Read Online Souls of Aredyrah 3 - The Taking of the Dawn by Tracy A. Akers - Free Book Online

know.”
    Haskel raised an eyebrow. “Do ye?”
    “I have to help her,” Dayn insisted. “Maybe
if we talked to the Vestry…told them how bad it was for her
and—”
    “That we’ll not do!” Haskel barked. He
steered his horse in front of Dayn’s, stopping him short. Haskel
drew his already large frame into an even more impressive height.
“We’ll not talk to the Vestry, Dayn. Not about this or anythin’
else.”
    “But—”
    “Ye heard me, boy. Since your little
performance at the Festival a few months back, things have gone bad
for the clans.”
    “What do you mean?” Dayn asked, but he was
sure he already knew.
    “It didn’t take much for the townsfolk to buy
into Sheireadan’s rantin’s that ye’d revealed yourself as a demon.
Talk grew from ye bein’ one, to the role your family and the clans
played in it. We were harborers of evil, they said, so were
breakin’ the law.”
    “But, I’m not a demon,” Dayn insisted. “I
give my word—”
    Haskel scowled. “Your word’s not good for
much around here. And now neither is mine, or anyone else’s in the
family.”
    “So the clans won’t believe me either.”
    “Listen, most of the clans support ye and
your mother—even though it’s put ‘em in danger. All the clans left
the Festival early that day. Several members stopped by your folks’
place on the way home, along with me, your Uncle Nort, and a few
others. By the time we arrived, your father’d already taken off,
and your mother…well, let’s just say she was in no condition to be
left alone. Vania and some of the women folk stayed with her, while
me and the men headed out to search for your father. We gathered
other members along the way and searched for days. When we reached
the cave…” Haskel paused, his expression grim. “Ye know the rest.”
He kicked his heels and reined his horse back to the path.
    Dayn urged his mount after him. “What does
that have to do with the Vestry?” he asked.
    “The Vestry sent some men the next day to
fetch ye and your father for a hearin’. When they discovered
neither of ye were there, they threatened to take your mother
instead. But Vania…” Haskel’s lips curled with satisfaction. “Well,
let’s just say she told the bastards what’s what.
    “When we got back, we had a tough time
talkin’ your mother into goin’ to our place with us. Ye’d been gone
nearly five days, but she insisted ye’d all be home soon, and that
she needed to be there when ye did. Vania reminded her that the
Vestry’s men might be back, that she wouldn’t be safe there on her
own. Only when I promised to check on your place every few days did
she agree to go with us. We told her to pack as much as she could
so it would look like she’d taken off for good. We knew if the
Vestry returned, they’d think twice before headin’ further up the
mountain huntin’ for her. But we also figured if Gorman, or you and
your sister, returned and didn’t find anyone at your place, the
next thing any of ye’d do would be to go to our place. It was the
best ruse we knew of to get your mother to agree to go with
us.”
    Dayn felt a wave of regret for all the
suffering he realized he’d put them through. “Thanks…for looking
after Mother,” he said, “and for—”
    Haskel grunted. “No need.”
    They rode on without speaking for a time,
until at last Dayn broke the silence. “How did you know where to
find me, tonight I mean?”
    “Your sister told me.”
    “What did she tell you, exactly?”
    Haskel cleared his throat. “That ye have
affection for Falyn and had likely gone to find her. Since your
mother mentioned we’d seen her recently at the springs, it seemed
the most likely place to start.”
    “I have more than affection for her, uncle. I
love her.”
    Haskel looked surprised, then frowned his
disapproval. “Ye’d do better to turn your heart elsewhere,” he
said.
    “If you’d been told to turn your heart from
Vania, would you have?”
    A