Born of Magic: Gargoyle Masters, Book 2 by Missy Jane Read Free Book Online Page B

be. They thought they had found it in the Outlands, a strip of earth along the southern rim. The small fishing village they had called home had been friendly enough…for a time. Then Theda accidentally showed a small sample of her powers and the villagers had turned their backs on them.
    She shoved those memories away as she shouldered her small pack of supplies and headed north through the trees. Taking the road would be easier, but the women who had killed her mother could be anywhere. Theda didn’t know why they were after her, only that they knew her mother’s real name and her bloodline. The name of King Kadmos had been on their tongues as they ran her mother through with a wicked sword. She would face the king and look him in the eye when she asked if her mother’s death had been at his command.
    Light leaked from the sky and soon stars shone above. The moon was only half-full when she heard the first wild animal call to its friends. Climbing up a sturdy tree would probably be the safest bet, but she was too exhausted to muster the strength. She pulled her knife out of her belt and held it ready.
    Hours later the moon was high above. Her feet ached, her lungs burned and her stomach growled. She ignored the complaints and kept her eyes trained on the ground before her. It began to blur and she stopped to rest against a tree. Night creatures scurried around her and the sounds of the forest drowned out her panting breaths. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
    “Time to go,” she whispered.
    She opened her eyes and moved away from the tree. Two steps later she froze. A light in the distance danced among the dark shadows. It hadn’t been there before. She was sure of it. How had it suddenly appeared? She crept forward, taking care with each footstep. She’d grown up hunting for food and knew how to disappear in the woods. Concealing her sounds took thought but little effort. Soon she was close enough to see an old man warming himself by a small campfire.
    He wore dark clothes and kept his silver-streaked hair at chin length. He hummed to himself as he roasted what appeared to be two rabbits. Theda’s stomach growled. She doubled over, as if that would muffle the sounds. The man stopped humming and stared into the trees.
    “Who’s there?” he called out. He stood with some effort but didn’t move away from the fire. “Come out where I can see you, or go away.”
    He held a thick staff that was a head taller than him. Aged hands gripped it as if he knew how to use it as a weapon. She had no doubt he’d had practice. It was the staff she recognized first. Then when he turned to look from one side to the other, the light caught his profile. She stepped out of the trees slowly.
    His surprise was evident when she entered the clearing with both hands raised. She wore a simple loose shirt and trousers like a man, but her long braided hair and high-cheekbones marked her as a woman. Her hands were rough and dirty, but hopefully he wouldn’t notice in the feeble light. She wasn’t sure if he’d recognize her.
    “Well,” he said. “What are you doing out here?”
    “I know you might not remember me. My name is Theda. I’m traveling north…alone. Do you mind company until sunrise?”
    He stared at her for nearly a full minute, as if gauging her sincerity. Then he smiled, showing a nearly full set of teeth, before making a sweeping gesture with one arm. “You’re welcome by my fire, Theda. I’ve plenty of meat to share, but no ale if you’re a drinker.”
    “I am not.”
    “Well good, then.” He hobbled back to his spot and settled on the ground with a groan. His legs creaked as he slowly stretched them out. “I do remember you, and your mother, Feshara the healer. Did she stay behind in the village?”
    She watched him warily, placing him in his late fifties at the youngest. Wrinkles marred his thin face. He’d been nice enough the few times her mother had talked to him.
    “I buried