Read Online The Sorcerer's Concubine (The Telepath and the Sorcerer Book 1) by Jaclyn Dolamore - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jaclyn Dolamore
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whisper.
Velsa edged to the door.
Grau returned just as a man’s face peered down from the loft. “Hey!” he shouted. “This is our damned barn. Find your own place to sleep!”
Behind him, another man said, “He warmed up the place. Maybe we should let him be.”
“I’m not sleeping with a horse.”
“Who are you?” Grau asked. “What happened to the Marnows?”
“None of your concern.” The man climbed down the ladder, which Velsa hadn’t even noticed until now, as it was in the shadows against the wall, and in fact, not so much as a ladder as a collection of hand-holds nailed into the planks. Velsa thought the object slung across his back was a rifle. She had never actually seen one, only heard the rumors of powerful new weapons.
“This land belongs to the Unified Army of the High Sorcerer,” the man said, as soon as his boots hit the ground. He came marching up to them.
“I don’t understand,” Grau said.
“You don’t need to understand anything more than that. This land belongs to Kalan Jherin now, and we’re his representatives, so we’d appreciate if you move along.”
Two more men were coming down the ladder. They all wore trim jackets styled unusually short, with hems that fell just a few inches below their belts. Their hair was also short, cut close around their ears. They must come from Nalim Ima, where the High Sorcerer Kalan Jherin kept his palace.
“We just want a place to spend the night,” Grau said. “We’ll move along in the morning. But I still want to know what happened to the Marnows. They wouldn’t sell their land.”
“Wouldn’t they?” The men chuckled.
“I really don’t think it would hurt if they spent the night,” said the burliest of the men. He must have been six and a half feet tall. “Look at this girl he has with him.”
“Where are the Marnows?” Grau demanded, clutching his crystal so they all could see it. “You expect me to believe that Kalan Jherin showed up, bought up their land and then leveled the house?”
The men all immediately shifted their rifles off their backs to point at Grau. “Put that away. We don’t want any trouble,” the third man said. Despite his reasonable words, he sounded a little drunk. “That’s exactly what happened. The Marnows moved to the city.”
Grau lowered his hand slightly. “Why would Kalan Jherin buy land out here?”
“To drain for farming. We’re just guarding it now.”
“Hey, lad,” the burly man said. “Keep the barn heated and we’ll let you stay.”
Grau walked closer. “I’ve stayed with the Marnows when I come by here for the last five years. They would never sell their land without someone twisting their arm. And I’m no one’s ‘lad’. You’re the ones who ought to move along. What is Kalan’s army doing all the way out here anyway?”
The barrel of a rifle jabbed into Grau’s stomach, forcing him to step back. “The High Sorcerer works for all Daramons,” the first man said. “If I were you, I wouldn’t question his decisions.” Now he struck Grau in the side with the rifle.
“Sir!” The second man sounded disturbed. “I don’t think we ought to be striking citizens.”
“Bunch of bumpkins out here,” the first man said. “No respect.”
Grau glanced around with a wild spark in his eyes and spread his hands. The pile of hay exploded into a whirl of strands, obscuring her vision. The men coughed and choked, covering their faces against the assault of hay. The smell of mold must have been awful.
Grau swept an arm around her waist and pulled them both up onto Fern’s back. He led the horse out the barn door and then spurred her to a gallop. Velsa was slung across Grau, her legs dangling over the side, but once they were moving he helped her into into her usual position.
Behind them, the three men emerged, shouting curses.
A shot whizzed through the rain, just past Grau. He leaned forward to lower his profile, holding her tight as if he needed to
Velsa edged to the door.
Grau returned just as a man’s face peered down from the loft. “Hey!” he shouted. “This is our damned barn. Find your own place to sleep!”
Behind him, another man said, “He warmed up the place. Maybe we should let him be.”
“I’m not sleeping with a horse.”
“Who are you?” Grau asked. “What happened to the Marnows?”
“None of your concern.” The man climbed down the ladder, which Velsa hadn’t even noticed until now, as it was in the shadows against the wall, and in fact, not so much as a ladder as a collection of hand-holds nailed into the planks. Velsa thought the object slung across his back was a rifle. She had never actually seen one, only heard the rumors of powerful new weapons.
“This land belongs to the Unified Army of the High Sorcerer,” the man said, as soon as his boots hit the ground. He came marching up to them.
“I don’t understand,” Grau said.
“You don’t need to understand anything more than that. This land belongs to Kalan Jherin now, and we’re his representatives, so we’d appreciate if you move along.”
Two more men were coming down the ladder. They all wore trim jackets styled unusually short, with hems that fell just a few inches below their belts. Their hair was also short, cut close around their ears. They must come from Nalim Ima, where the High Sorcerer Kalan Jherin kept his palace.
“We just want a place to spend the night,” Grau said. “We’ll move along in the morning. But I still want to know what happened to the Marnows. They wouldn’t sell their land.”
“Wouldn’t they?” The men chuckled.
“I really don’t think it would hurt if they spent the night,” said the burliest of the men. He must have been six and a half feet tall. “Look at this girl he has with him.”
“Where are the Marnows?” Grau demanded, clutching his crystal so they all could see it. “You expect me to believe that Kalan Jherin showed up, bought up their land and then leveled the house?”
The men all immediately shifted their rifles off their backs to point at Grau. “Put that away. We don’t want any trouble,” the third man said. Despite his reasonable words, he sounded a little drunk. “That’s exactly what happened. The Marnows moved to the city.”
Grau lowered his hand slightly. “Why would Kalan Jherin buy land out here?”
“To drain for farming. We’re just guarding it now.”
“Hey, lad,” the burly man said. “Keep the barn heated and we’ll let you stay.”
Grau walked closer. “I’ve stayed with the Marnows when I come by here for the last five years. They would never sell their land without someone twisting their arm. And I’m no one’s ‘lad’. You’re the ones who ought to move along. What is Kalan’s army doing all the way out here anyway?”
The barrel of a rifle jabbed into Grau’s stomach, forcing him to step back. “The High Sorcerer works for all Daramons,” the first man said. “If I were you, I wouldn’t question his decisions.” Now he struck Grau in the side with the rifle.
“Sir!” The second man sounded disturbed. “I don’t think we ought to be striking citizens.”
“Bunch of bumpkins out here,” the first man said. “No respect.”
Grau glanced around with a wild spark in his eyes and spread his hands. The pile of hay exploded into a whirl of strands, obscuring her vision. The men coughed and choked, covering their faces against the assault of hay. The smell of mold must have been awful.
Grau swept an arm around her waist and pulled them both up onto Fern’s back. He led the horse out the barn door and then spurred her to a gallop. Velsa was slung across Grau, her legs dangling over the side, but once they were moving he helped her into into her usual position.
Behind them, the three men emerged, shouting curses.
A shot whizzed through the rain, just past Grau. He leaned forward to lower his profile, holding her tight as if he needed to
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