by Linda Mooney
“What if I sent someone into the village to look for him?â�� Croat murmured to himself.Not wise. Besides, you have no idea what the boy looks like.
“But she’s not healed yet from her wounds. She’s still weak. Another week. Or another month. Give her time to heal first.”
She must go. You know that. You have no right to try and stop her.
Croat shook his head irritably. This was crazy! He paused on the narrow walkway, unaware of people passing nearby who called out a greeting. His thoughts and his vision were turned inward. Wasn’t Tora leaving a good thing? Isn’t that what he wanted? Isn’t that what his people needed?
Yes, but…so soon?
“Our connection is permanent.”
Mentally, yes. But the physical part, the physical aspect of it…
What physical part? The hand-holding? The furtive touches?
Yes. �Yes!� he almost growled. With her gone, he would no longer be subject to that warmth and sense of perfect serenity she gave him whenever they touched. By the gods, he had lived this long without it. He could spend the rest of his life without it as well.
The rest of his life?
The image of her pale, moon-colored face with her dark, depthless eyes rose in his mind. The soft, brown hair framing her cheeks. The nearly virgin lips. Her pure, virgin body.
He felt a tightness in his groin, like a shot of adrenalin going straight to his dick. His erection slowly tented his pants away from his body.
He had to admit the truthâ��that he wanted to bury himself in her as deeply as he could. He didn’t want that feel-good blanket to wrap around just his insides. He wanted to immerse all of himself in Tora’s specialness. To feel her outside as well as inside, like submerging himself in a hot tub of water after having a warm drink.
He cursed himself for wanting it so badly, he was actually debating whether or not he should have her followed back to Neabush.
But she doesn’t care for you the way you care for her.
“Then I’ll make her care,â�� Croat argued.
How? By force?
“She cares for me already.”
She had pity on you after you were beaten by the baron’s men. She did what she was born to do. What her Sensitive nature was bred to do. What she had no choice in doing. She does care about you, but she doesn’t love you. Not the way you love her.
Shock ripped through him. Croat gasped at the realization. â��I don’t love her,â�� he argued to the air.
Neither does she love you. If she did, she wouldn’t leave.
He opened his mouth to argue further when he heard someone call out his name. Croat turned around to see Jefron running toward him. Seeing that the man was unclothed and Lupan, Croat immediately knew Jefron had come directly from guard duty. Straightening, Croat waited for the man to speak.
“Eight riders have entered our northeastern border.”
“Agrino’s?”
“Definitely.”
“How many guards are out there to divert them?”
“Four. Burgari is in charge. I’m going back there now to provide a fifth support.”
The man was panting, but not heavily. In Lupan form, his strength and endurance would be triple what he would have as human.
Croat nodded. â��I’ll send Voldivar as backup, in case you need more help.”
Jefron gave a curt nod, turned, and sprinted away, disappearing within seconds into the surrounding woods. Croat watched his departure as Mengar approached from his left.
“Need someone to help you back to your place?”
Croat had no trouble accepting his friend’s aid. Taking the proffered arm, they headed for Croat’s cabin. â��Eight of the baron’s men have invaded our northeastern border,â�� Croat mentioned.
“They’ve been circling all around us for the past few weeks,â�� Mengar observed.
“This time they got close enough to alert our guards. Notify Voldivar. Send him up to help with the diversion, then let the rest of the men know.â�� He started to look back over his shoulder at Tora’s cabin, but stopped. But the movement was not lost on his friend.
“What are you thinking? Are you worried about the woman?â�� Mengar asked.
“She told me she’s leaving tomorrow. She’s going back to her village.”
“So?”
“Neabush is to the northeast.”
“You already knew she was from the baron’s lands,â�� the man pointed out. â��Why are you concerned? I thought you trusted her not to reveal our secret.”
“I do, Mengar. I do trust her. But I’m also worried about her welfare.”
Mengar bowed his head and muttered something under his breath. Croat halted to give him a dark glare. â��You had better repeat that so I can hear you.”
“Her welfare is none of our business,â�� Mengar said coldly. â��If you trust she won’t give us away, I believe you. After all, she’s a Sensitive. She knows what it’s like to hide. To try and keep from being detected. But what’s to stop her from using us to save her own skin? I say, let her go back. If she’s smart, she’ll keep going until she’s out of the baron’s land holdings.”
“She saved my life.”
“Yeah, and we saved hers. Everything’s evened up.”
Croat bit his tongue. It wouldn’t do to argue with Mengar. The man couldn’t know how Croat felt. He wouldn’t understand how wonderful it felt whenever Tora touched him. How absolutely beautiful the world became when they connected. No worries, no fearsâ��with every single thought bathed in clarity, and each emotion easily understood.
Before they reached Croat’s cabin, he knew what he had to do. Tomorrow when Tora left, he would have her tailed, with orders to whoever followed her not to reveal himself, but simply to make certain she arrived safely back at the village.
If Tora was determined to search for her brother, the least Croat could do was help her in any way he could. Then that way, if and when she found Basil, and needed a new place to go…a new place to hide…
Croat gritted his teeth and mentally made a note to tell the person following her that he could also offer her a place with them…if she was willing to accept it.
Tora living among them, with them, within his reach.
It was a dream that was quickly becoming an irresistible need. He didn’t know how Tora felt, but Croat had subconsciously come to the conclusion that he couldn’t spend the rest of his life without her close by. Where he could see her when he wanted. Or touch her when the need arose. To hear her voice like the softest lullaby soothing and calming him.
When they arrived at his cabin, Mengar asked if there was anything further he needed. Croat stared him directly in the face when he replied, â��Yes. I need you to do something for me. But I’m not asking this of you as a friend. I’m ordering you as your leader.”
Mengar appeared genuinely surprised. â��What is it?”
“I have a job that needs to be carried out, and it can only be done by someone I absolutely trust.â�� Giving him a grin, Croat gestured toward his front door. â��I won’t take but another moment of your time, Mengar. Come in. I promise to make it brief.”
Without waiting for the man to answer or protest, Croat opened the door and stepped inside first. Now that his decision had been made to bring Tora back to the village, it seemed as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.
And not just from his shoulders, but also from his heart.
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Chapter 16
Connection
Tora waited for Croat to come say goodbye. It had been a hard night for both of them. He had been restless and unable to sleep, plagued by fear and worry, while also being irritated and fighting pain. Why he had not taken his medications, she could not fathom.
Yet, above all the torment he was allowing himself to suffer, one emotion stood clear and shining. It was like a halo, surrounding all his other emoti
ons, gathering them into the center of his being. Keeping them collected so he could steady himself.
Plus she sensed hope. Something he had done had given him hope and a sense of purpose. He was almost giddy with the promise.
It wasn’t until the sun had fully risen that Tora realized he wasn’t coming. Neither was Deelaht. In fact, it was clear no one cared that she was leaving. A fully loaded knapsack had been left for her. That, and the clothes she wore, were all she had to take with her. But it was more than what she was accustomed to traveling with.
The man who had brought her the backpack had given her very precise oral directions on which way to go. She thanked him and wasted no more time hanging around.
She could tell from the pang of regret that pierced the center of her chest that Croat knew she had left. Or maybe he had furtively watched her leave. Either way, she knew he was feeling her sadness, although he wouldn’t understand why.
Sniffing, she wiped her nose with the hem of her voluminous skirt, since she didn’t have anything else to use. There was so much she hadn’t explained to Croat about their connection because she knew he would fight it to the bitter end. But she remembered nearly every word her mother had told her when she had begun to show the first signs of her Sensitive abilities.
It had been a hot summer day when the air seemed to be melting into the packed dirt and rocks. They had been on the run again, searching for a new place to live. Keeping off the main roads in case any armed men were traveling on them.
They had stopped at a stream to drink the cool water. Basil had curled up on a large tuft of grass under the canopy of an ancient tree, and fallen asleep. Tora was groggy, too, from exhaustion, and about to doze off when her mother brushed a lock of hair off of her sweaty forehead.
“Pay heed to me, Tora. Listen and learn.”
“I am listening, Mummy. I’m trying, but I’m sleepy.”
“I know you are, but I need to discuss this with you without your brother listening in.”
She dragged open heavy eyelids. Mummy only spoke about her specialness when Basil wouldn’t overhear. â��Does this have to do with what I can feel from other people?”
“Yes, but it goes deeper than that. Further than that. Not with everyone, but with a very special few.”
“What do you mean?”
“There are going to be times when you will touch another person, and you will become connected to them. They will feel the emotions coming from you the same way you feel theirs.”
Tora squinted at her mother in confusion. �How? I thought I was the only one who could read them, not them me,� she tried to argue, but Mummy shook her head.
“This is different. It’s not the same thing as when you touch another person to know how they feel. What I mean is…oh, gods, it’s hard to explain until you feel it. Tora, what I’m saying is…what I’m saying is that when you make that connection, you won’t just be able to sense their feelings. You’ll cause them, too. And that person will know they’re coming from you.”
“I’m tired, Mummy. I don’t know what you mean.”
“You will, Tora. I promise you. One day you’ll touch someone to read their emotions, and you’ll find out that you have been placed in the center of that person’s heart. It’s like a…a ring of pure white, all shiny and clean and perfect. And it will never fade, never grow smaller, and never weaken. It’s called love, Tora.”
Slowly, she was beginning to understand. â��Is that what happened between you and Poppa?”
Mummy smiled. It was one of the most beautiful smiles she had ever seen. â��Yes, Tora. That’s what happened between me and your father. I touched him, and suddenly he was able to read my emotions, too. When that connection occurred, we became equals. We understood each other without having to explain things. We felt and responded to each other without the need for words. It’s a very…it’s a very magical thing that happens for a Sensitive.â�� Mummy’s smile grew softer. She even blushed. â��One day, I pray it will happen to you. That you’ll touch that special person, and find a ring of bright whiteness circling his heart.”
A ring of bright whiteness circling his heart.
She had made her connection, finally. Yet Croat neither accepted nor understood why he cared for her. If she were to ever mention the word â��loveâ�� to him, she knew he would growl at her in that manner he had. He wouldn’t get angry. At least, not at her. But he would deny its existence. Or, if not its existence, the fact that he, now leader of the Lupan, would have fallen in love with a Sensitive. He would be like his friend, Mengar, and declare that she had bewitched him. She had caused him to fall for her. That she’d messed with his head or his emotions.
None of which was true, but how could she convince him otherwise? She could already sense his obstinance and denial.
Her heart twisted in pain, heating her face with unshed tears. Croat would not listen to the truth. Therefore she had no other recourse but to leave the Lupan village and go back to Neabush. Hopefully she would find Basil without too much trouble. Then the two of them could leave Neabush and head east.
Yes. East. Didn’t Vester Meesom once comment that the village sat almost on the easternmost border of the baron’s land holdings? If she could get past that border, then that would be one less worry she would have to face. It was difficult enough trying to avoid detection. But with Agrino’s men snatching people off the road and from their homes at will, staying in Neabush had become too dangerous. Sooner or later the villagers would discover what she was, and when they did, there would be no way she would be able to escape from the baron’s grasp, especially a second time.
Sadness cast its cloud over her. It merged with grief, until large, fat teardrops rolled down her cheeks. Determined, Tora forced herself to continue onward as she cupped a hand over her mouth and sobbed.
He was finally grieving for his father. Finally allowing himself to let go of all the pent-up feelings he had been hiding and denying. Relieving himself of the stress of being in the baron’s dungeon…being forced to kill and consume a human being, when the act had been so totally repugnant, yet necessary…his father’s death and burial…
…and now her absence.
If she had been back at the village, Tora knew she would not have been able to stay away from him. She knew she would have sought him out, if for no other reason than to touch him, to hold him, and to cuddle him in her embrace, until the unbearable emotions were washed away by both their tears.
Tora stumbled but kept moving. If she stopped, she would regret leaving and possibly turn back.
No, she already regretted leaving. She should have said something to him before taking off. If only to tell him she loved him. Then at least he would have known the truth from her. Would have heard it from her own lips even as he tried to deny what was beating inside his heart.
The sun was hot, but the wind was cool and brisk. Tora continued on toward Neabush and tried to set her mind on what she needed to doâ��to find Basil and get as far away from Baron Agrino and his men as possible. Maybe even traveling throughout the night until she felt they were far enough away. It wouldn’t be the first time she and her brother had fled under the cover of darkness. It wouldn’t be the last time, either.
Fortunately, even though her heart suffered with Croat’s as he wept, it made her travel time feel short. She stopped just twice to catch her breath and have a quick bite to eat. Once she thought she was being followed, but after a while she chalked it up to nerves.
When, at last, she cleared the copse of mulberry bushes which edged the northern perimeter of Neabush, the sun was beginning to dip into dusk. Relieved to make it back without detection, Tora headed directly for the tiny cabin where she had left Basil alone five days ago.
Five days. Nearly a week.
It felt more like years.
Her feet ached, but not as badly as her heart. Still, she picked up her pace as she aimed for her home, hoping to find her brother still the
re, alone, perhaps very hungry, and rightfully angry at her for deserting him. At least, that’s what she hoped to find.
Rounding the corner of a row of homes, she saw the corner of her cabin. Happiness and anxiety filled her upon spotting it. Smiling, Tora rushed for the front door…
…and immediately halted as dread crushed every hope she’d held.
Brushed across the door in black tar was the ugly circle with the X. It was a sign meant to drive away those who dealt in the dark magicks. It was a useless symbol to a Sensitive, but the villagers truly believed it would prevent someone of her kind from crossing a threshold, or taking residence within any home bearing the mark.
To Tora, it meant her secret was out. May the gods help her and Basil now, wherever he was. Wherever he was…oh, gods, where can he be?
She took a step back in shock as her eyes refused to leave the sight of that symbol. Her mind remained in turmoil as she tried to think of what to do next. She never heard the footsteps approaching from behind.
It wasn’t until the bag was thrown over her head, and her hands and arms were suddenly and firmly tied behind her back that Tora realized she had walked into their trap. They had been waiting for her, knowing she would eventually return for her brother.
She struggled, crying out as they lifted her off her feet and slung her over someone’s shoulder, but a heavy fist came from out of nowhere, crashing into the side of her head just above the ear.
Tora lost all sense as she lost consciousness.
She also lost her connection to Croat.
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Chapter 17
Neabush
Mengar stood in stunned silence as he watched Tora struggle against the three men. He saw one of the men beat her about the head, silencing her screams. One man ran off�Mengar guessed to let others know. The other two muttered inaudibly as they proceeded to carry her off toward the center of town.