back,” an Outer Kingdom sailor chuckled and when the others turned to him, he grinned. “When message come he be found alive--“
“Alive?” the men of the Wind Force bellowed to a man.
Meggie turned her head and the sound and looked across the deck. “They be discussing you, gal.”
Catherine nodded. “I don’t doubt it.”
“I have just one question for you, sweeting,” Meggie said, gaining the young woman’s attention.
“Do I love him?” Catherine asked.
Meggie slowly bobbed her head up and down.
“Does the sun set in the west, Meggie-love?” she asked, surprising the old woman with the nickname Conar had given her long ago. “Does it rise in the east and dry the dew from the flowers?” She took the old woman’s hand in her own. “Does this woman love Conar McGregor?”
“That’s what I’m wanting to be knowing!” Meggie snorted.
“I came half-way around the world, against my parents’ wishes, my brothers’ angry denials, stowing away and living off a tin of warm water and two loaves of bread until I knew we were far enough out to sea that they couldn’t turn around and take me home. I shunned the hand of every eligible bachelor in my homeland, seven emirates and three kingdoms just to have Conar McGregor kiss me as only he can.” She lowered her eyes. “And I gave him what I had given no other man before him and thrilled in the giving.” She looked up. “How do you think I feel about him, Meggie?”
Meggie stared hard at her for a good long time then squeezed her hand. “Don’t go hurting him, lass,” she warned. “If’n you do, you’ll have a heap of trouble piled on your pretty little head the likes of which you ain’t never seen.”
Catherine smiled. “He’s been hurt enough in his lifetime. I’d die before I’d let anything hurt him, Meg.”
“That you might,” Meggie agreed. “That you might.”
WINDDECEIVER Charlotte Boyett-Compo 53
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Chase couldn’t believe what he was seeing as he and the three other men rode down off a high dune to view the staggered line of moving men and vehicles stretching along the desert.
“Sweet Alel,” Chase gasped.
“Slavery,” Yuri barked, his face stony. “Whips and shackles and torment. That is slavery!”
“How the hell are we going to find one man among all them?” Sajin asked, overwhelmed by the sight. Slavery had been a part of his life since he was old enough to understand what the word meant, but never had he seen such a sight as this. In Kensett, the slaves were not treated so.
“Well, we won’t do it sitting here,” Azalon remarked. He wiped the sweat from under his bearded chin. “Watch yourselves. There’s other riders to the east of us.”
Sajin looked to his left and saw twenty or so riders coming toward them. Something in his very soul told who was leading that group of men.
“Montyne!” When Chase looked his way, he pointed. “How much do you want to bet that’s our friend?”
Chase twisted in his saddle and saw the other group of riders. “I’d say by the way they’re bearing down, you may be right.”
“They’ve spotted us,” Yuri said, drawing his saber. He kept tight rein on his steed as several riders broke away from the main group and headed their way.
“He’s going after that last column of men,” Sajin said, watching a big black destrier racing ahead of the others.
Chase opened his mind, but nothing would come. Since coming to this godsforsaken land, he had not been able to use even a smidgen of his power.
“If that’s Conar, he knows exactly where Jale is,” Yuri said. He was watching the men hurrying toward him, preparing himself to fight if need be.
“Maybe not,” Chase answered, still trying to probe the aura around him. All he got for his effort was a wavering shimmer of heat.
“Heads up!” Sajin shouted, kicking his horse toward the group that was heading straight for him.
Conar had seen the other riders on the dune, but he had no time to
“Alive?” the men of the Wind Force bellowed to a man.
Meggie turned her head and the sound and looked across the deck. “They be discussing you, gal.”
Catherine nodded. “I don’t doubt it.”
“I have just one question for you, sweeting,” Meggie said, gaining the young woman’s attention.
“Do I love him?” Catherine asked.
Meggie slowly bobbed her head up and down.
“Does the sun set in the west, Meggie-love?” she asked, surprising the old woman with the nickname Conar had given her long ago. “Does it rise in the east and dry the dew from the flowers?” She took the old woman’s hand in her own. “Does this woman love Conar McGregor?”
“That’s what I’m wanting to be knowing!” Meggie snorted.
“I came half-way around the world, against my parents’ wishes, my brothers’ angry denials, stowing away and living off a tin of warm water and two loaves of bread until I knew we were far enough out to sea that they couldn’t turn around and take me home. I shunned the hand of every eligible bachelor in my homeland, seven emirates and three kingdoms just to have Conar McGregor kiss me as only he can.” She lowered her eyes. “And I gave him what I had given no other man before him and thrilled in the giving.” She looked up. “How do you think I feel about him, Meggie?”
Meggie stared hard at her for a good long time then squeezed her hand. “Don’t go hurting him, lass,” she warned. “If’n you do, you’ll have a heap of trouble piled on your pretty little head the likes of which you ain’t never seen.”
Catherine smiled. “He’s been hurt enough in his lifetime. I’d die before I’d let anything hurt him, Meg.”
“That you might,” Meggie agreed. “That you might.”
WINDDECEIVER Charlotte Boyett-Compo 53
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Chase couldn’t believe what he was seeing as he and the three other men rode down off a high dune to view the staggered line of moving men and vehicles stretching along the desert.
“Sweet Alel,” Chase gasped.
“Slavery,” Yuri barked, his face stony. “Whips and shackles and torment. That is slavery!”
“How the hell are we going to find one man among all them?” Sajin asked, overwhelmed by the sight. Slavery had been a part of his life since he was old enough to understand what the word meant, but never had he seen such a sight as this. In Kensett, the slaves were not treated so.
“Well, we won’t do it sitting here,” Azalon remarked. He wiped the sweat from under his bearded chin. “Watch yourselves. There’s other riders to the east of us.”
Sajin looked to his left and saw twenty or so riders coming toward them. Something in his very soul told who was leading that group of men.
“Montyne!” When Chase looked his way, he pointed. “How much do you want to bet that’s our friend?”
Chase twisted in his saddle and saw the other group of riders. “I’d say by the way they’re bearing down, you may be right.”
“They’ve spotted us,” Yuri said, drawing his saber. He kept tight rein on his steed as several riders broke away from the main group and headed their way.
“He’s going after that last column of men,” Sajin said, watching a big black destrier racing ahead of the others.
Chase opened his mind, but nothing would come. Since coming to this godsforsaken land, he had not been able to use even a smidgen of his power.
“If that’s Conar, he knows exactly where Jale is,” Yuri said. He was watching the men hurrying toward him, preparing himself to fight if need be.
“Maybe not,” Chase answered, still trying to probe the aura around him. All he got for his effort was a wavering shimmer of heat.
“Heads up!” Sajin shouted, kicking his horse toward the group that was heading straight for him.
Conar had seen the other riders on the dune, but he had no time to
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