High Protector (Knight Protector Book 3) by Rachel Ford

Author:Rachel Ford [Ford, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-07-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Five – Ceinwen

Aeron started to pitch to the side. He was fighting it. I could tell that. His entire body twitched and spasmed, like he was being torn one way and then the other by some invisible force.

My heart raced, and I heard Bryn’s breath catch in a little gasp. All the magic in the world wouldn’t save either of us from a fall from this height – not unless we figured out how to sprout wings in a hurry.

My mind flooded with confused, competing thoughts. Those men with the first runes, whoever they were, were trying to do to us what we’d done to them. That was obvious. They were trying to take Aeron and me and Bryn out of the picture, by commanding him the way I’d commanded Ifan and the others.

Where they’d got those runes, or how, or why we’d only now learned about them, I couldn’t say. But in my heart, I felt like I understood now, at last.

Why would a king who lives in the warm, gentle South invade the harsh North at the onset of winter? Why would anyone in their right minds send an army into a Northern winter?

They wouldn’t. Not without one hell of a secret weapon.

And now I knew: they had one hell of a secret weapon. We’d already shown what could be done with one or two first runes. But they had a dozen of them. They probably hadn’t expected ours any more than we’d expected theirs. Even if Agalyn had spies on his payroll – and after the Maedoc business, it seemed likely – they would have reported nothing about this.

Because, until Bryn and I had descended from the mountains, they would have known nothing about it. But I should have guessed that they would come so armed.

After all, I had got my own first rune from one of their inquisitors. How had I been so blind, so stupid, so egotistical to think that the South would have committed its only first rune in the pursuit of me?

No, it had been obvious. They had these weapons, and they knew how to use them. Perhaps not to the fullest extent. Not unless they had skilled elves in their employ.

But a human wielding a first rune could be plenty dangerous in their own right.

As we were learning firsthand. Aeron listed to the side, so far and hard that I almost tumbled out of my seat. Bryn yelped and clung to the saddle. I managed to keep my scream inside, but otherwise did the same.

Hold on, Aeron. Fight it.

I’m…trying.

Help me, Bryn, I said. I need your rune again.

“Alright.” Her voice trembled, but she spoke with conviction too.

I felt her presence wash over me, not calmly and slowly like before, but like a tidal wave. Her fear, her confusion, her courage – it flooded my senses and mixed with my own thoughts.

Then I heard her voice, with her own tones and inflections as if she was speaking – except that it was only in my thoughts.

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