“Hello!”a loud, male voice hollered from outside.“Anyone here?”
Raiden moved like lightning, wrapping his arm around her and pinning her to the wall.The world around them blurred like frosted glass.Body pinned protectively under his, Daya’s mind reeled.He was covering her, hiding their presence with magic.She was sure of it, could feel the telltale energy resonating around them.
“Raiden—”
“Quiet.”His lips brushed her ear in the faintest whisper.“They can hear us but won’t be able to see us.”
Heart pounding wildly at the revelation of Raiden’s power, she barely heard Ereven’s report on the visitor.Ember’s angry screech heralded a shadow looming near the barn’s entrance.A man peered inside the barn, repeating his greeting before stepping back outside.
Shoving her mind back into hunting mode, she unblocked the connection with the hawks.Images flew through her mind of what Ereven was seeing—a tall man with dark hair stood outside with his horse.A young boy with hauntingly familiar blue eyes beside them.
Pressing close to Raiden, she murmured, “It’s just a villager.There’s no danger.I need to go outside.”
Sparking green eyes held hers for a moment before he nodded and let her go.He stumbled a little, shaking his head as he righted himself.The burst of magic must have zapped his energy.Squeezing his hand, she left the barn before she could change her mind and continue hiding with him.
Ember was above her as she exited, perched in her defensive spot above the barn entrance.Ereven had settled back in the trees.
What’s he doing here?
The child brings a hawklet for you,Ereven reported.
It can’t just be that.This particular villager—Fremir—was one of the ones who usually avoided her.
A ruffled shrug was the mental reply.
Daya sighed.Fremir’s animosity was well placed.She was responsible for the death of his ancestor, Draven.
The village had always been neutral, if not friendly with her.Until Draven had mysteriously died on the mountain with only her as witness.It hadn’t helped that his body had been reclaimed by earth.Mortality was the price of entering a trial with the mountain, regardless of the outcome.
She’d always felt guilty that she hadn’t been able to give Draven’s family closure about his death.That she’d allowed him to challenge the mountain in the first place.His young son, Savian, had forgiven her, but the rest of the family hadn’t.
“Can I help you?”she asked out loud.
“I bring a message, huntress.”A touch more venom would qualify the tone as hostile.
She nodded for him to continue.
“There have been strangers in the village, looking for a foreign warrior.You should be careful out here alone.”
“Of course, thank you.”She fought to keep her tone from bristling.
No matter how hostile they were, Draven’s descendants didn’t deserve her wrath, momentary or otherwise.A woman alone in Eldridge was an anomaly.Few knew of her presence, even less were understanding of it.This man’s family believed her to be the granddaughter of the mysterious woman who’d been involved with Draven’s demise.
“Have you seen a strange man in these woods?”he pressed.
Irritation tightened the muscles around her spine at the silent threat to Raiden.“No.I have not.”
The man grunted.“Well, send word if you do.We don’t need foreign trouble on our lands.”
His lands?She scoffed internally.“Is that all?”
“No.”He tensed before continuing.“My grandfather, Savian, has passed on to be with the ancestors.He asked that you be informed.The request caused some disruption among the elders of the village.”
Her breath stilled, an image of the gentle, dark-haired boy coming to her mind, though it had easily been over ninety years since she’d seen Savian.“Was it peaceful?”
“It was.He lived to be over a hundred.Longer than anyone in generations, our elders say.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”Her eyes flicked to the child who was the mirror image of his great grandfather.The boy looks like Savian did at that age.
