed my arms. “No. I’m. Good. Thanks.”
“You cut me off during our telepathic connection.”
“Tough. Sometimes I get moody when someone says they are going to kill someone else. Who I know.”
“What do you expect me to say? You told me you were with him.” He shot a daggered look at Maslin.
“Puh-lease.” Goldie let out the mother of all sighs. “As much as I want to hear you two fight, we’re losing daylight. I gather we’re sleeping here.” She clamped one hand on Maslin and the other on Guy, hauling them past me.
Silas advanced. “I promised your aunt no blood would be shed if Moyer brought us here, but if I see Sol even breathe on you, all deals are off.”
I looked into his eyes and the truth blazed back at me. “Maslin knows you’re my mate. I made that clear, not that you and I are fully committed to each other.”
“Trust me, we’re committed.” He pulled me to him and bent his head. “You are a difficult mate, disappearing constantly from my sight. I couldn’t focus on my work with the way you left.”
“Too bad. I can’t teleport, so I’m at the whim of others.”
His
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