by Donna Grant
“There are few who would have dared as you did.”
“I’ve nothing to live for now that Josef is gone.”
She heard the truth of his words, and it made her sad. “What about your land?”
“We both know there is little hope of me surviving an encounter with the Coven. Tell me about the mist in the Grove. And what were those tree creatures?”
Leoma wasn’t surprised that he changed the subject. There was too much hurt within him to think of the future. Brigitta was his enemy, and focusing on her gave him a way to shift his anger so he felt as if he were doing something.
“The tree creatures are Gira. They can be found anywhere, but they prefer a Witch’s Grove.”
His brows shot up. “You mean a Gira could be on my land?”
“It’s unlikely, but aye. They gravitate to magic. If you find one outside of a Grove, there will be others. They travel in small packs. You’re right to be wary of them. The whispers you heard in the Grove? That was them.”
“I couldn’t understand them.”
She twisted her lips. “That’s the point. They lure people in with those whispers.”
“And what do they do to them?” he asked with a frown.
“The Gira push them against the tree, and the tree wraps around them so the Gira can use the person however they want.”
“Are the Gira all female?”
Leoma nodded. “They have also been known to go after someone if they want them badly enough.”
“I knew I felt someone behind us when we were leaving the Grove.”
“That could’ve been the Gira, but I think it might have been something else.”
His eyes widened. “Something else? What else was in there?”
“Many things you didn’t see or hear. Witch’s Groves call to beings with magic. The mist is controlled by witches, but I also think it is a living, breathing thing.”
“How do you fight mist?”
She understood the mix of horror and doubt he was experiencing. “You really cannot.”
“That does nothing to calm my growing anxiety.”
“I’m giving you just the basics. There are so many things out in the world that you know nothing about. The Coven, however, should be your main concern. They’re the ones changing things. Do you know why they would want you?”
He sat up and raked a hand through his long hair. “I’ve no idea.”
“We need to figure that out to counter whatever they have planned.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“It won’t be.”
He climbed to his feet and looked down at her with his fathomless eyes. “Thank you for saving me. And for sharing this information.”
“I expected you to balk at the idea of a woman aiding you in any way.”
He looked up, his eyes moving about the trees. “Aye, I’ve known men like that. But I’ve also been in battles where it wasn’t another knight who helped me, but a squire. I even had a horse pull me from a pile of dead atop me. But the one instance I’ll never forget was when the army I served with was overrun. We were surrounded. I took an arrow to the shoulder, and my horse was killed. I wasn’t able to get free, so he fell with my leg trapped beneath him. Once again, I had been left for dead. After the battle was over, a group of women from the enemy camp found me. They freed me from the horse and also removed the arrow before patching me up and helping me get back to my men.”
Leoma listened raptly. She wondered just how many times Braith had come close to dying.
His head swung her way. “The point I’m trying to make is that I’ve learned not to look down on anyone who gives me aid, regardless of their gender or where they are from.”
“I wish more men thought like you.”
“We’re delicate creatures, didn’t you know?” he said with a slight grin. “We have to believe we are strong and capable at all times lest the fairer sex realize they don’t need us.”
The longer she talked to Braith, the more she found she liked him.
He nodded at the hill. “My belly is still craving sustenance. I’m going to go out and see what I can find for us to eat.”
Leoma waited until he walked away before she got to her feet and stretched her back. She patted the stallion and made her way to the stream.
There, she removed her clothes and took out a small cream, oval object. She held the soap in hand as she stepped into the icy water. Leoma longed for a hot bath that she could soak in at her leisure. Though that was unlikely to happen anytime soon, so she would have to make do with what she had.
She moved out into the middle of the brook and discovered that the water only reached her knees at the deepest part. Lowering herself down between the rocks, she let the water rush around and over her as she unbraided her hair.
Then she leaned back until she was semi-floating. She remained that way for several minutes until the cold became too much. Then she lathered the soap and washed her hair and body twice before rinsing off.
Finally, she stood and walked from the stream. She wrung out her hair and let the sun and air dry her as she sat naked on a rock and finger-combed her locks.
Her thoughts turned to Braith, but she wasn’t surprised. The man intrigued her. He was at once stubborn and amenable. He appeared unrelenting, yet she was discovering that while he stood as strong as an oak, he could bend when needed.
With her hair combed, she dressed and returned to camp by another direction to see if she could find any indication of witches. She wished she had magic to put up wards so they’d be alerted if a witch was close, but all she could do was stay vigilant.
Leoma gathered some wood and started a fire. It wasn’t long after that Braith returned with a pheasant dangling from his hand.
“There is little game in these woods,” he grumbled.
She jerked her chin toward the Witch’s Grove. “We’re still too close. The farther out you go from the Grove, the more normal things will get. This was as far as I could drag you, and the location seemed suitable for us to hide.”
“It is. Though we could return to the cave.” He glanced at the sky. “At least we’d be dry while we wait for the witches.”
“It’s also much farther from the Grove, which I like.”
He gave a nod. “Then it’s settled. We’ll head that way after we eat.”
Leoma held out her hand. “Give me the bird. I’ll get it ready to cook. There’s a stream to the east if you want to take advantage.”
“Aye,” he replied.
She took the pheasant and moved away from the fire to pluck the dead bird. A glance showed Braith rummaging through a bag on his saddle before he headed off toward the water.
In no time, the bird was cooking on a spit over the fire. Her mouth watered at the thought of the meat. She was starving, but she was used to eating very little when she was on a hunt. The food she had brought with her lasted longer than expected, and she got more whenever she was in a village.
But to have a warm meal was something she hadn’t had in a few months.
Her head snapped up when she heard someone approach. Braith’s hair hung wet about his face as he strolled into camp with a new tunic on that stuck to his damp skin and outlined his wide shoulders and muscular chest.
It was almost impossible to tear her gaze from him.
Chapter 9
Braith dropped his jerkin on the ground at his feet and squatted near the fire. He looked across the flames to Leoma, desire tightening his gut. Her dark eyes studied him. He could see her mind working, and he wished he could discern what she was thinking.
He took a long stick and stirred the fire before turning the pheasant over. “About this abbey you speak of, do you have a man waiting for you there?”
“If you had a woman who hunted, would you let her go alone?”
“Never,” he stated.
She raised a brow in reply. “Since you’ve said you don’t care about your lands or home, I take that to mean you don’t ha
ve a wife.”
“All I know is battle,” he said. “My life is too rough for women.”
“For some women,” she corrected.
He grinned at her. “There are few like you.”
“I’m not talking about Hunters like me. While I admit, there are some women who faint at anything, for the most part, we females are sturdy. We do bring life into the world.”
“Perhaps I’ve not found a woman who fit into my life. Though, I wasn’t looking for one either. I knew too many of my friends who married and then left for years at a time while off at war. I didn’t want my focus split.”
Leoma braced her hands behind her as she leaned back. “That makes sense. I tried to tell Meg something similar, but she kept insisting I should find someone.”
“Did your friend have someone?”
Leoma’s lips curved into a smile as she gazed at the flames. “She fancied someone at the abbey, though she wouldn’t let him know. Or allow me to tell him.” Leoma’s eyes lifted to Braith. “Meg would’ve liked you. She had a way with people. She could get a sense of them quickly, sometimes without even having a conversation.”
“What do you think she would’ve said about me?” he asked curiously.
“That you were strong, determined, and honest. And that I should trust you.”
Her words affected him deeply. With the red-orange glow of the flames rippling over her face, he found himself sinking in to her eyes.
“Do you?” he asked, needing to know. “Do you trust me?”
Her voice was barely a whisper as she replied, “Aye.”
This woman affected him on a primal level. He recognized her strength and her cunning. Her beauty was just an added bonus. But all of it made him burn with need. It was fiery and brilliant.
And felt damn good.
He fought with every fiber of his being to keep from going to her and taking her face in his hands so he could feel her skin beneath his palms. But that wasn’t all he yearned for. No, he hungered to plunder her lips, to taste her on his tongue so she would forever be part of him.
But he couldn’t do any of that. Couldn’t...and wouldn’t. They were partners with a common enemy. To give her any indication that he physically craved her touch would destroy what they had tentatively built between them.
The fact was, he needed her to help him navigate all the beings and magic he was learning. Not to mention, the witches. Maybe if they both survived, then he would think about kissing her. It would give him something to look forward to.
If he didn’t want to make a complete fool of himself now, he needed to turn his mind to other things. He looked at the roasting pheasant.
“It’s done,” she said.
It was her husky tone that had his gaze jerking to her. Except she had turned her head away so he couldn’t see her face. Perhaps that was for the best, because if he saw even a hint of interest on her part, he would go to her.
Without a word, he took the bird from the fire and drew his knife to begin slicing the meat. When he handed her the blade, their fingers touched. He saw her hand tremble in response.
He studied her face, but she kept it averted as if she knew he observed her. What was she hiding? What was it that she didn’t want him to see?
Excitement stirred his blood at the thought that she felt the same attraction he did, suffered the same longing.
Bore the same hunger.
They ate in silence, and it wasn’t long before they picked the bird clean. When he caught sight of her licking her fingers, his balls tightened with a need that surged almost painfully through him.
“It’ll be dark soon,” she replied and got to her feet. “We should relocate.”
He rose quickly and moved to stand before her, so she had no choice but to face him. “Look at me,” he urged.
She kept her eyes down. “Why?”
“Why not?”
Silent moments passed before she lifted her face and raised her gaze. The moment he stared into her eyes, the passion reflected in her dark orbs made his knees weak.
He was so shocked that all he could think about was closing the few inches that separated them. Braith tried to remember the last time he had touched a woman other than a barmaid.
At the snapping of a branch, they both swiveled toward the sound. Even his stallion was staring off in that direction. Every instinct within Braith told him that danger was upon them. He grabbed his sword, saddle, and bag while Leoma put out the fire and got her weapon.
“We need to go. Now,” Leoma whispered.
He gave a soft whistle to the horse, who trotted off. Then he and Leoma began to slowly back up the slope of the hill. They stayed low, using cover as much as they could.
No sooner had they reached the top than he looked down to find Brigitta strolling into their camp and stopping next to the extinguished fire.
“Go,” Leoma whispered and pushed him away.
He reluctantly moved, still in a crouch until they were far enough away to stand upright. Leoma kept up with him as they ran through the forest. Every once in a while, they looked back to see if the witch followed.
“Why didn’t we fight her?” he asked when they paused next to a giant oak.
Leoma cut her eyes to him. “We want her to think we’re afraid of her. She’ll get overconfident and not be prepared for what I have planned.”
“And you decided not to share this plan with me?” he questioned. “We are partners.”
Her chest heaved from their run. She licked her lips, her gaze on the trees behind them. “I did tell you. You’re the bait, remember?”
He ground his teeth together as she pushed away from the tree and started running again. Braith was quick to follow, but they didn’t get very far before Brigitta appeared before them, her blue eyes filled with fury.
Leoma tried to stop but slid on the thick carpet of leaves on the ground. Still, the Hunter managed to free her sword by the time she got to her feet.
Braith halted and slowly lowered his saddle to the ground. He kept his gaze on the witch. She glanced his way, but her attention was directed at Leoma.
“You made a mistake, Hunter,” Brigitta said. “The Coven wants to have a word with you. Once the council is finished with you, the real fun will begin when they hand you over to me.”
“My knees are knocking in terror,” Leoma quipped.
He grinned despite the situation. Few, no matter their training, would’ve stood against someone like Brigitta with as much pluck and courage as Leoma. And it made him crave her all the more.
Leoma looked around. “You came alone? For both of us?”
Brigitta cocked her head to the side. “Are you trying to rile me? It won’t work. All I have to do is knock your sword away, and you’ll both be at my mercy.”
Braith pulled his blade from its sheath. He was the bait, after all. “I will not come easily.”
“I’m not going to give you a choice,” Brigitta said, then turned her head to him.
He looked at Leoma, who met his gaze. With a slight nod of agreement, they attacked the witch simultaneously. Brigitta was so worried about Leoma’s blade that she left herself exposed, which allowed Braith to sink his sword into her side.
Brigitta screamed in fury and swung her arm to him.
“Duck!” Leoma bellowed.
Braith dropped to his knees and shoved his weapon further into Brigitta. He yanked his sword free and swung it with all of his might at her leg. Just as he was about to chop it off, the witch said something. Suddenly, his blade went flying from his grip, even as his body turned with the momentum of the swing.
He landed on his back and rolled to come to his feet. Leoma moved closer to him and thrust a dagger into his hand. No longer weaponless, Braith attacked again, with Leoma coming at Brigitta from the other side.
The witch was quickly losing the battle. Braith knew his opponent’s defeat when he saw it. He inwardly smiled and renewed his assault.
With his first cut weakening h
er, she was using all of her skills to keep Leoma’s sword from making contact as her skirts and cloak tangled about her legs. All the while, she had no idea that the dagger in his hand was one of Leoma’s.
Every time he made a cut, Brigitta weakened more. It was when smoke began to waft from the wounds that Leoma shoved the witch to the ground. They stood over Brigitta while the lifeblood drained from her.
“The Coven will fail,” Leoma said.
Braith knelt beside the witch and held the dagger over her. “This is for Josef and Meg and all the other innocents you’ve killed,” he said before plunging the blade into her heart.
Brigitta gasped, and the light faded from her eyes. Braith yanked the dagger free and stood as her body began to burn.
“Well, that wasn’t really my plan,” Leoma said with a smile.
He looked at her, grinning. “We survived.”
“This day. They won’t stop coming for you,” she warned.
Braith realized her words were correct, and it left an unsettled feeling within him. Damn. Just when he thought he was free of the witch. “Then we rest tonight. I think I’d like to visit the abbey and learn more. I want to be prepared for when they do come for me.”
“That’s a good idea.”
He frowned when Leoma swayed slightly. Then he noticed that her face looked pale. And sweaty.
In two steps, Braith was before her, catching her in his arms as she fell sideways. “Where are you hurt?”
“I thought I evaded her nails,” Leoma said.
“Tell me what to do.”
She nodded.
Braith gathered her in his arms and hurried toward the cave. He could return later for everything else. First, he had to get Leoma healed.
Her eyes were closed by the time he reached the cave. After gently lowering her down, he patted her cheeks to wake her. “Open your eyes, Leoma. You need to tell me what to do to heal you. Look at me.”
Braith removed her cloak and searched for the wound. He found it on her right side near her stomach. Blood flowed through the thin gash.
