A World Apart The Jake Thomas Trilogy - By Steven A. Tolle Page 0,163

a group of half-men, a demon carving that scar into him with a claw. I fought with them, destroying most of the half-men and driving off the demon. "

"Once it fled, I found Dom, blood streaming from that wound, kneeling over Eli and Jai, shaking them, begging them to get up, but they were already dead. When I tried to heal Dom, he pulled a knife on me, stopping me. He was lost in his anguish, so I did not press him. He told me then that he would never be healed again."

"Knowing he was ravaged by sorrow, I simply bandaged him up, then helped him bury his wife and child." Jonas' eyes were now angry. "They had abused them before they killed them, being especially cruel to Jai. That sight was forever burned into my memory."

He gave himself a little shake, then continued. "We then went back to the city. We headed straight to the palace, as we knew that word of Dom's abandonment of his command would have reached the king. I tried to calm him down, but my effort failed."

"When some in the court called for him to be punished for desertion, Dom, mad with grief, drew his sword and challenged them all to a duel to the death, right then and there. The king tried to calm the situation, but Dom was having none of it. He insulted and berated the king, calling him craven and a coward for sitting safely on his throne while others bled and lost. He railed against the assembled nobles as well."

"I was eventually able to pull him away, begging him to be silent." He said. "The king dismissed the court, leaving only us and the king and queen. The queen was the one that crafted the compromise that allowed Dom to resign his titles and commands. Even though his pride was wounded, knowing what Dom had just gone through, the king finally agreed to it."

"Since that day, Dom has been a solitary hunter of our enemies." Jonas concluded. "He has thrown himself into that mission, unconcerned for his own safety. That has been his life for the last twelve years."

He reached over to pat Jake on the shoulder. "I have told you all of this so you know that Dom has survived the worse the demons have dealt him. You need to have faith that he will return."

They continued until dark, finding another piece of the princess' clothes along the way. As they were setting up camp, Jake went out and looked back down the road, bathed in the soft moonlight, hoping against hope that Dominic would come riding up. But Dominic did not come.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The next morning, Jonas suggested that they should begin to scout their way, rather than simply riding ahead together. Jonas thought the best choice for a scout would be Jake, though Marcus protested, claiming that he was better trained. Jonas pointed out that Jake had a fast horse, was armored and, if needed, could use his magic to defend himself if he ran into demons.

Marcus grudging agreed, then took Jake to the road. He pointed out the signs of the princess' passage. "Just look for tracks like these. Watch for any reduction of numbers or turns in their path." He looked over at Jake. "Are you sure you can do this?" He asked, looking unconvinced.

Jake nodded, then headed back to his horse. Fixing his helm and making sure his armor was in place, Jake climbed onto Dontas while the others finished packing up the camp. Before he left, Jonas walked over to him.

"Remember, Jake, just look for passage of the princess or signs of our enemies." Jonas said as he stood next to Dontas. "You don't need to ride hard. Stop every hour or so, so we can join up with you. Also, if you see something that needs further inspection, wait for us to catch up. Do not go off the road on your own. If you see our enemies or some other danger approaches, fall back to us."

With a nod and a farewell wave to Hailyn, Jake started Dontas down the road. He was both excited and a little frightened to be riding off on his own, knowing that their enemies operate in this area. He tried to focus on his task as he set a moderate pace, scanning the dirt road and surrounding trees for the signs Marcus showed him and any indication of a change. The road wound its way over