Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, #5) - K.F. Breene Page 0,30

her heels. One of the cats kept pace at her side. Wetness glistened around its mouth and down its throat.

“Did you get him?” Xavier asked, panting.

“The cats did.” S’am glanced down at the dying flame. Her gaze then scanned the line. “Everyone accounted for?”

Xavier and Maggie both checked faces as Marc watched S’am. While her body moved just as fluidly as normal, there was a tightness in her shoulders, which always meant concern. Then there was Rohnan, who wore his worries on his face for the world to see.

“What is it?” Marc asked, though he didn’t really want to know. He’d rather curl up under his bed covers and pretend danger didn’t exist.

“They have someone with the same Gift as Burson.” S’am put her hands to her hips and glanced down at her feet. “Just one, I suspect, and his or her range doesn’t seem as large. But they have someone. There is no telling how close they’ve come or how much information they’ve gained. They could’ve been checking out Cayan’s city while we were there, for all I know.”

“But they followed us?” Leilius asked in a tight voice. “They are here, which means they didn’t leave anyone behind.”

“Seems like it.” S’am dropped her hands and looked behind her. “We’re sending someone back with a message, anyway. Where the Gift is blind, the eyes can still see. The Shadow are familiar with going without their Gift. They won’t even balk at the new situation.”

“So we’re still going along as planned?” Maggie asked.

S’am looked at her for a long moment. “Yes, but with more caution. If anything, Xandre has shown his hand. We have a better idea what we’re up against.”

“But the number of people you felt in the city yesterday might not be accurate,” Xavier said.

“That is why we have to be cautious.” S’am glanced behind her again as the Captain stalked into view. His gaze swept those gathered before looking off to the east. S’am turned back. “Get some rest. We’ll have a plan bright and early.”

“But what if there are any more?” Alena asked.

“The beasts are free,” the Captain said, taking a few steps away. “What we can’t feel with the Gift we can hear, and what we can’t hear, the animals will find. We’ll sleep close together, as planned, and we’ll be fine.”

It was too dark again to see if the tightness in S’am’s shoulders had relaxed, but judging by the way Rohnan hovered around her, it hadn’t. They weren’t as confident as the Captain sounded. Tomorrow might not go as planned.

9

Shanti sat astride her horse, waiting for the final pieces to fall in place before Cayan gave the signal for all of them to move out.

“Think we’ll run into those warriors from last night?” Sonson asked in a low tone, picking his nail with his knife.

“No,” Shanti said softly as a soft breeze blew from the west and a pale sun was heaving itself up over the horizon. “They had not meant to be seen last night. Cayan’s man spotted him. Shadow and Shumas did not.”

“So you think the enemy can only sense those with Therma?” Sonson glanced back as Sanders barked orders at the women. Many would be sectioned off as archers with Lucius, Maggie was being promoted, and a couple would join the Honor Guard. “Was Burson like that?”

Shanti shrugged with a shaking head. She didn’t know.

“These Graygual seem prepared to let their own get stomped on.” Sonson put away his knife. He adjusted the sword on his hip. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the guy last night, whoever he was, lets us kill them all and then follows us out.”

“I wouldn’t, either.” Shanti’s stomach flipped over. “If that’s the case, and we don’t find him, Xandre will know everything we do. It will take away our largest advantage.”

Cayan stalked into their midst with Lucius and Daniels. He stopped next to her and placed a hand on her knee. “Stay safe, mesasha.”

She met his gorgeous blue eyes. “You too. Don’t do anything stupid.”

He winked before his eyes hardened again and he turned toward his horse. Shanti patted the Bloody Bastard before stepping into the stirrup and throwing her leg over. As expected, before she could even get her foot in the other stirrup, he was prancing and moving, ready to get running.

“You shouldn’t be riding him yet,” Rohnan warned, climbing onto his much calmer mount.

“Remember what happened yesterday? Now we have two damaged horses.”

Rohnan hefted his staff. “A few bite marks won’t prevent that