Read Online Ravenous by MarcyKate Connolly - Free Book Online Page B

sleep.”
    With all that’s changed for him today, I can’t say I’msurprised. I sit up and pull my book from my pack. “I think I can help with that.”
    I begin to read Dalen a story. He closes his eyes, leaning his head on the tree he rests against. By the time I finish the tale, he’s snoring, and I curl back under my now-dry blanket. It reminds me of the times I used to read to Hans at night after our parents disappeared.
    I am half asleep when I swear I see a pair of eyes staring at me from the shadows between the trees. I bolt upright. The strange eyes tilt over a hooked beak in the shadows, then blink and disappear. A moment later I see the retreating end of a striped tail.
    I am dreaming. It only feels real.
    I lie back down and pull my blanket up to my chin. When an owl hoots nearby, I pull it over my ears instead.

CHAPTER 9

    WHEN I WAKE, I’M STARTLED AND PANICKED TO FIND DALEN MISSING. HE settled down in the nook of a nearby tree last night, and now the hollow is empty.
    The leaves across the grove rustle, driving me to my feet in seconds, the knife that Dalen returned to me clutched in my hand. The memory of those eyes in my dream haunts me. But my panic is short-lived. Dalen trots into the glade with his bow and quiver slung over his shoulders and a wild goose in hand.
    â€œOh, you’re up. Breakfast and lunch,” he says, holding up the goose in one hand and a couple of eggs in the other. A lopsided grin rests on his face, and a few rays of sun break through the clouds overhead, dappling his skin. I smile back.
    â€œYou scared me.” I eye the eggs, and my stomach rumbles. “But for breakfast, I’ll forgive just about anything.”
    I start the fire and he takes a small pan out of his pack—he is carrying considerably more than I, which I can’t deny has come in handy. I might not mind having Dalen around.
    â€œDo you have a plan for when we get to Belladoma?” Dalen asks.
    â€œSort of,” I say, hesitant to admit that no, I don’t. I haven’t gotten that far yet.
    He looks at me expectantly.
    â€œFrom the last time I was there, I know tunnels run throughout Belladoma and the castle, and an entrance to them is outside the city. I’ve seen it once before. I remember the general area where it’s located. We can sneak in through that and find our way to the castle. Ensel would have kept the cornucopia close at hand. It’s the best place to start.” I can almost smell the salty tang of Belladoma, and it makes my stomach turn.
    Dalen stirs the scrambled eggs thoughtfully. “Are these tunnels large enough for me to navigate?”
    Drat. I hadn’t thought of that. “I don’t know. We’ll find out, I expect.”
    He sighs. “Yes, well, I won’t be able to wander the city. I shall have to stay hidden.”
    I frown. Dalen tagging along is creating more problems than I thought it would. “Perhaps you can stay in the woods while I sneak in and back out?”
    He smiles wryly. “I promised not to let you out of my sight, remember?”
    â€œYou’re going to have to break that promise at some point.”
    He’s silent and pensive for a few minutes, and the smell of food makes my stomach growl, drowning out the thoughts of Belladoma. This centaur boy has survived a lot too—even the burning down of his village and possible death of his friends.
    He divides the eggs between two small bowls and hands one to me, glancing at the gathering clouds in the distance. “We may run into that storm ahead later in the day. There are a few villages scattered about this region. Perhaps we should keep an eye out for an inn if the storm gets bad. You could barter for room and board, while I hide in the stables with the horses.”
    â€œShelter for the night would be nice, but all I have left in the world are my clothes and a few items in my pack.” I pat the satchel beside me.