Read Online Epic Of Palins 01 - Dagger Star by Elizabeth Vaughan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Elizabeth Vaughan
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hour before services. Who’s injured, then?” Evie started down the path.
Josiah took her hand to aid her, not sure how he was going to explain. “It’s a long story, Evie.”
She looked at him with concern, but said no more. It was only when they drew close to the hut that she spoke. “Is that someone by the barn?”
Josiah nodded, as Red headed toward them. “Yes. I let them bed down in the foaling room.”
Evie stopped dead. “You went into the barn?”
Josiah ignored that. “Red,” he called out, “help is here.”
As Red walked closer, her eyes widened as she took in Evie’s finery. “Where did she come from?” she blurted out.
“This is Lady High Priestess Evelyn, of the Church of the Gods of Palins.” Josiah said. “Evie, this is Red. She’s—”
Red gave him a grim look, and Josiah changed his mind about mentioning the birthmark. “She’s a warrior—”
“She’s not hurt,” Evie said impatiently. “Who is?”
Josiah pushed open the door. The heat of the room washed over them, as did the light of the fire.
Evie ducked in under Josiah’s arm, and made for the bed as Bethral stared at her in shock.
Once again, Evie stopped dead, staring at the man on the bed. “Flame of the Sun,” she breathed out. “Who did this?”
“Slavers,” Bethral responded, recovering her poise.
“This is Bethral,” Josiah said from the doorway.
Evie threw back her hood, revealing her thick white hair pulled back in a perfect braid. She started to pull off her gloves, revealing her small hands and the silver ring that she always wore.
“Josiah, you need to leave.”
He’d expected that. She’d want to get to work as quickly as she could. “Call out if you need anything, Evie.” Josiah stepped past Red, who looked confused, and went back outside.
EVELYN wasted no time. The poor man needed her help. She cast a quick spell, and set a small ball of light hanging above the bed. It bathed the room in daylight, and let her see the man better.
The two women were startled, but Evelyn didn’t have time for their surprise. “What happened to him?” she asked the warrior next to the bed as she removed her heavy white gloves, careful not to catch them on her ring.
“What hasn’t?” the blonde woman answered sadly. “We’re not sure. He hasn’t spoken since we rescued him. We don’t know so much as his name.”
“When was that?” Evie asked. She swept off her cloak, folded it, and put it at the end of the bed.
“Yesterday, midafternoon,” the one named Red answered.
Evie frowned. There was more to this story, that was clear. But she’d work to do and not much time to do it. “Has he moved his bowels? His bladder?”
“No,” the blonde responded. “He opened his eyes once, but I can’t claim he was sensible. He sucked a bit of ale from a cloth, but his tongue has been cut out, Lady.” The woman sighed. “I do not know what else has been done to him.”
“I will.” Evie sat on the edge of the bed, and reached over to touch the man gently on the forehead. She closed her eyes and whispered a soft prayer.
Knowledge flooded through her, and she set her lips tight against it. Her own body ached in sympathy, but that was the price one paid for this spell. She took a breath and probed further, wanting to know all that she could.
She opened her eyes and looked at the two younger women. Bethral was staring at her with a worried look, but Red was regarding the light ball as if it might bite her. “His suffering started about a year ago,” she told them. “Whipped and beaten daily, combined with starvation and a lack of water.”
“Rape?” Red asked.
“I saw no sign,” Bethral offered.
“Everything but that,” Evie said as she turned the man’s wrist to study the wound there. “His body is failing within, beyond the marks that you see.”
“These medicines can’t help, then?” Bethral showed her the sack just under the bed.
Evie looked over the contents, smelling a
Josiah took her hand to aid her, not sure how he was going to explain. “It’s a long story, Evie.”
She looked at him with concern, but said no more. It was only when they drew close to the hut that she spoke. “Is that someone by the barn?”
Josiah nodded, as Red headed toward them. “Yes. I let them bed down in the foaling room.”
Evie stopped dead. “You went into the barn?”
Josiah ignored that. “Red,” he called out, “help is here.”
As Red walked closer, her eyes widened as she took in Evie’s finery. “Where did she come from?” she blurted out.
“This is Lady High Priestess Evelyn, of the Church of the Gods of Palins.” Josiah said. “Evie, this is Red. She’s—”
Red gave him a grim look, and Josiah changed his mind about mentioning the birthmark. “She’s a warrior—”
“She’s not hurt,” Evie said impatiently. “Who is?”
Josiah pushed open the door. The heat of the room washed over them, as did the light of the fire.
Evie ducked in under Josiah’s arm, and made for the bed as Bethral stared at her in shock.
Once again, Evie stopped dead, staring at the man on the bed. “Flame of the Sun,” she breathed out. “Who did this?”
“Slavers,” Bethral responded, recovering her poise.
“This is Bethral,” Josiah said from the doorway.
Evie threw back her hood, revealing her thick white hair pulled back in a perfect braid. She started to pull off her gloves, revealing her small hands and the silver ring that she always wore.
“Josiah, you need to leave.”
He’d expected that. She’d want to get to work as quickly as she could. “Call out if you need anything, Evie.” Josiah stepped past Red, who looked confused, and went back outside.
EVELYN wasted no time. The poor man needed her help. She cast a quick spell, and set a small ball of light hanging above the bed. It bathed the room in daylight, and let her see the man better.
The two women were startled, but Evelyn didn’t have time for their surprise. “What happened to him?” she asked the warrior next to the bed as she removed her heavy white gloves, careful not to catch them on her ring.
“What hasn’t?” the blonde woman answered sadly. “We’re not sure. He hasn’t spoken since we rescued him. We don’t know so much as his name.”
“When was that?” Evie asked. She swept off her cloak, folded it, and put it at the end of the bed.
“Yesterday, midafternoon,” the one named Red answered.
Evie frowned. There was more to this story, that was clear. But she’d work to do and not much time to do it. “Has he moved his bowels? His bladder?”
“No,” the blonde responded. “He opened his eyes once, but I can’t claim he was sensible. He sucked a bit of ale from a cloth, but his tongue has been cut out, Lady.” The woman sighed. “I do not know what else has been done to him.”
“I will.” Evie sat on the edge of the bed, and reached over to touch the man gently on the forehead. She closed her eyes and whispered a soft prayer.
Knowledge flooded through her, and she set her lips tight against it. Her own body ached in sympathy, but that was the price one paid for this spell. She took a breath and probed further, wanting to know all that she could.
She opened her eyes and looked at the two younger women. Bethral was staring at her with a worried look, but Red was regarding the light ball as if it might bite her. “His suffering started about a year ago,” she told them. “Whipped and beaten daily, combined with starvation and a lack of water.”
“Rape?” Red asked.
“I saw no sign,” Bethral offered.
“Everything but that,” Evie said as she turned the man’s wrist to study the wound there. “His body is failing within, beyond the marks that you see.”
“These medicines can’t help, then?” Bethral showed her the sack just under the bed.
Evie looked over the contents, smelling a
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