Call of Sunteri (Keepers of the Wellsprings Book 2) by Missy Sheldrake Read Free Book Online Page A

be a stranger, you, now that you’ve got what you wanted,” Bren says.
    He glances toward the door nervously. That’s when we hear it. Marching outside. Raised voices. Saesa turns to me, alarmed. She pulls her furs tight around her arms. My heart thumps. Bren looks toward the door. His jaw clenches. He tips his head toward the back door.
    “Best go out that way,” he says. Neither of us thinks. Saesa grabs my hand and we dart outside. Into the snow. Right into the pair of guards standing there, waiting for us. One grabs Saesa, the other grabs me, pinning my arms.
    “Thanks for the heads-up, Bren. Your reward,” the guard holding me says. He tosses a pouch of coins to Bren, who’s standing in the doorway, watching. He catches the pouch. He doesn’t look at us. Beside him on the door frame hangs a signal flag with Cerion’s crest beside a plain strip of red. The color sets off memories. Emotions. Anger. Fear. Helplessness. I snarl. Elbow the guard in the gut. Reach for my new knife. Struggle.
    “Be calm.”
    Yes, be calm. I feel the command settle over me like the blanket of snow. Peace. The guard grabs the knife from my belt. Stows it somewhere. Clamps his hands around my arms.
    “Let’s go,” he says.
    “Bren,” Saesa sobs, “how could you? I thought you were our friend!”
    Bren pauses. Eyes the scene. Clenches his hand around the pouch of reward money.
    “You didn’t say nothing about the girl,” he says. The guards exchange glances.
    “He’s right,” mine says. “We’ve no orders to take her in.”
    “Right.” Saesa’s guard releases her with a shove. “You look like a nice girl. Go home. Make better choices in the future, eh? No more going around with this sort.”
    Saesa plants her feet in the snow. Her new sword is buried under the thick fur of her cloak, but I know she’s got her hand on its hilt. The guard tightens his grip on my arms painfully. I try not to react. I try to be calm.
    “Don’t do anything you’ll regret, you two,” Bren warns. “I don’t want any trouble out here.” He hesitates, and then goes inside and closes the door behind him. The guards march me forward, but Saesa stands firm at the mouth of the alley.
    “Go, Saesa.” I say. “Go home.”
    The guard shakes me, “Nobody told you to talk, did they? Just walk.”
    “We’ll get you out. We’ll fix this, Tib. I promise. I know you didn’t do anything.” Saesa’s faith in my innocence makes me feel worse than I do about the guards finding me. She doesn’t know about the towers. I’m sure if she did, she’d never be my friend. Never make promises to help me. Saesa chews her lip. I see the small movement under her cloak. Her hand sliding from the hilt. She shakes her head tearfully as the guards loom closer. My feet shuffle in the snow. I look down. My boots are making tracks now. Pushing the snow, creating deep grooves. I hear her apology and nod. I don’t look up though. I can’t watch her leave me. Can’t watch her go.

Chapter Four: The High Road
    Azi
     
    “I’m just saying it’s terribly boring to travel this way.” Flitt chatters in my head. “Horses take forever. Though at least the trees are pretty. Even though they’re sleeping. And your mountains are covered in green even in the wintertime. Not like the Crag, which is always black and rocky. Still, we don’t really have winter, except in the winter lands of course. But you haven’t been there. Maybe next time when you come I can show you.”
    “Mmm,” I reply aloud as the fairy babbles on and on, circling around my head. I’m used to it now. I’ve learned to mostly tune her out.
    “Try again!”
    “That’d be nice.” I push the thought into her mind as she’s been teaching me to. I don’t like the feel of it. It’s too imposing.
    “ Good job! ” she squeals and claps. “ Oh, here comes Stinky, ” she says as Rian trots up beside me on his steed.
    “Hey, Dreamy,” he says with some amusement. “You’re lagging