Kindred 1

by Donna Grant

  EVERKIN

  THE KINDRED

  DONNA GRANT

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Afterword

  Newsletter

  Also by Donna Grant

  About the Author

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  EVERKIN

  © 2017 by DL Grant, LLC

  Cover Design © 2017 by Croco Designs

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce or transmit this book, or a portion thereof, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author. This book may not be resold or uploaded for distribution to others. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  www.DonnaGrant.com

  CHAPTER 1

  ENGLAND, 1334

  Battle had a way of damaging not just the body, but the mind, as well. Radnar gripped his right wrist as he flexed his hand. He’d taken a nasty hit two weeks prior, and there were times his fingers went numb.

  Not a good sign for any knight, much less one who earned his keep by his sword.

  He blew out a breath and leaned a shoulder against a wooden beam as he watched the blacksmith work on a new shoe for his horse. It was something Radnar could ill afford, but if his horse weren’t properly outfitted, he was as good as dead. So here he was, spending his last bag of coin.

  Life was one meaningless battle after another. He’d fought alongside some of the best knights of the age, and had even trained in techniques from a foreign land.

  A few of the nobles he’d fought in service for had asked him to remain at their castles, but something kept driving him onward. It was as if there weren’t a place in all of England he felt he could call home. Or even wanted to.

  His travels were taking him to an earl, who was building up his army to invade.... Someone. Somewhere. Radnar didn’t know who the earl was attacking, and he didn’t care. There was coin waiting, meals, and a way to release his love of battle.

  It was the sights, the sounds...the smell...of battle that sustained him. There was no family to call him home, no lover who beckoned.

  His mind drifted to years earlier when he was just a squire. Though his life had been hard, he hadn’t minded. Sir Gregory was fair, if heavy-handed at times. Gregory, unlike some knights, was more than willing to help Radnar join their ranks.

  It was during that time he first saw her. Edra.

  He pushed away from the post he leaned against and walked to his horse, rubbing his hand down the stallion’s neck. More and more often lately, Edra had entered his thoughts.

  No matter how much time passed, her face remained as clear in his mind as the day he’d first met her. There would never be another who had her bright blue eyes. No matter how hard he looked, there wasn’t a woman whose hair could match the honey blonde of Edra’s.

  Her smile had the ability to melt away his cares. Her laugh had given him contentment. Her sexy voice could have him hard and yearning with just a few words.

  The three months he’d spent with her had been the best of his life. He’d fallen in love with her and had promised to make her a lady just as soon as he earned his spurs. They’d made so many plans.

  Their passion had run hot from the instant they met, so it was no surprise that within a month, they were lovers. The gift of her maidenhead wasn’t something he’d taken lightly. He would’ve done anything for her.

  So when she’d left without a word, he was devastated.

  All he’d wanted to do was drown himself in ale, but Gregory didn’t give him a moment’s peace. Though Radnar hadn’t realized it at the time, the old knight had been looking out for him. He’d given Radnar something to focus on to quell his desolation. And when his misery turned to anger, Gregory had given him the opportunity in battle to become a knight.

  After he had been knighted, Radnar lay awake, staring at the stars, wishing he could celebrate one of his goals with the only person he loved: Edra.

  Sometime over the years, that anger had dissipated and shifted into longing. It settled in his chest, consistently tightening. It kept him moving from place to place, but he knew why.

  He was searching for her.

  Radnar knew he was a fool. If Edra had really loved him, she wouldn’t have left. But his heart wouldn’t listen, no matter how many times he tried such reasoning.

  He rubbed the black’s velvety nose. “Easy, boy,” he murmured when the stallion flicked his tail in agitation.

  Suddenly, Radnar stilled, his heart pounding. He turned in the direction where he’d seen the flash of honey blonde hair out of the corner of his eye. He was about to rush after the woman when the blacksmith called his name as he finished shoeing Radnar’s horse.

  Radnar fished out a coin and tossed it to the blacksmith before taking his stallion’s reins. He leapt atop the horse and gave him a nudge with his knees that sent his mount into a trot through the streets.

  He was so intent on looking for blonde hair that he nearly missed her. The woman was light of foot and wore a cloak with the hood up, preventing him from seeing her face as she zigzagged through the streets. But the cloak moved just enough that he saw a long, honey blonde braid.

  Just as Radnar started to call out to her, he noticed the woman glance hastily over her shoulder. He pulled on the reins to slow the stallion as he looked in the direction the woman had gazed. He saw two more cloaked women striding purposefully after her. One in red, the other in green.

  He clicked to his horse, following the blonde as she diverted toward the forest. It was a smart move. There was more cover within the trees, but if she needed help, there would be no one to hear her.

  With a sigh, Radnar dismounted and dropped the reins. His horse would remain there until he returned. His other two horses, along with his armor, were hidden a few miles from the village. He didn’t like leaving them so long, but he couldn’t, in good conscience, abandon the blonde.

  He kept the other cloaked women within sight as he followed discreetly. The fact that they didn’t quicken their steps as the blonde began running worried him. Only someone who was sure his or her quarry would be caught projected such confidence.

  His gaze jerked ahead, past the blonde. Years of battling and planning attacks had honed his instincts. Someone was there, waiting to capture her. He could feel it. He quietly slid his sword from the scabbard at his waist and twirled it once.

  On quiet feet, he trailed the women through the forest. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the smell of rain hung heavily in the air. The women didn’t look away from their target or falter in their pursuit.

  It was their stony countenance that set his teeth on edge. He knew what killers looked like. He’d seen enough of them in battle, and that’s exactly what these females reminded him of. It was an odd thing for the fairer sex.

  His grip on the hilt of his sword tightened when the blonde jerked to a halt. The hood of her cloak fell back, revealing a wealth of honey blonde hair. He quickly ducked behind the trunk of a tree.

  Then she turned around.

  His heart missed a beat as he found himself staring into a face he saw every night in his dreams. Edra. He drank in her hauntingly beautiful eyes and her stubborn chin. His hands ached to caress her creamy skin along her jaw to her cheekbones. He longed to feel her plump lips against his.

  His mouth parted as his blood pounded in his ears. The joy that erupted within him quickly soured as he saw two other women come up behind her.

  Just as he’d suspected. She’d fallen into a trap.

&
nbsp; “You shouldn’t have run, Edra,” said the woman in the deep green cloak.

  Edra squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “My answer was nay years ago. It is nay now, and it will be nay for eternity.”

  The one in the red cloak threw off her hood to reveal her midnight locks. She laughed as she shook a finger at Edra. “We warned you. We told you what would happen if you refused us.”

  “Someone would die,” said a third woman in a brown cloak.

  A fourth woman, wearing a black cloak smiled widely. “Someone close to you.”

  If Edra’s eyes could kill, all four of the females would be lying dead upon the ground. “You killed her.”

  Radnar frowned when he heard the tremor in Edra’s voice. There was violence in her words and in her bearing. The soft-spoken girl he’d known had grown into a fierce, defiant woman.

  And it set his blood aflame.

  “Of course, we did,” said the first woman.

  The second cackled loudly. “You can keep running, but we’ll continue to follow.”

  “And kill those you help,” said the third.

  The fourth woman rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “But we have you cornered. I say we deal with your disloyalty now.”

  To his shock, Edra calmly smiled before she said, “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  He stood, awestruck, as she flung open her cloak and shifted so that she could see all four women. Her stance was that of a warrior, one ready and willing to face her enemies.

  His first instinct was to help her, but something held him back. Edra appeared more than capable of handling herself. Even against four. It shouldn’t be possible, surely, and yet what he saw said otherwise.

  “You want to take us all?” asked the one in the red cloak, disbelief etched on her pretty face.

  The woman in green held up her hand for silence. “This is the very reason we wanted her in our Coven.”

  That drew Radnar up short. Coven? As in...witches? His gaze jerked back to Edra, who appeared unfazed by the word. He crept closer, needing to know more.

  “I’ll be leaving here,” Edra stated as she looked at each of the women. “Alone.”

  Black cloak gave a loud snort. “We’ve not tracked you all over England these past years just to allow you to get away.”

  “You actually think you caught me?” Edra asked, a small smile about her full lips. “How...naïve.”

  “I told you,” brown cloak bit out as she took a step back, putting her body at an angle as her hands went up in front of her.

  Radnar had no warning before the woman in brown lifted her hand up higher in the air as words he didn’t understand began to tumble from her lips. A greenish glow appeared and took the form of flames.

  Edra, on the other hand, appeared to know exactly what was going on. She leaned to the side as a branch, aimed right for her, tumbled from a tree.

  It was when Edra turned, and her cloak billowed that he saw the glint of steel. She pulled out a sword and plunged it into the heart of the woman in the black cloak. The shock on the impaled woman’s face mirrored that of the other women.

  “Get her!” shouted the one in green.

  Red rushed Edra, but Edra whipped her head around, her arm outstretched and her fingers curling inward as if she were wrapping her hand around something. The woman slid to a halt, her hands clawing at her throat as she gasped for air.

  Radnar was so stunned that he could only stare in wonder at what he currently witnessed. Surely his eyes were playing tricks on him—women were burned for less than what Edra now did.

  The wind suddenly whipped into a frenzy, sending leaves swirling and raining upon them as the trees swayed viciously. His gaze landed on Brown and Green to find that both were chanting something. They stared at Edra with fury burning in their eyes.

  There was a loud creak above him. He lifted his head and watched a large branch break off and swing straight for Edra. He bellowed her name, but nothing could be heard over the wind.

  He thought for sure she would be impaled, as she never looked in the direction of the limb, but right before it struck her, she said something and moved the arm holding the sword toward where Brown stood to her right. The branch slammed into the woman with such force, he heard her bones shatter, even over the gale.

  “I’ll kill you!” Green screamed and lifted both arms. She spread her fingers and faced Edra, palms out.

  Radnar watched in horror as Edra went flying backward, slamming against a tree before crumpling to the ground. As Green and Red approached her, he came up behind them.

  “It’s time we finish you once and for all,” Red said to Edra as she rubbed her throat.

  Edra was laughing when she lifted her head. “Beatrice, do shut up.”

  She then dove forward and grabbed her sword as she jumped to her feet. Radnar pulled back his arm and thrust his blade into Green’s back the same time Edra shoved her sword into Red’s stomach.

  Red reached out to Edra, more of the words he didn’t understand reaching him on the wind before she stumbled back a step and fell to her knees.

  “What have you done?” Green said as she looked down at the tip of Radnar’s sword protruding from her chest.

  Edra took a deep breath and looked at Green as the gusts died away. “I did what had to be done.”

  He withdrew his sword as Green turned and speared him with black eyes before she gave a bark of laughter. “His blade can’t hurt me.”

  “Aye, it can,” Edra said as her focus shifted away from Red. “I spelled it long ago.”

  Red fell to the side unmoving as Green coughed, blood trickling from her mouth. She pointed at Edra and shouted hoarsely, “Hunter!”

  As the word faded away, Green crumpled to the ground, dead.

  Radnar lifted his eyes to Edra and their gazes clashed. She stood bold and glorious with her hair falling from its braid. There was so much he wanted to say, but suddenly, he had no words.

  “Hello, Radnar.”

  CHAPTER 2

  She’d always known her past would catch up to her. Eventually. It’s why Edra had finally stopped running from the Coven and decided to face them. But she’d been wholly unprepared for Radnar.

  Of all the people she imagined she might eventually run into, she’d never expected him. Hoped for, but never anticipated.

  “Is it really you?” he asked.

  She swallowed and nodded, her heart aching at having him so near after so long. It had killed her to leave Radnar, but she’d done it to protect him. There had been no other way. She knew since she’d searched for any kind of solution.

  “Where have you been?” he asked.

  Edra didn’t want to leave any bodies to be found. She whispered a few words and heard the hiss of the bodies right before they began to burn from the inside out. She ignored it as she cleaned off her sword and sheathed it. Her gaze went to Radnar often, taking in the changes she saw there.

  He’d always been tall, and the years had honed his muscles and filled him out nicely. His dark brown hair was pulled back in a queue at the base of his neck with a leather strip. She saw the faint lines of a scar along his cheek, and the deep lines on his forehead as if he wore a perpetual scowl.

  It was the guardedness she saw in his dark eyes that made her sad. At one time, he’d gazed at her as if she were all that mattered. It was his love that had given her the courage to stand up for what she knew was right.

  Unfortunately, that had brought doom upon all who knew her. Which was why she left.

  She started to walk past him when his long fingers reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. Edra turned her head to look at him. So many times, she’d wanted to find him, to take comfort in his arms, but she’d stayed away to keep him safe.

  “Edra,” he murmured.

  “I’ll answer all your questions, but we can’t stay here.”

  He stared at her for a long moment, then gave a nod as he released her. “Follow me.”
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br />   They didn’t exchange another word as they trudged back through the forest until they came upon a big, black stallion grazing. Radnar whistled, and the horse lifted its head before neighing and walking to them.

  He mounted the steed and then held out his hand for her. She hesitated only a heartbeat before she grasped it and allowed him to hoist her up behind him.

  She’d intended to keep her hands to herself until the horse began to gallop, but once he did, she had no choice but to grab hold of Radnar’s waist.

  His anger burned between them, so intense she could feel it, but she didn’t fault him for that. He had every right to be furious. She would be in his position. She wasn’t looking forward to his questions. Or her answers.

  He didn’t mention anything about the magic. But that didn’t matter. It would come out anyway. She wasn’t worried that he would turn her in. Radnar had an innate morality that didn’t always go along with the current politics or policies.

  It wasn’t long before they came to a stream and a secluded meadow where two other horses loaded down with his armor and other packs grazed. He grabbed their reins as they rode past and kept going.

  It was another hour before he finally stopped. He swung his leg over the stallion’s back and slid to the ground. Then he reached for her. The fact that he wouldn’t meet her gaze let her know that things were only going to get worse.

  “We’ll camp here tonight,” he said as he dropped his hands as soon as her feet were on the ground. Then he began unsaddling the destrier.

  She looked around to find a river close and trees to give them shelter. A glance behind her showed that it would be hard for anyone to come upon them by surprise. These were things she’d learned out on her own.

  While he worked with the horses, she searched for firewood. She felt his eyes on her often, but still, he didn’t speak. He’d changed in the seven years since she had last seen him.