Read Online WindLegends Saga 9: WindRetriever by Charlotte Boyett-Compo - Free Book Online
Authors: Charlotte Boyett-Compo
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yet to tell Catherine he was going to have the marriage annulled and thinking of it, as he was no doubt doing at that moment, had brought fresh guilt to the Serenian's face.
"Catherine doesn't know everything," Conar said, looking up at Sajin. "Maybe if she did, she wouldn't be so anxious to leave Rysalia."
So, Sajin thought, that is what you've done. The questions he had concerning the girl Rachel had just been answered. He shook his head, watching Conar blush before looking away.
Conar, oh Conar, Sajin mumbled to himself, you've done it now.
"She only wants you well, Khamsin," Rupine argued. "If this woman in the Outer Kingdom can help you, I am all for it."
"May I speak to Khamsin alone?" Sajin asked, looking around at Celene and including her in the request.
Rupine motioned for the girl, sensing there was something important to be discussed here that he should be no part of. He closed the door behind them as they left and engaged the women warriors in conversation so none of them could hear what was being said inside Khamsin's room.
"All right," Sajin snapped, drawing a chair up to Conar's bed and straddling it. "When did you sleep with Rachel?"
Conar's blush deepened. "What makes you think I did?"
"I know you," Sajin quipped. "And I know how your feeble mind works." He shook his head at Conar's heavy scowl. "You saw a way to have Cat want the marriage put aside and you acted on it." He snorted. "With Rachel's help."
"I don't know what you're upset about," Conar snapped. "You're in love with Catherine and you want her." He glared at his friend. "I'm giving her to you."
"How nice of you," Sajin sneered.
"What's your problem, nomad?" Conar growled. "You know damned well I don't dare keep her with me. With you, she'll be safe."
"If not happy," Sajin shot back. "It's you she wants."
"Well, she can't have me!" Conar snarled.
"But any other woman can for the asking, right?" Sajin grunted. He saw Conar's lids flicker and thought I threw him off with that one.
"When will we be sailing?" Conar asked, refusing to argue anymore with the nomad.
"Probably on the morning tide." Sajin stood up and swung the chair away from him. "And Rachel won't be sailing with us, I'll see to that."
Conar looked up. "I never meant for her to."
"That's good," Sajin told him, "because I damned well intend to see she stays here where she belongs."
Conar looked away from the irritation on the Kensetti's face. "I'm doing what I think best, Sajin."
"Pouring salt into Cat's wounds isn't doing what's best, McGregor. It's cruel and it's going to hurt her more," the nomad Prince answered.
The infuriating glare of sapphire anger shot toward Ben-Alkazar. "Then soothe her pain, Sajin," Conar snapped. "You can do that, can't you?"
"Yes," Sajin growled. "You can count on it!"
Charlotte Boyett-Compo WINDRETRIEVER 34
At dawn the next morning, two men of the Samiel carried Conar on a litter to a covered dray that had been rigged especially for the trip to the harbor at Asaraba. Forty men rode guard behind the wagon with another twenty in front, all heavily armed. Catherine rode between Sajin and Yuri, casting puzzled frowns at the Shadow-warrior who had been silent and withdrawn for several days.
"Is something wrong, Yuri?" she had asked him again that morning, but the man had only shaken his head at her question. There was something worrying the man, but he refused to confide in her and there was nothing she could do until he did.
"Will we be taking the ship back to St. Steffensburg that we took before?" Catherine asked Sajin.
"No. My family has many ships, but this one belongs to me." He tightened his grip on his mount's reins for the animal was aching to run. "I won her in a game of kohn from a Venturian merchant."
"What is she called?" Azalon asked. He was riding off to one side of the others.
"The Temptress," Sajin laughed. "My sister named her."
"Where is Sybelle?" Catherine asked. "She left St. Steffensburg right after you,
"Catherine doesn't know everything," Conar said, looking up at Sajin. "Maybe if she did, she wouldn't be so anxious to leave Rysalia."
So, Sajin thought, that is what you've done. The questions he had concerning the girl Rachel had just been answered. He shook his head, watching Conar blush before looking away.
Conar, oh Conar, Sajin mumbled to himself, you've done it now.
"She only wants you well, Khamsin," Rupine argued. "If this woman in the Outer Kingdom can help you, I am all for it."
"May I speak to Khamsin alone?" Sajin asked, looking around at Celene and including her in the request.
Rupine motioned for the girl, sensing there was something important to be discussed here that he should be no part of. He closed the door behind them as they left and engaged the women warriors in conversation so none of them could hear what was being said inside Khamsin's room.
"All right," Sajin snapped, drawing a chair up to Conar's bed and straddling it. "When did you sleep with Rachel?"
Conar's blush deepened. "What makes you think I did?"
"I know you," Sajin quipped. "And I know how your feeble mind works." He shook his head at Conar's heavy scowl. "You saw a way to have Cat want the marriage put aside and you acted on it." He snorted. "With Rachel's help."
"I don't know what you're upset about," Conar snapped. "You're in love with Catherine and you want her." He glared at his friend. "I'm giving her to you."
"How nice of you," Sajin sneered.
"What's your problem, nomad?" Conar growled. "You know damned well I don't dare keep her with me. With you, she'll be safe."
"If not happy," Sajin shot back. "It's you she wants."
"Well, she can't have me!" Conar snarled.
"But any other woman can for the asking, right?" Sajin grunted. He saw Conar's lids flicker and thought I threw him off with that one.
"When will we be sailing?" Conar asked, refusing to argue anymore with the nomad.
"Probably on the morning tide." Sajin stood up and swung the chair away from him. "And Rachel won't be sailing with us, I'll see to that."
Conar looked up. "I never meant for her to."
"That's good," Sajin told him, "because I damned well intend to see she stays here where she belongs."
Conar looked away from the irritation on the Kensetti's face. "I'm doing what I think best, Sajin."
"Pouring salt into Cat's wounds isn't doing what's best, McGregor. It's cruel and it's going to hurt her more," the nomad Prince answered.
The infuriating glare of sapphire anger shot toward Ben-Alkazar. "Then soothe her pain, Sajin," Conar snapped. "You can do that, can't you?"
"Yes," Sajin growled. "You can count on it!"
Charlotte Boyett-Compo WINDRETRIEVER 34
At dawn the next morning, two men of the Samiel carried Conar on a litter to a covered dray that had been rigged especially for the trip to the harbor at Asaraba. Forty men rode guard behind the wagon with another twenty in front, all heavily armed. Catherine rode between Sajin and Yuri, casting puzzled frowns at the Shadow-warrior who had been silent and withdrawn for several days.
"Is something wrong, Yuri?" she had asked him again that morning, but the man had only shaken his head at her question. There was something worrying the man, but he refused to confide in her and there was nothing she could do until he did.
"Will we be taking the ship back to St. Steffensburg that we took before?" Catherine asked Sajin.
"No. My family has many ships, but this one belongs to me." He tightened his grip on his mount's reins for the animal was aching to run. "I won her in a game of kohn from a Venturian merchant."
"What is she called?" Azalon asked. He was riding off to one side of the others.
"The Temptress," Sajin laughed. "My sister named her."
"Where is Sybelle?" Catherine asked. "She left St. Steffensburg right after you,
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