falling tree. Forcing herself to crawl again, she scooted between two bushes, lay on her stomach, and buried her face in her arms. Spasmodic sobs shook her body. Biting her lip, she steeled herself. Crying would reveal her hiding place. She had to stay still … quiet.
She held her breath and peeked over her arms. The ground-level view provided little more than a glimpse of the forest floor—a gathering of sparsely packed tree trunks, leaves, and needles. Soon night would be her ally. She waited, allowing only shallow, silent breaths.
A minute or so later, a man skulked into the waning light, a sword in his grip. With his head high and turning from side to side, he sniffed the air every few seconds. “Koren?” he called. “Where are you?”
Koren held her breath. The man, his gray hair askew, stopped only five paces away and sniffed again. Blood dripped from his forehead down to his cheek, and a bruise painted his jaw purple. “I have excellent tracking skills, Koren. Even in the dark, I will eventually find you. Every minute we lose is another minute closer to death.”
Koren risked another peek. The man was walking at an angle that would miss her hiding place, but not by much. He would probably sniff her out soon.
“I am Edison Masters, Jason’s father.” He slid the sword into a hip scabbard. “Come out of hiding, and I will help you find healing.”
She cringed.
Not Jason’s father! He has to stay away!
“I will arrange for transport to the Northlands,” Edison continued. “Uriel is trying to find a cure.”
Koren swallowed. Trying? That wasn’t good enough. It was too much of a risk.
Staring in spite of the pounding headache, she concentrated on the space in front of Edison. She had to find the energy, even if it sapped her last shred of strength.
Seconds later, an image of herself appeared at the spot, a thin vapor, barely visible in the twilight. She projected her thoughts and forced its lips to move as the thoughts transformed into spoken words.
“Edison …” The voice was weak and frail, but it would have to do. “Please go back and let me die alone. I don’t want you to get the disease.”
Staring, Edison backed away a step. His eyes darted around for a moment before settling on Koren’s phantom. “Dear girl, I have already been exposed. You need not fear endangering me.”
Could his words be true? She shook her head, and her image did the same. Edison had just come from the Northlands with the army. He couldn’t have been exposed, whatever he may want her to believe.
Tears sprang to her eyes. “You’re just telling me that so I’ll come out.”
“Koren, how well do you know Jason?”
She made her image cock its head. The question was a surprising one. “For the short amount of time we have shared together, quite well, I think.”
“Would he leave you to suffer and die alone?”
Koren’s lips trembled, and those on her image did the same. “No. He wouldn’t.”
“Would he lie to you?”
“No.”
Edison reached out and caressed her misty cheek. “Then do you expect anything less from me?”
Koren rolled up to a sitting position to better maneuver her image. Now that Edison was distracted and perhaps partially hypnotized, he wouldn’t notice.
The image covered his hand with her own. “Jason has told you about me?”
“He has.”
“Do you think I would accept your offer and willingly sentence you to a horrible death?”
He lowered his head and gave it a slow shake. “No, you wouldn’t. But I speak the truth. I’ve already been exposed.”
“I can’t take that chance. You must leave me. If you get the disease, the other soldiers probably will as well, and then you all would either spread it to your loved ones at home or become stranded here until you die. We shouldn’t imperil so many just to save one who will die anyway.”
“Koren, this is the very reason we came. Every man out there is ready to sacrifice his life to break the bonds of the
She held her breath and peeked over her arms. The ground-level view provided little more than a glimpse of the forest floor—a gathering of sparsely packed tree trunks, leaves, and needles. Soon night would be her ally. She waited, allowing only shallow, silent breaths.
A minute or so later, a man skulked into the waning light, a sword in his grip. With his head high and turning from side to side, he sniffed the air every few seconds. “Koren?” he called. “Where are you?”
Koren held her breath. The man, his gray hair askew, stopped only five paces away and sniffed again. Blood dripped from his forehead down to his cheek, and a bruise painted his jaw purple. “I have excellent tracking skills, Koren. Even in the dark, I will eventually find you. Every minute we lose is another minute closer to death.”
Koren risked another peek. The man was walking at an angle that would miss her hiding place, but not by much. He would probably sniff her out soon.
“I am Edison Masters, Jason’s father.” He slid the sword into a hip scabbard. “Come out of hiding, and I will help you find healing.”
She cringed.
Not Jason’s father! He has to stay away!
“I will arrange for transport to the Northlands,” Edison continued. “Uriel is trying to find a cure.”
Koren swallowed. Trying? That wasn’t good enough. It was too much of a risk.
Staring in spite of the pounding headache, she concentrated on the space in front of Edison. She had to find the energy, even if it sapped her last shred of strength.
Seconds later, an image of herself appeared at the spot, a thin vapor, barely visible in the twilight. She projected her thoughts and forced its lips to move as the thoughts transformed into spoken words.
“Edison …” The voice was weak and frail, but it would have to do. “Please go back and let me die alone. I don’t want you to get the disease.”
Staring, Edison backed away a step. His eyes darted around for a moment before settling on Koren’s phantom. “Dear girl, I have already been exposed. You need not fear endangering me.”
Could his words be true? She shook her head, and her image did the same. Edison had just come from the Northlands with the army. He couldn’t have been exposed, whatever he may want her to believe.
Tears sprang to her eyes. “You’re just telling me that so I’ll come out.”
“Koren, how well do you know Jason?”
She made her image cock its head. The question was a surprising one. “For the short amount of time we have shared together, quite well, I think.”
“Would he leave you to suffer and die alone?”
Koren’s lips trembled, and those on her image did the same. “No. He wouldn’t.”
“Would he lie to you?”
“No.”
Edison reached out and caressed her misty cheek. “Then do you expect anything less from me?”
Koren rolled up to a sitting position to better maneuver her image. Now that Edison was distracted and perhaps partially hypnotized, he wouldn’t notice.
The image covered his hand with her own. “Jason has told you about me?”
“He has.”
“Do you think I would accept your offer and willingly sentence you to a horrible death?”
He lowered his head and gave it a slow shake. “No, you wouldn’t. But I speak the truth. I’ve already been exposed.”
“I can’t take that chance. You must leave me. If you get the disease, the other soldiers probably will as well, and then you all would either spread it to your loved ones at home or become stranded here until you die. We shouldn’t imperil so many just to save one who will die anyway.”
“Koren, this is the very reason we came. Every man out there is ready to sacrifice his life to break the bonds of the
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