Hunters (Spirit Blade Part 1) by M. A. Nilles Read Free Book Online Page A

turn the mare, but the reins were nearly pulled from her fingers. "Let go."
    Kaelen stood firm, his mouth in a hard line amid the black stubble along his jaw. "Hand it to me and…I won't bother you again."
    To say the offer didn't tempt her would be a lie. However, she couldn't allow anyone to take advantage of its power. It had to be destroyed, even if that meant being harassed by him.
    And he wouldn't give up. He'd follow her everywhere until he had what he wanted. The thought sent a shudder of irritation through her.
    "Join us, Hunter."
    Nadia looked up in surprise as Lord Je'Kaoron rode up on her right, a glimmer in those blue eyes that made her wonder what he planned. She bit her tongue and waited.
    "Join us. Once we have completed our task, you may claim the dagger."
    She couldn't have heard that correctly.
    "In doing so," he added in a darker tone, "I will hold you to your promise, and Nadia will be free from you forever." Lord Je'Kaoron couldn't mean what he said.
    No, he didn't. Lord Je'Kaoron was a man of riddles. He wouldn't betray her—or his own kind—by letting Kaelen simply have the spirit blade. Once they completed the task, the dagger would be gone, but Kaelen didn't know that. But what did he mean by being free of her forever?
    From the ashen color of Kaelen's face, he wasn't sure he liked the sound of the offer.
    "What assurances may I have that you'll not decide to…hunt me?"
    "We do not hunt humans."
    "No," Kaelen muttered while looking from Lord Je'Kaoron to her with his lip curling in distaste. "I suppose not."
    Rage flared in Nadia at the insinuation in his look, but she fumed in silence while waiting for him to mount one of the extra horses held ready.
    The tigers gathered closer together, while Lord Je'Kaoron motioned her to join him.
    Nadia rode forward through an aisle of tigers standing aside for her to pass. They closed up behind her, blocking Kaelen. She would thank the demonlords later. Lord Je'Kaoron said nothing but gave her a quick glance a moment before riding forward.
    They set out from the valley and around the mountain home of Acropa Je'Gri, leaving the familiar comforts behind. The tigers spread out to surround her and Lord Je'Kaoron in the lead with Kaelen and several mounted orange and black armored guards strung out behind them.
    Riding close to Lord Je'Kaoron so their horses pinned ears at each other, Nadia said in a low voice, "Thanks."
    "I would rather not see you upset, as his presence seems to cause."
    She pursed her lips and peered over her shoulder at the hooded figure a ways behind them. The tigers bunched closely in between, as they had during the journey from High Lord Je'Dron's Mount Serako hidden city to the northeast on a different journey to the Nik'Terek Gate. She had been blindfolded while inside the mountain fortress, but from the acoustics and many voices, it had been located inside the mountain, the door hidden by magic. Except this time, the demonlords blocked Kaelen from her rather than blocking her from Je'Rol.
    Her heart sank in grief from the memories, but they morphed into her first sight of Je'Surana, the half-blood who had destroyed the obelisk for which Je'Rol had searched, and that led to other wanderings of her mind.
    "How is Je'Surana?" she asked.
    Lord Je'Kaoron reached inside his coat and pulled out a folded parchment, which he handed to her. "She asked me to give you this but I thought it best to wait since we had company. She was disappointed that you did not visit this morning."
    "I'm sorry. I couldn't…"
    "I understand."
    Amid a streak of guilt for not visiting, because of her guilt for the wound she'd inflicted, Nadia took the paper and unfolded it.
     
    Nadia,
     
    You should not feel ashamed about hurting me. I am doing well. Lord Je'Kaoron knows this, but he forbids me from seeing you off, insisting that I rest a day more.
    I wished to thank you for teaching me to protect myself, and I promise that I will practice and do better for when