Betrayal in the Highlands (The Riddle in Stone Series - Book Two) by Evert Robert

Author:Evert, Robert [Evert, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: FICTION/Fantasy/Epic
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2013-09-21T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

That evening Edmund, Pond, Fatty, and Becky sequestered themselves in Abby’s small room at the other end of the hall. While Pond and Fatty slept on the floor by the open window, Edmund and Becky lay on the sofa pushed up against the door.

Edmund, however, didn’t get much rest. He kept thinking about Abby and how headstrong and naïve she was—and how pretty. From the corner of his eye, he watched her petite breasts rise and fall beneath the blankets as she snored lightly in her bed. He knew it was wrong; gentlemen shouldn’t leer. But he couldn’t help it. The torment of his yearning distracted his mind from the perils that pursued him. It also gave him a sense of purpose—he had to protect Abby and, if he could, win her heart.

When fatigue finally overpowered him, disturbing dreams plagued his sleep. In one, Kravel had captured Abby, hung her from a tree, and slowly cut off her hands and feet as she screamed and pleaded for mercy. Edmund woke drenched in a cold sweat, Kravel’s laughter still stabbing at him. He spent the rest of the night sitting in the dark, quietly crying.

In the days that followed, Edmund hid in Abby’s room, teaching Fatty how to play checkers. When Fatty won his first game, the big man actually wept, tears of joy pouring down his ample face. Edmund was so touched he began to teach Fatty other games like Nine Men’s Morris and Knucklebones. Surprisingly Fatty was fairly good at some of them, and together they’d played the days and nights away.

Meanwhile, Pond and Abby had traipsed around Long Ravine, selling some of the gems and jewelry from the troll’s lair. Finding buyers wasn’t always easy, and Pond drove a hard bargain; but by the evening on the third day, they had amassed over seven thousand gold pieces—enough for the four of them to live comfortably for many years. They had also purchased two draft horses and enough supplies for their long journey northward to Rood.

“So what now?” Pond asked as they ate in Abby’s room.

It was the dinner hour of their fourth night in Long Ravine. Somewhere in the lush forest along the river, people were singing. The merry music of flutes floated up to their window as a group of girls cheered and clapped.

Edmund didn’t want to leave. Long Ravine had everything he’d ever wanted in a home, including wonderful food and music and scenery he’d never get tired of looking at. But he knew they had to get to Rood. Sooner or later, Norb was going to tell somebody about the diary and the formula, and Edmund had to get to him before that happened. What he’d do when he saw Norb, however, he hadn’t yet decided.

“Ed?” Pond prodded.

The spoon slipped from Edmund’s hand, falling into his bowl of bean soup with a clatter.

“I suppose it’s time.”

“Not anxious to leave Long Ravine?” Abby asked, shoveling marinated fish into her mouth like a cattleman who’d been without decent food for several months.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.