Guardian's Vow [Guardians of the Gray Tower 2] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) by Britt Kenley

Author:Britt Kenley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
Published: 2012-06-13T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

The next morning, the weather had worsened. Lael sat on the back of his mount, hunched down into his cloak and counting each plodding step made by his horse through the snow-filled gloom. A short break for lunch was just as miserable as the ride had been, so they didn’t tarry long. The oppressive darkness around them seemed filled with eyes and voices, and Lael couldn’t throw off the sensation that they weren’t alone. He kept his hand on the hilt of the dagger at his waist, and his gaze scanned his surroundings as best he could in the biting wind.

He watched Gibor, who rode slightly ahead. He was glad to have the man with him. Gibor seemed to have an uncanny instinct for finding a path where there seemed to be none, and his familiarity with the area was very welcome. After what seemed like an eternity, Lael saw Gibor pull up and motion him forward.

When he reached the other man’s side, he saw him gesture ahead. Lael narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction Gibor had indicated. They had reached a slight rise in the path, and the thick forest had thinned. In the distance, he could just barely make out the thatched roofs that indicated a town. Gibor leaned closer.

“That’s Leeson. They have a small inn. I know it’s early yet, but I think it best that we stop for the night. The horses are exhausted and, honestly, so am I.”

Lael heartily approved of the plan. “Lead the way.”

The inn had an attached stable, where they left their horses to be fed and watered, and they made their way into the adjoining building. The warmth of the air that hit his face when he stepped inside made him practically sigh with pleasure. After they’d secured a room for the night, they quickly adjourned to the taproom where they ordered a hearty stew and some warm cider to wash it down.

Once they’d appeased their hunger and thawed out somewhat, Lael turned his thoughts back to the odd feeling he’d gotten as they’d traveled. He looked at Gibor and asked, “Tell me, living so close to the Angkeshi border, have you ever experienced anything unusual or that you couldn’t explain? I’ve heard some wild tales of the Angkesh queen and her followers.”

Gibor didn’t laugh at his question, as he’d half expected. Rather he looked serious when he replied. “You felt it, too. In the woods. Didn’t you?”

Lael nodded grimly. “Could be it was just my imagination. Or simply thieves looking for likely targets.”

Gibor shrugged. “It’s possible. But to answer your question, yes. I have. I don’t know if the rumors of the queen’s sorcery and shape-shifting are true. But I do know that there have been some unusual things that have occurred that no one was able to explain.”

“Like what?”

“Like hunters from the village being attacked by mysterious beasts that they couldn’t see but could only feel their claws and fangs. Like animals being slaughtered so viciously that there was hardly enough of their bodies left to burn.

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.