Exile's Return (Book 1) by Kate Jacoby Read Free Book Online Page A

quest. In the morning, when his horse was better, he would climb the nearest rise, get a good bearing on the sun and head north again. Even if Robert was back, Finnlay would never find him in this maze of a forest – and should he do so, Finnlay no longer had the words to convince him of anything, let alone the Enclave. Bitter disappointment welled up inside him and he kicked out at the log, sending clumps of moss flying. If only there wasn’t so much depending on someone like his brother taking the leadership, so much at stake. The Key – the Calyx – all of it.
    No. He would have to find some other way—
    A noise behind made him stop in his tracks. He whirled around and tried to peer through the trees. At first he could see nothing, then his ears caught the sound of a horse – no, three horses coming towards him. He froze and waited – then blinked in surprise. There, getting closer with every step, was Robert!
    For a moment, Finnlay couldn’t believe his luck and almost laughed. After all that time and effort, his brother comes across him by accident! Perhaps he’d been right after all – perhaps the gods did mean his plan to work. With his heart filled with renewed confidence, Finnlay strode forwardas Robert’s horse broached the clearing. ‘Serin’s blood, Robert, but you’re a hard man to find!’
    His brother was frowning at him in obvious surprise. ‘Finnlay! What are you doing here?’
    Finnlay grinned. ‘Looking for you.’ He glanced behind his brother and caught sight of a man his own age riding the second horse – a man with glowing red hair and sun-drenched freckles. ‘Micah? Is that you?’
    ‘Aye, my lord. It’s good to see you again,’ Micah replied with a smile.
    Taking Robert’s bridle, Finnlay held the horse as he dismounted. ‘And it’s damned good to see you, too. How’s life treating you?’
    ‘Very well, my lord.’
    ‘And my brother?’
    Robert took the bridle from Finnlay’s hands and led the horse to the stream. ‘How’s life treating me or how am I treating Micah?’
    ‘One follows the other, does it not?’ The words were out before Finnlay could stop them.
    Robert glanced at him but said nothing. Instead he turned his attention to Finnlay’s horse. He bent down to examine the injured hoof, running a sure hand up the leg and chest of the animal to give it a companionable slap on the neck. He then turned back to Finnlay, his expression a little gentler, but not yet compromising. ‘You look well, brother. How has life been treating you?’
    There was no suggestion of mockery in Robert’s tone but there was something in his eyes. Finnlay answered anyway. ‘Fine. Everything is fine, really.’
    ‘And mother? How is she?’
    ‘I saw her at Saint Hilary’s a month ago and she was in perfect health.’
    That elicited a small smile from Robert. He nodded. ‘And what about the rest of the family? Uncle Oliver? Have you seen him?’
    ‘Not recently. Everyone is fine, like I said. Except …’ Finnlay paused and studied Robert for a moment. He’dchanged little over the last three years. His hair was longer, certainly; he was more tanned and perhaps a little leaner – but it was the gaze buried within those sea-green eyes which made Finnlay pause. There was something … wrong here but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
    ‘Except?’ Robert prompted.
    Now that it came to it, what exactly was Finnlay to say? It seemed they could talk – which was a start – but talking to Robert about anything important had always been difficult. For one thing, Robert never seemed to take anything seriously – and on the odd occasions when he did, it was impossible to predict how he would react.
    Taking a deep breath, Finnlay moved closer and said, ‘Robert, we need to talk.’
    ‘About what?’ Robert had turned to the packhorse and pulled a flask from one of the bags. ‘How did you know I was back?’
    Finnlay watched him warily. ‘How do you think?’
    A smile