Read Online Blood Witch by Thea Atkinson - Free Book Online

herself for only long enough to receive a few staunch
blows before losing her leg strength and having to hang there by
her wrists. That didn't stop the beatings, though, no matter how
much her wrists hurt.
    "You thought to
flog him father, and then what? Have him return to his mother? What
would happen then?"
    Yuri shrugged his
indifference. "Perhaps you should tell me why a man would kill the
last person who could explain an attack on his people and then not
be disciplined."
    The carrion
mumbled his agreement and Alaysha glared at him. "Careful, beast,"
she said. "Or I might enlighten Yuri of your training methods."
    Again, Yuri looked
at Corrin, but this time there was no change in expression, even
subtly. It was pure examination, that look. Taking in each inch of
Corrin and assessing, processing, storing what he saw. That was
enough to satisfy her. She turned again to Yenic and reached for
his rib cage where she knew the tattaus were. She touched his skin
and felt it pimple under her fingers even though the flesh was
still hot to her touch. "I know. You're cold in here," she said and
Yenic grunted.
    "Never cold," he
murmured.
    The way his voice
sounded: intimate, warm, she had to remind herself he couldn't be
trusted. Not yet. No matter how badly she wanted to be able to
forgive him, she had to remind herself she just didn't want him to
be flogged. No more. She turned to Yuri, leaving her hand on Yenic,
thinking the connection could lend him some strength.
    "You know it would
be foolish to harm him," she told Yuri.
    "His mother
doesn't even know he's returned."
    "And so when she
does she will find him abused, or is it that you plan to keep him
here until he's healed? Because that would be foolish. He'll grow
only weaker."
    Yuri shrugged.
"Then he should tell me why he killed that boy."
    She could feel
Yenic trying to twist around as he spoke and she reached for one of
the manacles. It had a special catch that if pressed, would snap
open.
    "I told you,"
Yenic said. "I didn't know he was the last one." His arm hung loose
by his side, but it enabled him to swing to face them as he
spoke.
    Yuri stepped
closer. "Who were they?" It was clear by his tone that he believed
Yenic knew.
    Yenic shook his
head. "We saw them about a day ago and crept up to them. Listened
to them."
    "We." Yuri didn't
move but it almost seemed as though his voice had taken several
steps forward. "Meaning you and the girl."
    "Aedus," Alaysha
guessed. "Drahl's slave girl."
    Yuri nodded,
inpatient. "Where is she?"
    "She stayed behind
in the forest by the river."
    That information
bothered Alaysha until she remembered how tenacious the twelve
seasons girl could be. Surely, she'd be fine near the river, where
she could drink if thirsty and forage for eggs or berries. That
didn't answer why she hadn't come with him, and Alaysha wanted to
know more than Yuri did.
    "Why did she stay
behind?"
    Yenic's
yellow-eyed gaze turned on Alaysha. "You told me to keep her
safe."
    Yes, she had. Back
when she thought he was her Arm and not his mother's, when she
thought she was the only remaining witch with powers of her type,
the only surviving member of her tribe. She believed he would keep
the girl safe for her. She believed so much then.
    "Safest to leave
her alone?"
    "Safer then here,
I suppose." He might not have been able to shrug, but his voice
implied it.
    Yuri seemed he'd
had enough. "It matters not. The girl is where the girl is. The
real question is who were they? Who attacked my people?"
    Yenic swung his
gaze toward Yuri, whose feet were planted apart, his arms still
crossed. In the dim light he looked tired but determined. "I told
you. I don't know."
    "I heard the
words." Yuri turned finally and studied Corrin. "Take him out of
the shackles."
    Corrin scowled
miserably but did as he was told. When Yenic's arm let go, it was
accompanied by a low groan from its owner. Alaysha had a flash of
memory deep in her own cells that reminded her how painful and