Sorceress (Book 2) by Jim Bernheimer Read Free Book Online Page B

maidens were somewhere in the middle. After she finished recounting her time apart from them, Kayleigh asked where they were planning to go after Shiftla and what they knew about Jaruciax.
    Laurel replied, “The refugees were the last group that managed to get out of Jaruciax by land before the enemy troops cutoff the roads leading out. Supposedly, the barges are still in service, but the footbridge was destroyed by some kind of magic. From speaking with them, I got the impression that they didn’t think the city would hold out for more than two weeks.”
    “I still can’t believe an army came riding out of the desert, and no one even realized it was there!” Tamera Akers exclaimed. “One of the soldiers with this group told me that they tried to send messenger birds, but the skies are filled with swarms of vultures and hawks that were spelled to kill any birds the city tried to send. They showed up the day before the lead units did.”
    “Does anyone have any idea where the Western Battalion is?” one of the other earth maidens asked.
    Kayleigh took a deep breath and looked around at the group. She didn’t want to be the one to say what they were all thinking, but there was no use ignoring it. “I don’t think there is a Western Battalion anymore. Majherri was really concerned about what was happening out here. From what he communicated to me through the bond...” Kayleigh paused and recalled the anger and pain of her bond being broken. “The others told him there were caravans being attacked and that the maidens were going to start escorting them. They probably lost several riders to ambushes and the rest are scattered across the region or they were overrun in Mon Alder.”
    Laurel broke in before anyone else could say anything. “Maybe we should try to make for Salif in the southern kingdoms. That’s the nearest portal city.”
    Internally, Kayleigh wanted to groan. She knew someone in Salif. It was a person she didn’t want to see again.
    “General Hawthorne’s headquarters is in Salif, or at least it was a month or two ago,” she said, with a hint of resignation.
    “How do you know that, Reese?” Akers asked.
    Marcia Temple answered, “Don’t you remember? She almost killed Hawthorne’s daughter before she was put in our year. There was a rumor going around that Hawthorne was going to take Reese away from The Academy and into the field. Kind of wish she had.”
    “You know something, Marcia?” Kayleigh said. “I wish she had too! I’d still have Majherri. Annabeth would still be alive. The lieutenant wouldn’t be a prisoner. But it didn’t happen that way, and there’s nothing we can do to change it! This isn’t The Academy. We can’t fight some kind of challenge, shake hands afterwards, and make it go away. So if you have something to say, just go ahead and spit it out.”
    Kayleigh watched while the stares turned to someone else for a change. Marcia didn’t wither under the intensity the way Kayleigh hoped.
    Instead, Marcia frowned and said, “It’s not that I don’t like you, Reese. You’re friendly enough, but when you’re around, people get hurt. Bad luck just follows you like a tainted silver coin.”
    “A tainted coin?” Kayleigh was angry enough to spit and did. “I was ambushed by a Battle Maiden with years of training and dark sorcery helping her! Is that your definition of bad luck? Bad luck is when your favorite dress keeps ripping, or you keep getting called upon when you don’t have the answer. That’s bad luck! Someone was trying to kill me. Still, there’s nothing stopping you, Marcia. If you don’t want to ride with me, your unicorn is over there. Saddle up and ride on.”
    Marcia scoffed and said, “Maybe you should be the one doing the riding, Reese? Maybe we’d all be safer?”
    Kayleigh thought back to her promise in the desert over Annabeth’s funeral pyre. “I’ve got a better grasp on my powers now, Marcia. I’m not some scared girl riding around