The Arrival (Birthright Trilogy #1) by Nicole MacDonald Read Free Book Online Page B

supper to your rooms.'
    She stepped out the room and shut the door.
    I locked it behind her then turned to the others.
    'Peace at last!'
    'And a bath,' chimed in Loi.
    'And food!' cried Sian.
    We laughed and started to strip our clothes off.
    The boots were a little tricky being so high. I struggled to loosen the laces and ended up hopping around the room, with Audi bouncing along beside me. Kassie and Sian could barely stand for laughing at me as I wheeled my arms madly to keep from falling.
    Loi rushed over.
    'Here. Let me help before you hop through a wall.'
    She quickly worked the knot out of the laces and yanked the boot down to my ankle.
    'Thanks, Loi, you’re such a good friend,' I said while pointedly staring at Sian and Kassie.
    Reaching down, I pulled the boot slowly off, careful not to lose balance again. We slipped into our baths with sighs of relief and pleasure.
    The courtyard was silent.
    Resting my head, I let my mind drift and shooed away any persistent thoughts, allowing the heat from the water to penetrate my aching muscles. I groaned quietly in relief. I’d never run that hard before. Elgrids were a pretty good form of encouragement, not that I saw them becoming popular in gyms anytime soon. My thigh muscle twitched and I winced.
    I will be sore tomorrow.
    That word, tomorrow, started the swirls of nausea in my stomach. A panic attack threatened as my brain tried to process everything that’d happened today.
    Stop it. One step at a time Cat. Relax, ordered the rational voice in my mind. You can’t change anything at the moment; take one day at a time.
    Right, slow easy breaths and think of tomorrow.
    'So what’s the plan for tomorrow? Siany, any thoughts?'
    Sian contemplated Cat’s question.
    'We’ll have breakfast, pack well, and then have a chat with the men we met today as to which is the best way to set off. Then I guess we’ll camp in the forest they mentioned, then do the same the following day.'
    She twisted her head to look at Cat.
    'It’ll basically be like that until we reach the castle.'
    Cat frowned and quietly said, 'I wonder what our chances of crossing another lot of creatures are…?'
    There was silence as they thought of the horrific creatures they’d seen today. The idea of meeting more was not pleasant, but apparently quite possible.
    Kassie sighed inwardly then spoke up.
    'Perhaps when we’re clear of the town we should spend some time practicing with our weapons, I realize it means we won’t get as far as we’d like tomorrow, but I’m sure we’ll be able to reach the forest by nightfall and in the event we meet any unfriendlies at least we’d be prepared.'
    'I agree,' said Cat. 'I haven’t had as much experience with swords as you guys so it’d make me feel a little more secure.'
    'And I haven’t really used a bow like that before,' Sian said. 'Antiquities was more Cat’s thing so I’d like to get a feel for it.'
    Cat wrinkled her nose at Sian and the girls chuckled. It lifted the mood back to the relaxed state.
    Kassie lay back and felt her muscles relax in the heat of the water. She peeked over to see where Lucky was.
    On my clothing, of course, she thought with an internal groan. Lucky looked quite happy curled up on Kassie’s top.
    I bet that’ll be really itchy with cat fur now, but I’m too relaxed to care at the moment. The minutes ticked by fast and she had to fight the urge to fall asleep. There was a splash and Kassie glanced over.
    Cat had sat up, coughing and Loi laughed at her.
    'Did you doze off?'
    'Yes and took a decent mouthful of water,' she grimaced then coughed some more.
    'Ewww.'
    Sian ignored the others as she listened to her heart beat, thrumming soft and steady in her ears. She’d have to ask Henja what herbs were in the water, she could feel the medicinal properties working their magic. The thudding of her heart seemed strangely loud now. Sian opened her eyes confused.
    Why doesn’t that sound right? She noticed Loi staring at her.
    'Can