Hunt For The Hero (Book 5) by Craig Halloran Read Free Book Online Page B

there pond ering all that had taken place, searching for answers. The Clerics of Barnabus were either trying to kill me or to scare me. The question was why? Did they think I would give up? That I would quit trying to save the Dragons?
    “Why didn’t they just kill me when they had me, Sasha? Why go after my friends instead?”
    “Evil has a twisted way of doing things.” She pulled her robes tighter and scooted closer. “They must know something we don’t.”
    I stiffened.
    “I don’t like that.”
    “I don’t either,” she said, looking back at me. “I think we should go after them, Nath. Find answers to your questions. They hunt you . Perhaps you should start hunting them. We’ll find that Kryzak and put an end to him.”
    “Sasha! I like the way you think.”
    Her eyes were bright sapphires. Her voice was excited.
    “Well, I can’t help it, Nath. I think it’s too much that you can’t kill those who try to kill you. If it’s me or them, it’s going to be them.” A spark of energy burst from her hand into the ground. “Oops.”
    “Well, I can kill, but only as a last resort. I’m not supposed to seek it out. I’m supposed to find another way.”
    “It seems the other way will get you killed.”
    “It hasn’t killed me yet and plenty of Dragons have been saved. Perhaps I should focus on that again.” I sighed. “ Maybe Brenwar and my father are right. Maybe I need to focus on saving the Dragons and not dally with all the problems of the rest of the world. Sorry, Sasha, but I really need to be more careful.”
    I couldn’t believe I ’d said that.
    “Perhaps you’re right,” she said.
    I caught her trying to hide a smile.
    “Hold on,” I said. “Are you toying with me, Sasha?”
    “I don’t follow.”
    I stood up and glared at her.
    “Yes you do,” I said. “You’re doing that thing.”
    “What thing?” she said, touching her chest.
    “That thing. That thing Bayzog does. Whenever I want to do something he doesn’t like, he’ll go along with it and for some reason I talk myself out of it.” I pointed at her. “It’s deceitful.”
    “No, it’s thoughtful,” she said, standing up. “And you found the right path on your own. Vengeance is not the way. You need to do what your father told you to.”
    No w I was mad. Seething. It seemed everyone was against me.
    “No Sasha, I like your suggestion. I think I should go after them and put an end to them. Who’s to stop me?”
    I turned to walk away. She grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
    “ Nath! When you came out of those tunnels …” her voice trailed off.
    “What?”
    “I …”
    I could see more than worry in her eyes. There was fear, real fear. But for what?
    “Just say it, I won’t tell anyone.”
    “You scared me, Nath. ” Her voice trembled. “You weren’t yourself, but something else. Savage and unpredictable. And when you killed that Ettin?” She paused. “I didn’t know you.”
    My heart dropped into my toes.
    “I’d never hurt you, Sasha, or any of my friends.” I touched her cheek and brushed her hair from her eyes. “That couldn’t ever, ever happen. I swear it.”
    She grabbed my hand and held it to her face. She started crying.
    “Don’t do that, Nath. Don’t swear anything. It’s better that way.”
    I ’d never felt smaller. How could this woman be scared of me? I was her protector. I slumped back down on the bench and buried my head in my claws. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
    “I’m going to go check on Ben,” she said , wiping her eyes. “And then I’m going to get some sleep. Perhaps you should do the same.”
    I didn’t wave or do anything, but I heard her walking away. Each step left me empt ier inside until I was all alone.

 
    CHAPTER 14
     
     
    “I’m alright, Dragon, really,” Ben said. He swung hi mself up on his horse and groaned.
    “You don’t need to be riding, Ben,” I said. “It’ll shake your guts out. Just give it another day or so.” I