Read Online The Humming of Numbers by Joni Sensel - Free Book Online

he managed to yank her to a halt, his lips near her ear.
    â€œIt might be,” he said, low. He scanned the forest around them. “It might be Vikings, Lana, and if we’re not careful we’ll be dead.”
    She whimpered. “Or worse.”
    He let his eyes touch the pale skin of her throat. Instinct flared within him, leaving his muscles tingling and primed for a fight. He felt protective of her, even possessive. For the first time, his body’s reaction to her did not make him feel guilty. “Yes. Come on.” He pulled her into the shelter of the nearest tree.
    â€œNo. Not this one,” she said, glancing up to its boughs. Pulling from his grip, she darted to another tree not far ahead.
    Too worried to be annoyed, Aidan followed, searching for any hint that they weren’t alone. Foreign raiders had never attacked within his memory, but he’d heard plenty of stories, horrific stories, from not far downriver. Fearsome and implacable pirates, the Norsemen swept down upon farm holdings and monasteries alike, marauding faster than local men could muster. They stole every item of value they could carry, torched anything that would burn, raped women, took slaves, and slaughtered anyone who got in the way. Aidan sent a quick prayer that if the
river had conveyed such menace here, his family would stay far out of its reach.
    â€œDon’t run wild,” he said, as much to himself as to Lana. “It might just be a cottage fire or something.” He double-checked his bearings. “Stay here, out of sight. I’m going to the edge of the wood to take a look.”
    â€œNo, don’t leave me alone!”
    His feet already in motion, he jittered to a stop and looked back. “Well, come on then!”
    â€œWait. I’m almost done.” Lana had plucked a small branch from the tree and was busily snapping off twigs and stripping its bark with her teeth.
    â€œDone with what?” He watched an instant without recognizing the Y-shaped bit of wood she’d formed. “Whatever it is, there’s not time.”
    â€œYou want to walk right into them?” she demanded. “Just be still a minute.” Holding her hands over her head, she balanced one leg of the twig on the pad of each thumb and pointed its stem toward the sky. She pivoted in place, her eyes closed and her feet mincing in a small circle.
    With a start, Aidan realized she had created a makeshift divining rod like those used to site wells. “You’re dowsing water?” he demanded, uncomprehending. “Now?”
    â€œNot water,” she retorted. “Danger.” The stem of the wand dropped abruptly to point almost due east. She
opened her eyes to see where she and her divining rod faced. “’Tis hazel wood, and it has never been wrong for me, Aidan. Whatever it is, it lies that way. And not very far!”
    â€œThe abbey lies that way,” he said, a chill tickling his shoulders.
    â€œThen we can’t go there.”
    â€œDon’t be stupid! If it is the Norsemen, the only place that might be safe is behind the abbey’s ramparts.”
    â€œIt is not safe, not now. Or else they’re between it and here.” She clutched Aidan’s arm. “Do you think they might have already hit the homes just downriver?” Her voice careened higher, rasping of one. The jagged sound of that number made it hard for Aidan to think.
    â€œIt might be nothing,” he said, although his instincts said different. “Listen. Let’s …” He wanted to simply head back the direction he’d come, but her conviction was too powerful to ignore completely. “Let’s circle around south, toward Kilcarrick Hill. From that vantage we can see what’s on fire.” He didn’t add that from there it would be a relatively short, downhill dash to the abbey if need be.
    Lana never released her clutch on his sleeve as they sprinted through the