Holmberg, D K - The Collector Chronicles 01 - Shadow Hunted by Holmberg D K

Author:Holmberg, D K [Holmberg, D K]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ASH Publishing
Published: 2017-11-06T16:00:00+00:00

18

Carth flopped onto the deck of the Goth Spald, breathing deeply as she did. She was exhausted from her swim and wanted nothing more than to rest. Dawn was beginning to creep above the horizon, enough that she realized that she had spent most of the night trying to understand the Collector and his men.

Alayna appeared on the deck and glanced over at her.

“What is it?” Her brow furrowed and her green eyes glittered with the morning sunlight.

“I found the Collector’s ships,” Carth said.

“You found ships?”

Carth nodded and pulled herself up, taking a place near the mast, which she leaned against, breathing out heavily. “I was watching the Collector’s compound last night and I saw a man coming out of it.”

“And you followed him. Alone.”

“I did.”

“You didn’t consider seeing if any of us would come with you?”

“I thought about it, but you needed to stay with the ship.”

“You thought about it and decided not to involve the rest of us.”

Carth sent a surge of heat through her clothing, forcing the moisture out of them. Despite that, she shivered and fought the urge to lie down and sleep. Jenna still needed her.

“I didn’t want to risk the rest of you ending up like Jenna.”

Alayna watched her, as if trying to decide whether she believed the explanation or not. Carth hoped that she did, as she didn’t need to anger Alayna. She needed her friend to remain on her side through all of this. “She’s still up there. We’re no closer to getting her out through lawful means,” Alayna said.

“No. And if it comes down to it, we may have to break her out through unlawful means. But I fear the moment we do that is the moment that we have a third challenger. Already it’s enough with the Collector and the smugglers, trying to figure out what they’re all after. The moment we add something else—”

“It’s about more than that,” Alayna said.

“It is,” Carth said.

“What?”

Carth breathed out a sigh. “I’m not convinced that they’re wrong,” she said.

“You’re not convinced that they jailed Jenna wrongly? I don’t know how you could say that. This is your friend. How could you say that you’re not sure that they’ve her captured wrongly?”

“Did she get into a brawl in the tavern?”

Alayna shrugged. “Most likely.”

“And if she did, then who is responsible?”

“You know that would be Jenna.”

“Right. When we’ve gone places before, we’ve always intended to make things better. If we destroy the constabulary and the connections that they’ve kept up, we might end up making things worse and not better. That isn’t something that I’ve ever wanted to do.”

Alayna nodded. “At what point will you decide that she can’t remain there any longer?”

“She’s suffering. I know that. We have to somehow help ease her, and if we can, then maybe we can give her some peace to buy us some time to get her back out.”

“And what if the constables are working with the Collector?” Alayna asked.

Carth patted her friend on the shoulder. “You’re beginning to think too much like me.

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