Read Online Saint Camber by Katherine Kurtz - Free Book Online Page A

strength, knew where and how many and what kinds of warriors she could throw into any assault!
    He was almost ready to withdraw, when suddenly the picture blanked and he caught an almost mind-splitting explosion of rage. A wrenching pain lanced behind his eyes, temporarily blinding him physically as well as psychically, and he realized that he had been detected. His touch had been too clumsy, his direction too direct! Ariella was awake, and aware of his link—and she was trying to sustain the link he had created, to surge back across that link and mentally destroy him!
    With a cry of pain, he blinked and wrenched his eyes from the blackened water, gasping for breath.
    â€œJoram, get me out of it!”
    He did not know whether Joram or the others had seen what he had seen, or felt the awesome menace of Ariella’s retaliation; but Joram and Evaine, at least, knew exactly what to do in such a situation. Joram threw down his taper and seized his father’s shoulders, pouring power and protection into his father’s mind. As Cullen joined forces with Joram, protective instincts taking precedence over caution, Evaine snatched the silver bowl and hurried to where Rhys was already struggling to move the chest which covered the garderobe.
    A wind roared outside, ripping the tapestry covering from the window and whistling into the room, but not inside the wards which they had set to prevent just such an incursion. The wind died as Evaine poured the contents of the bowl down the garderobe, and Camber relaxed in his son’s arms.
    The link was broken.
    The room seemed to undulate as Camber opened his eyes, and the first thing that he saw was Joram’s ashen face, the gray eyes stunned, dulled with exhaustion. Camber swallowed and managed to get his feet under himself again, but he had to lean on Cullen’s arm until he could steady himself against the edge of the table. He took a deep, sobering breath, but he knew that he had nearly reached the limits of his physical endurance. His defense had drained him.
    â€œI’m sorry,” he murmured. “I’m afraid I pushed too hard. Is everyone else all right? Do you realize what happened?”
    â€œYou linked in with something bigger than you could handle,” Cullen said gruffly. “What was it? Do you know?”
    â€œYou mean you didn’t see?”
    â€œSee what?” Rhys asked. “I knew you were experiencing something—but until you started shaking, all I saw was candlelight reflected on that black water.”
    â€œI couldn’t see anything either, Father,” Evaine agreed.
    â€œOh.”
    Camber swallowed down a surge of nausea and let that sink in, finding it increasingly difficult to think coherently in his exhaustion. He tried to straighten up more, but his fatigued body refused to obey. Partially abandoning that fight, he let himself slump back against Joram again and closed his eyes, making a conscious effort to organize his thoughts.
    Rhys’s hand touched his forehead, and he felt the cool touch of the Healer’s mind against his, but he shook his head and opened his eyes again.
    â€œI’ll rest in a moment, Rhys—I promise. I got what I went for, though, and you’ll need the information before I let myself collapse. Joram, if you’ll release the wards, Evaine can get a map and pen. I have Ariella’s troop strengths and deployment, and I think I’ll have just about enough strength to make those notations before I have to sleep.”
    He gestured weakly with a hand which seemed almost not to belong to him, so heavy was his fatigue. Rhys took Joram’s place, supporting him against the table, while Joram raised his arms to release the wards. As the silvery hemisphere dissolved away, the chill of the room assaulted them. Instantly, Evaine was unlocking the door to the sleeping chamber and rushing through.
    Rhys and Cullen slowly walked Camber to his chair beside the fire, where