Moon Burning - By Lucy Monroe Page 0,43

out a leather-wrapped bundle.

Sabrine knew what it was before Verica pulled the leather away. A female Éan warrior’s weapons: the knife and sword would be balanced for her slighter build.

“These were my grandmother’s. I always thought my mother meant they had come down from my great-grandfather, or something, but now I realized my dam’s mother must have been a warrior like you.”

Sabrine handled the weapons with proper reverence. “Yes. These are very well made. You have taken care of them, too.”

“My mother made me promise. She said I might need them one day. I didn’t understand. I am a healer.”

But even a healer might be required to raise a sword in self-defense if her secret nature was discovered.

“I would have been a healer if my mother had lived,” Sabrine told the other woman as she finished dressing and attached the sword to the belt at her waist. She tied the knife with the leather straps found with it to her thigh.

“Do you regret not following your mother’s path?”

“I regret her death that made my sacrifice necessary.”

Verica nodded, her expression filled with empathy.

The two women snuck from the keep, Verica seeming oblivious to the special Éan power that made it possible for them to do so wholly unseen.

Verica took to the sky as soon as they were a fair distance from the keep and the two women stayed in constant contact via the mind link Sabrine provided. One of the strongest of her line with this gift, she would be able to hear Verica now the link had been established even a league distant.

He is going to be hiding in a good spot with a vantage point to the clearing in which the challenge is to take place. Sabrine gave the other woman her best advice based on her years protecting her people against enemies just like Rowland.

It will be close enough he’ll be able to kill Earc with his first arrow, but as far away as possible within that limitation.

It all depends on how good he is with the bow and arrow, Verica sent back.

You know Rowland and his cronies best. Who is he likely to get to do this cowardly act?

Every Chrechte has been ordered to the clearing.

Does he have human friends with the skill?

He doesn’t have human friends at all.

Then one he could intimidate?

One of the men who hunts for the clan, Verica guessed. The hunters live in great fear of Rowland, who has a way of making any who disagree with him disappear while they are out securing meat for the clan.

Sabrine did not relish killing a human whose only guilt was fearing his former laird.

Sabrine made her way through the forest, keeping a direction toward the clearing Verica had told her would be the meeting place for the Chrechte challenge. Verica flew above, her raven’s body a tiny black dot in the sky.

I see him. Verica’s voice was a triumphant shout in Sabrine’s head. He did not think to remove his plaid.

He is not expecting eyes looking down on him from the sky.

It is young Connor. Sadness sounded in Verica’s mental voice, a true grief that tugged at Sabrine, even as she increased her pace to rival that of any wolf. Shifted or not. He is related to Rowland, but his father cannot shift. He was born to a Chrechte mother and human father.

Verica described where to find the young man and Sabrine ran on silent feet through the forest until she was only a few feet distant. She crept up to him and had her knife to his throat before he even realized she was there.

“Drop your bow and I may let you live.” She spoke right into his ear, her raven so close to the surface, her voice was as harsh as a caw.

Chapter 10

The man���s bow went slack in nerveless fingers. “I wasn’t going to kill him.”

“The evidence does not support your claim.”

“I was only going to wound him, but if I don’t shoot him, Rowland will hurt my father.”

Just as Verica had surmised, the man had been coerced, but still—he was not entirely blameless. “Rowland will die this day. It is your choice if you join him or not.”

The bow dropped to the stone perch the man had been standing on. Sabrine kept her knife to his throat and silently called Verica to them.

Verica landed on a nearby branch behind them and changed before coming forward.

Tie his hands, Sabrine instructed in mindspeak.

Verica did it without a word and Sabrine made sure the