Read Online Memory Hunted by Christopher Kincaid - Free Book Online
Authors: Christopher Kincaid
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crumpling to the ground.
She swung the pack over her shoulder and winced as the
lantern smacked into her. "Fool lantern," Kit muttered.
"You look like you rolled down a hill and hit every tree
on the way down." Timothy pulled a leaf from her hair. His breath frosted the air.
Kit rubbed her thigh. It felt like a bruise was
beginning to form. "Not every tree. Just most."
Timothy glanced at the hill. A twig burst. Kit twisted
and crouched.
"That looks like fun." Yuzu stepped from behind a tree.
Blankets weighted one shoulder, and her knapsack pulled at the other. She glanced
at an unconscious Gert. "Remind me not to make you angry, Sis."
Timothy shivered. "We should get moving. If we get on
the road, we can get some distance."
"Which way is the road, Sister?" Yuzu said.
"I—I don’t know."
"But you grew up around here, right?" Yuzu asked.
"I said I don’t know." Kit scratched up her sleeves and
allowed herself to feel miserable for a moment.
Timothy pointed east. "The road was over there. I suspect
it will take us to Belafonte, but Daeric will come looking for us."
Kit looked at Gert. The man didn’t stir. Her fingers
found her belt knife, miraculously still in its sheath. "We need to take care of
him before we go."
Timothy grabbed her arm. "No, Kit. You can’t."
"We wouldn’t be in the mess if I had with Daeric. And
with Tahd. With Treblin."
"That’s not you, Kit. You aren’t a killer."
"I killed your mother." Kit swallowed and set her jaw.
"He hasn’t tried to hurt us. E-Evelyn was trying to kill
me."
"And you think they will not?" Kit’s hand tightened on
the knife’s grip. "Daeric wants me. He has to know what I am. What else could it
be? It is always back to my tail and ears. People always want me because I am a
fox. I am done with it."
"I don’t care about your ears and tail, Sis. I just want
to pet them," Yuzu said.
"Kit, if Daeric wanted to hurt us, he would have tried
already. He has something else in mind."
Kit shook her head. "Not even this place is safe. I had
hoped home would be safe. After Grammie died…nowhere is safe for me. I don’t belong
anywhere."
Timothy laid a hand on her shoulder. "Y-you belong w-with
me."
Oh, Timmy. She
laughed. She shoved the knife into its sheath and patted his hand. "As long as you
don’t treat me like one of your sheep, shepherd." She wiped her eyes with the back
of her hand. I will regret this, but Timothy is right. I am not a killer.
Kit pulled up her sleeves. The cold air felt good against
her skin. Red blotches covered the backs of her hands and ran almost to her elbows.
She thrust her arms at Timothy. "Look at them! This is your fault, Shepherd of the
Fleas. Look what your fleas have done to me."
"I can’t see them, but I tried to warn you. It’s not
fleas," Timothy said."It’s sumac."
"We should get moving. I don’t like Daeric enough to
stay here. Tell is cute, though," Yuzu said.
"She’s right, Timmy. If you spend more time talking me
up, we will be caught."
Timothy rolled his eyes. "Lead the way then."
Yuzu trudged into the woods, and Kit followed. Timothy
matched his pace to Kit’s. She glanced at him. Thanks for being you, Timmy. Although,
I won’t ever tell you that. If she had been prepared to kill Trent or Tahd,
she would have never met him. But I am different now. I was about to kill Gert. Her stomach felt sour. Anything to protect my woolhead. She wasn’t sure
about the existence of God, not after what she’d seen from those who claimed to
belong to him. But she would risk anything for the idiot who walked next to her.
She felt her cheeks heat. I can’t have him know that. Not with his fragile pride.
He’d make a nuisance of himself. She smiled. I never thought a kind fool
like him would muddle me so much.
"It’s all your fault, sheepbrain."
"What did I do now?" Timothy asked. "Shouldn’t we be
quiet, considering we are trying to get away from people who hunt Inquisitors?"
Yuzu cleared her throat.
"If Tell’s
She swung the pack over her shoulder and winced as the
lantern smacked into her. "Fool lantern," Kit muttered.
"You look like you rolled down a hill and hit every tree
on the way down." Timothy pulled a leaf from her hair. His breath frosted the air.
Kit rubbed her thigh. It felt like a bruise was
beginning to form. "Not every tree. Just most."
Timothy glanced at the hill. A twig burst. Kit twisted
and crouched.
"That looks like fun." Yuzu stepped from behind a tree.
Blankets weighted one shoulder, and her knapsack pulled at the other. She glanced
at an unconscious Gert. "Remind me not to make you angry, Sis."
Timothy shivered. "We should get moving. If we get on
the road, we can get some distance."
"Which way is the road, Sister?" Yuzu said.
"I—I don’t know."
"But you grew up around here, right?" Yuzu asked.
"I said I don’t know." Kit scratched up her sleeves and
allowed herself to feel miserable for a moment.
Timothy pointed east. "The road was over there. I suspect
it will take us to Belafonte, but Daeric will come looking for us."
Kit looked at Gert. The man didn’t stir. Her fingers
found her belt knife, miraculously still in its sheath. "We need to take care of
him before we go."
Timothy grabbed her arm. "No, Kit. You can’t."
"We wouldn’t be in the mess if I had with Daeric. And
with Tahd. With Treblin."
"That’s not you, Kit. You aren’t a killer."
"I killed your mother." Kit swallowed and set her jaw.
"He hasn’t tried to hurt us. E-Evelyn was trying to kill
me."
"And you think they will not?" Kit’s hand tightened on
the knife’s grip. "Daeric wants me. He has to know what I am. What else could it
be? It is always back to my tail and ears. People always want me because I am a
fox. I am done with it."
"I don’t care about your ears and tail, Sis. I just want
to pet them," Yuzu said.
"Kit, if Daeric wanted to hurt us, he would have tried
already. He has something else in mind."
Kit shook her head. "Not even this place is safe. I had
hoped home would be safe. After Grammie died…nowhere is safe for me. I don’t belong
anywhere."
Timothy laid a hand on her shoulder. "Y-you belong w-with
me."
Oh, Timmy. She
laughed. She shoved the knife into its sheath and patted his hand. "As long as you
don’t treat me like one of your sheep, shepherd." She wiped her eyes with the back
of her hand. I will regret this, but Timothy is right. I am not a killer.
Kit pulled up her sleeves. The cold air felt good against
her skin. Red blotches covered the backs of her hands and ran almost to her elbows.
She thrust her arms at Timothy. "Look at them! This is your fault, Shepherd of the
Fleas. Look what your fleas have done to me."
"I can’t see them, but I tried to warn you. It’s not
fleas," Timothy said."It’s sumac."
"We should get moving. I don’t like Daeric enough to
stay here. Tell is cute, though," Yuzu said.
"She’s right, Timmy. If you spend more time talking me
up, we will be caught."
Timothy rolled his eyes. "Lead the way then."
Yuzu trudged into the woods, and Kit followed. Timothy
matched his pace to Kit’s. She glanced at him. Thanks for being you, Timmy. Although,
I won’t ever tell you that. If she had been prepared to kill Trent or Tahd,
she would have never met him. But I am different now. I was about to kill Gert. Her stomach felt sour. Anything to protect my woolhead. She wasn’t sure
about the existence of God, not after what she’d seen from those who claimed to
belong to him. But she would risk anything for the idiot who walked next to her.
She felt her cheeks heat. I can’t have him know that. Not with his fragile pride.
He’d make a nuisance of himself. She smiled. I never thought a kind fool
like him would muddle me so much.
"It’s all your fault, sheepbrain."
"What did I do now?" Timothy asked. "Shouldn’t we be
quiet, considering we are trying to get away from people who hunt Inquisitors?"
Yuzu cleared her throat.
"If Tell’s
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