Read Online Hunters (Spirit Blade Part 1) by M. A. Nilles - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: M. A. Nilles
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night pondering what Lord Je'Kaoron might know of the First Ones. An avoidance of a subject like that was easy enough to interpret. And then there was his avoidance of her, which concerned her with worries that she had upset him. He had remained a tiger through the night, an easy way to avoid conversation, even if he stayed near.
He was a demonlord, and she shouldn't worry. The lingering stare from Kaelen while he lay on the opposite side of the fire had said it.
In the quiet of the night, the dagger's darkness had invaded her thoughts, twisting them into hating both men, until she realized what was happening. She wanted to toss it, but that would involve admitting that Kaelen was right and that she was weak.
Rather, she tolerated its presence for the sake of proving herself to him, although she had nothing to prove. She had taken down Je'Rol, the half-blood that no Li'Ador or Adepts had survived in encountering, of those who had actually caught up to him. That counted for something.
She thought of him in the quiet of the morning, the grief gnawing at her once again, and it passed into other thoughts and memories. At least while hunting Je'Rol after he escaped from Je'Rekun, she had something to occupy her mind and give her purpose. Now, she could only wonder what would happen after she destroyed the dagger and what Lord Je'Kaoron knew of the First Ones and what that meant for their world.
As the journey resumed, she let the thoughts slide, but while traveling, the weight of the dagger grew heavier in her mind. Kaelen said nothing, but he would take what he wanted when it suited him. When that was, Nadia couldn't be certain, but as long as the demonlords stayed close, he wouldn't get anything.
On the fourth day since leaving Acropa Je'Gri, she started to think they would reach the Nik'Terek Gate without any trouble.
She was wrong.
During the midday break, the tigers stirred. One in particular moved in close to her, one whose stripes she recognized from the many times he had stretched out next to her, his fur soaking up her tears as she cried herself to sleep. After spending so much time among the Je'Gri, she had come to recognize the subtle differences in some of their markings.
In his tiger form, Lord Je'Kaoron moved close to her, his head high and nostrils and whiskers twitching.
After several seconds of sniffing, his ears went back and his tail started lashing.
The others did the same, their teeth bared while they faced outward at the brush and trees around them.
Kaelen rose from the ground and drew his sword. He'd do better with a bow and arrows against trouble—his most proficient weapon—but she supposed he'd left that behind in his haste to catch her. And demonlords didn't use external weapons, not that she had ever seen, since they couldn't effectively carry them in their natural forms. They only used what they were born with, but mortal weapons couldn't hurt them.
Mortal weapons.
Nadia reached down at her side to the dagger. It was more than a mere mortal weapon. Whatever could rile the demonlords might require something more powerful, like the spirit blade.
Lord Je'Kaoron hunched, his lips curled back from pointed teeth in a snarl.
"I wish you could talk like this," she said in a low voice. "Tell me what you sense. Is it natters or something else?"
The tiger's tail lashed and, in the midst of a growl with his ears pinned back, he shook his head as if clearing something away…or shaking his head.
The other tigers positioned themselves to attack.
Their horses stood with their heads up and bodies rigid. The guards holding them had transformed their simple clothes to armor, but they gave the horses their full attention, likely using some form of magic to keep them from fleeing.
The tension thickened around her.
With one hand, she flipped the covering from the top of the dagger and pulled it. Power pulsed through her to hold it in anticipation of battle.
The sudden roar from Je'Kaoron startled
He was a demonlord, and she shouldn't worry. The lingering stare from Kaelen while he lay on the opposite side of the fire had said it.
In the quiet of the night, the dagger's darkness had invaded her thoughts, twisting them into hating both men, until she realized what was happening. She wanted to toss it, but that would involve admitting that Kaelen was right and that she was weak.
Rather, she tolerated its presence for the sake of proving herself to him, although she had nothing to prove. She had taken down Je'Rol, the half-blood that no Li'Ador or Adepts had survived in encountering, of those who had actually caught up to him. That counted for something.
She thought of him in the quiet of the morning, the grief gnawing at her once again, and it passed into other thoughts and memories. At least while hunting Je'Rol after he escaped from Je'Rekun, she had something to occupy her mind and give her purpose. Now, she could only wonder what would happen after she destroyed the dagger and what Lord Je'Kaoron knew of the First Ones and what that meant for their world.
As the journey resumed, she let the thoughts slide, but while traveling, the weight of the dagger grew heavier in her mind. Kaelen said nothing, but he would take what he wanted when it suited him. When that was, Nadia couldn't be certain, but as long as the demonlords stayed close, he wouldn't get anything.
On the fourth day since leaving Acropa Je'Gri, she started to think they would reach the Nik'Terek Gate without any trouble.
She was wrong.
During the midday break, the tigers stirred. One in particular moved in close to her, one whose stripes she recognized from the many times he had stretched out next to her, his fur soaking up her tears as she cried herself to sleep. After spending so much time among the Je'Gri, she had come to recognize the subtle differences in some of their markings.
In his tiger form, Lord Je'Kaoron moved close to her, his head high and nostrils and whiskers twitching.
After several seconds of sniffing, his ears went back and his tail started lashing.
The others did the same, their teeth bared while they faced outward at the brush and trees around them.
Kaelen rose from the ground and drew his sword. He'd do better with a bow and arrows against trouble—his most proficient weapon—but she supposed he'd left that behind in his haste to catch her. And demonlords didn't use external weapons, not that she had ever seen, since they couldn't effectively carry them in their natural forms. They only used what they were born with, but mortal weapons couldn't hurt them.
Mortal weapons.
Nadia reached down at her side to the dagger. It was more than a mere mortal weapon. Whatever could rile the demonlords might require something more powerful, like the spirit blade.
Lord Je'Kaoron hunched, his lips curled back from pointed teeth in a snarl.
"I wish you could talk like this," she said in a low voice. "Tell me what you sense. Is it natters or something else?"
The tiger's tail lashed and, in the midst of a growl with his ears pinned back, he shook his head as if clearing something away…or shaking his head.
The other tigers positioned themselves to attack.
Their horses stood with their heads up and bodies rigid. The guards holding them had transformed their simple clothes to armor, but they gave the horses their full attention, likely using some form of magic to keep them from fleeing.
The tension thickened around her.
With one hand, she flipped the covering from the top of the dagger and pulled it. Power pulsed through her to hold it in anticipation of battle.
The sudden roar from Je'Kaoron startled
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