Lord of Destiny (The Dragon Demigods #6) - Charlene Hartnady Page 0,56

the general area. Perhaps they’ve set up a perimeter around weyr territory. Clever! We would need to get through them to escape. It gives me hope that Star hasn’t been implicated.

I push out a silent sigh when they move off. I carefully tuck in my wings. I don’t want to make a single noise. Then I shift back into my human form. There is far more chance of me being caught if I try to fly out of here. That’s what they are looking for. I slowly and carefully make my way back to Stephan, but he’s not where I left him.

What?

My heart-rate picks up. My T-shirt is on the floor where I left it. I look around. I pick up his scent. It’s faint but there. I follow. It doesn’t take long before I hear the sound of water. Shit! If he made his way to a river, he’ll be in the open and easy pickings for the patrolling dragons. I can only hope he heard them or saw them before they spotted him. I didn’t hear any commotion. I pick my way to the edge of the forest but stay beneath the cover of trees, trying to spot him. I crane my neck up and down the river. I look up into the sky.

I don’t see anything but stars. The water is loud in my ears as it rushes in currents and torrents. I sniff at the air, trying to pick up Stephan’s scent. Has he been captured?

I see a form peel up from the water’s edge. I pull in a breath. By its size and shape, I think it must be Stephan. I exhale. He hobbles over to me. It is Stephan, I realize, as he draws closer. “Thank god,” he whispers as he reaches me. He’s covered from head to toe in mud. He’s breathing hard but trying to be quiet. Stephan takes hold of a tree and leans against it.

“You saw them,” I whisper; my voice is close to silent.

He nods once. “Trying to mask my scent. I was quite bloody.” I hear him swallow. “You should…do…the same.”

“Let me help you first.” I hook an arm around his waist and help him further into the forest, where the canopy is thick. It’s slow going because Stephan is so weak. We have to be quiet. He has his arm over my shoulder. He’s leaning heavily on me.

“Here,” he whispers, his voice a rasp. There is a fallen tree. We can hunker down beneath the thick trunk and branches. At the very least, it will be more difficult to find us. I help him down. Stephan takes my hand as I’m pulling away. “Careful.” He rubs his thumb over my palm. Despite being in danger, despite everything…my body reacts.

Awareness flits through me. My body tightens. “I will be.” I squeeze his hand and let go.

I am quick but quiet. Once I reach the edge of the forest, I watch and wait until I am certain it’s safe. Then I race to the water’s edge, still alert and ready. The bank is muddy. I will use it to hide if they come now. I drink my fill. The water is cold and delicious. Then I slather myself in cold mud. Goosebumps break out all over my body. If they decide to try to find us on foot, the mud will make it difficult for them to scent us. We can’t be too careful. If we are captured, Stephan will be killed. I know it with a fierce certainty. I will be forced to mate one of the men from the weyr. We can’t be found. We just can’t!

I do a quick check and then rush for the cover of the trees. I’m covered in thick mud. Even my hair and face. Everywhere. I’m barely in the safe zone when I hear them. I hide behind a tree and sit tight. The plan is to stay right here until they pass over.

Shit!

How are we going to get out of this?

I cover my mouth with my hand when I hear them land. They’re right here. I hear sniffing. Can they scent me? Surely not. I hear splashing and deep drinking. It feels like forever. I stand there and pray that they don’t hear me or pick up my scent. That something doesn’t give me away. There’s more drinking and splashing followed by more sniffing. Then one of them rumbles.

Oh, god!

Oh, god!

Please!

If they catch me, they’ll get Stephan. His death will