The Queen's Opal: A Stone Bearers Novel (Book One) by Jacque Stevens

Author:Jacque Stevens [Stevens, Jacque]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: sjacquebooks
Published: 2017-12-04T22:00:00+00:00

Kol kept waiting for the elf to slow down. Or faint. Either its back or its foot would be likely culprits, and Cain hadn’t been feeding it all that well. But it didn’t. It just followed him like a shadow, helping him with whatever he did. Even smiling.

It was unnerving. By all rights, the kid should hate him. It should be trying to run. Or attacking Kol and then trying to run. He almost wished the elf would faint or attack so he could shove it back in the cart and forget about it for a few hours.

Back where the elf would claw at any trap Cain devised for it, even if it killed itself in the process. Was that really what he wanted, just because the kid freaked him out?

After the elf stopped talking, the quiet tension stretched on. The group passed several wheatfields and stopped at midday near a shallow creek and a watermill. Once Kol convinced the elf that the watermill was not going to attack any of them, the elf sank down, rubbing its foot.

Kol stayed upright, still on edge.

Cain glared from across the camp, watching them whenever Kol cared to look. The guy should be thanking him. The elf was walking to its death without a fuss. In one equally fatalistic fit of charity, Kol had saddled himself with all Cain’s troubles, trying to predict what the kid would do next, putting himself fully on the block if the elf wised up and ran like it was supposed to.

His death or the elf’s. The Lord may not like it if Cain killed Kol or sold him to the Tower for his magic in the elf’s place, but that didn’t mean Cain wouldn’t do it. And if the elf died, it wouldn’t be the first time someone else had died to keep Kol’s secret.

Getting the elf outside for one final day of freedom had to count for something, right? Kol sat down and tried to find solace in picturing the flames, but as he did, the aura around the elf grew brighter—like fire but several colors all at once. Very distracting.

Bell came up, spooning out lunch and water from pots held by one of her admirers. She put an arm on her hip. “Why are you makin’ ’im walk with his foot like that?”

Kol scowled. “I ain’t makin’ ’im do nothin’.”

Bell peered closer. The elf tensed, ready to spring away if necessary.

“You probably shouldn’t get close to ’im,” said the man juggling the pot handles.

Bell clicked her tongue. “If Kol can, I can. It’s not like he’s sick or something.” She inched closer to the elf, and the elf inched behind Kol in response. “They keep sayin’ he’s a spirit,” Bell said, “but he just looks like a little kid. What should I call ’im?”

“Drynn,” Kol answered.

“That’s cute.” Bell still faced Kol as if he had invented the name. Then she smiled wide, calling the elf over as if it were a nervous puppy. “Come here, Drynn.

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