Read Online Kyros' Secret (Greek Myth Series Book 1) by Elizabeth Rose - Free Book Online
Authors: Elizabeth Rose
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ten other of his kind. They burst through the forest and distracted the attackers long enough for them to escape.
It worked. The distraction saved their lives. Kyros didn’t slow down until he was deep into the forest near a brook. Stopping the horse, he dismounted, taking the warmth of his protective hold with him.
“What happened?” Thera looked down at him. He scanned first the land and surroundings and then tied the horse to a tree.
“We were being attacked by centaurs,” came his calm answer.
“No doubt. I could see that.” His reluctance to tell her more disturbed her. “Why didn’t you fight back?”
The look on his face said it all. She saw the confusion in his eyes, felt his own anger at her words pumping through her very blood.
“Fighting isn’t always the answer. But then again, I don’t suppose the daughter of the god of war could understand such a thing.”
He turned from her and stared out at the water. A raw feeling of emptiness engulfed her. That would have been her answer at one time. Before this all happened to her. But now the thought of running never even entered her mind. Her war-like abilities had been triggered ever since she’d killed her father’s damned raven.
She struggled with her inner thoughts, knowing Kyros was right for not wanting to hurt anyone, but still she couldn’t help but feel he should have killed every last one of those centaurs that wanted her own life.
“They could have killed us, you realize.” She put one foot in the stirrup and swung her other one around to dismount.
“Well, they didn’t. So don’t worry about what I did or didn’t do back there.”
The horse moved and she lost her balance. She screamed and fell.
He was there instantly. His protective arms wrapped around her, keeping her from hitting the earth below. She felt so safe in his presence, yet she didn’t know why. They almost died a few minutes ago and the man had done nothing to ward off their attackers. Yet, here he saved her from a short fall to the ground.
“You ought to be more careful.” He gently set her feet on the ground, yet his arms lingered around her as he steadied her. “You might hurt the baby in a fall like you almost took.”
The man didn’t make any sense. He was worried about a little fall, yet when the arrows were whizzing by her head, he refused to use his sword to defend them.
“I’m not used to the awkwardness of being pregnant, yet.”
She looked up into his soft, brown eyes and felt a hidden sadness behind the gaze. She wanted to ask him about it, but couldn’t. She couldn’t bring herself to say a word. His touch was strong, yet gentle. His body was warm and comforting as his hands rested on her shoulders for a mere second before he shook his head and stepped away.
“We’ll rest now. I need to water my horse.”
His voice went cold; the warmth and kindness she’d just sensed diminished as he grabbed his horse’s reins and led the animal to the water. She, too, was thirsty and took the time to kneel down at the water’s edge and drink. She splashed the cool water on her face trying to make sense of her sporadic emotions.
“So. You never told me where you were headed.”
She looked up and realized he no longer stood by his horse. She heard a small rustle in the bushes and figured he was relieving himself.
“Kyros? Where are we going from here?”
When she didn’t get an answer she became unnerved. If it wasn’t Kyros in the bushes, then who was it? And why didn’t Kyros answer her - wherever he was?
“Kyros?” She stepped toward the bush and screamed when she saw a pair of eyes staring back at her. It was a small centaur. The young boy’s eyes interlocked with hers before he took off into the thicket.
“You don’t need to fear him.”
She spun around and saw Kyros standing before her with a dead pheasant in his hand.
“His name is Nemos,” he continued. “He’s harmless. He just wants to see who you are.”
“How do you
It worked. The distraction saved their lives. Kyros didn’t slow down until he was deep into the forest near a brook. Stopping the horse, he dismounted, taking the warmth of his protective hold with him.
“What happened?” Thera looked down at him. He scanned first the land and surroundings and then tied the horse to a tree.
“We were being attacked by centaurs,” came his calm answer.
“No doubt. I could see that.” His reluctance to tell her more disturbed her. “Why didn’t you fight back?”
The look on his face said it all. She saw the confusion in his eyes, felt his own anger at her words pumping through her very blood.
“Fighting isn’t always the answer. But then again, I don’t suppose the daughter of the god of war could understand such a thing.”
He turned from her and stared out at the water. A raw feeling of emptiness engulfed her. That would have been her answer at one time. Before this all happened to her. But now the thought of running never even entered her mind. Her war-like abilities had been triggered ever since she’d killed her father’s damned raven.
She struggled with her inner thoughts, knowing Kyros was right for not wanting to hurt anyone, but still she couldn’t help but feel he should have killed every last one of those centaurs that wanted her own life.
“They could have killed us, you realize.” She put one foot in the stirrup and swung her other one around to dismount.
“Well, they didn’t. So don’t worry about what I did or didn’t do back there.”
The horse moved and she lost her balance. She screamed and fell.
He was there instantly. His protective arms wrapped around her, keeping her from hitting the earth below. She felt so safe in his presence, yet she didn’t know why. They almost died a few minutes ago and the man had done nothing to ward off their attackers. Yet, here he saved her from a short fall to the ground.
“You ought to be more careful.” He gently set her feet on the ground, yet his arms lingered around her as he steadied her. “You might hurt the baby in a fall like you almost took.”
The man didn’t make any sense. He was worried about a little fall, yet when the arrows were whizzing by her head, he refused to use his sword to defend them.
“I’m not used to the awkwardness of being pregnant, yet.”
She looked up into his soft, brown eyes and felt a hidden sadness behind the gaze. She wanted to ask him about it, but couldn’t. She couldn’t bring herself to say a word. His touch was strong, yet gentle. His body was warm and comforting as his hands rested on her shoulders for a mere second before he shook his head and stepped away.
“We’ll rest now. I need to water my horse.”
His voice went cold; the warmth and kindness she’d just sensed diminished as he grabbed his horse’s reins and led the animal to the water. She, too, was thirsty and took the time to kneel down at the water’s edge and drink. She splashed the cool water on her face trying to make sense of her sporadic emotions.
“So. You never told me where you were headed.”
She looked up and realized he no longer stood by his horse. She heard a small rustle in the bushes and figured he was relieving himself.
“Kyros? Where are we going from here?”
When she didn’t get an answer she became unnerved. If it wasn’t Kyros in the bushes, then who was it? And why didn’t Kyros answer her - wherever he was?
“Kyros?” She stepped toward the bush and screamed when she saw a pair of eyes staring back at her. It was a small centaur. The young boy’s eyes interlocked with hers before he took off into the thicket.
“You don’t need to fear him.”
She spun around and saw Kyros standing before her with a dead pheasant in his hand.
“His name is Nemos,” he continued. “He’s harmless. He just wants to see who you are.”
“How do you
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