Bonded to the Rakian Berserker (Rakian Warrior Mates #3) - Elin Wyn Page 0,6

and gray, a last, useless gesture to try to give the dead a little of the dignity that had been stolen from them.

Dusk turned to night, and Gavin brought some type of lanterns from the air sleds, set them around where they worked.

He didn’t seem to need extra light for his task, as he brought back another body, and another.

Finally, he returned, arms empty. “I can’t find anyone else.”

“Are you sure?” Esme asked, startled.

He nodded. “And Jormoi just reported in. He found the trail easily enough.” His face twisted. “Children tend to leave a particularly pungent scent, especially when afraid. They were herded together from the camp by men on horses, forced to walk south for a good ways down the river. The raiders took whatever horses they could round up, tried to use them to cover the trail, but it didn’t work.”

Gavin squatted down next to her, put his hand on the ground near hers.

Nothing more.

Still, it was a comfort.

“Nic spotted where wagons had been hidden around the next curve of the river, but we’ve got an extra mystery. How many children did you say should be here?”

“Twelve,” she answered. She closed her eyes, the children’s faces clear in her mind.

From Roddy, the oldest and born troublemaker to little Pia, only six months old.

“The wagons,” Gavin said. “From the marks, there were at least four. Far too many to carry so few children.” A short growl escaped his throat. “And Jormoi thinks there were already children in the other wagons.”

Of course. She moved her hand towards his. Just a bit.

“Not just children,” Esme said slowly. “I don’t think so at least.”

“What do you mean?” Adena asked quickly.

“You haven’t found anyone else?”

“I’ve gone round the camp three times,” Gavin said “I’m sure I haven’t missed anyone.”

“But I have,” she said pointing down the row of shrouded forms. “Auntie Layla. Not really my aunt, but she cared for the children, kept them all happy and busy, and taught them whatever lessons they would stay still for.”

She met his gaze.

“She’s missing as well.”

By the time Nic brought Jormoi back in the air sled, Adena and Rhela had cleared one section of camp, one small island of calm in the chaos.

Esme sat with the dead, watching the others in the circle of artificial light. The strangers, so willing to help.

And with secrets of their own, apparently.

Gavin came back from where the others congregated, stretched his hand down towards her.

And this man. She studied his hand for a moment, the deadly power it held.

The barely contained violence.

And still, something within him called to her.

This time she let him raise her to her feet.

“Thank you,” she said, legs stiff from so much kneeling.

He nodded, eyes grave. “You’ll want to hear the news, what little of it there is, straight from them.”

Hand still in his, she followed him back towards the living.

The others stood around a metal table she’d never seen before.

“Where did this come from?” she asked, the completely irrelevant question easier to ask than the important ones.

Had they found the children?

It didn’t need to be asked aloud. It was clear from their stern faces that there’d been a setback.

Adena tilted her head back towards the air sleds.

“Basic supplies in the storage compartments,” she explained. “And field rations.” She handed a silver wrapped parcel to Esme, showed her how to tear it open to reveal a brick-like cake within. “Not particularly tasty, but you’ll need something in your stomach to keep going.”

Esme chewed at the cake.

Adena was right. It was solid, heavy in her throat, with almost no flavor at all. But it didn’t really matter. She wasn’t sure she could taste much of anything right now.

“We followed the wagons’ trail for as long as we could,” Jormoi started. “I stayed on the ground and Nic from the air, just to make sure we didn’t miss anything, a sudden turn off, or a cluster of buildings over a hill, out of sight.

He took a brick but didn’t open it. “The trail was clear, after that first attempt at deception with the horses they weren’t bothering to hide. Speed seemed more important.”

Nic picked up the story. “I was beginning to think we might have an easy challenge for a change. And then the track merged into another road. The main road to Kinallen and Raccelton.”

Esme’s chest clenched.

Jormoi dropped down to the ground, Rhela curling up next to him.

“I went back-and-forth as far as I could, but there’s just too much traffic. I’d get tiny hits of