The Journey of the Marked (The Miyran Heir Book 1) by Rebecca P. McCray Read Free Book Online

her into the kitchen. He watched her pick up a knife and fork to
continue carving a roast. She was an attractive woman with strawberry blonde
hair tied loosely with a string. Her clothes fit well and showed an athletic
body not unused to rigorous work. Even without facial enhancements, she still
radiated a charm he fought to resist. He stretched and sat at the little table.
He ran tough, calloused hands through his thick, dirty-blond hair and rubbed
his hands over his stubbly beard. Closing his eyes for a moment, he rested for
the first time since leaving with Eros.
    “Did Eros make it to the city?” she
asked curtly.
    He took a deep breath and expelled
it slowly. “Yes. I dropped him at the edge of the southwest side. The level of
activity in that area should provide some security for a Human boy alone.”
    Anthony reached for a piece of
bread and began eating, as he had traveled a great distance that day and was
hungry. Given his cargo, he had taken a circuitous route to prevent anyone from
tracking his flight path. As he ate, he watched Isabelle. Her shoulders were
drawn up, as she hunched over the roast, carving in a kind of frenzy. He
sighed, arose from the chair, and walked over to her, resting his hands on her
shoulders. “Izza,” he said more gently. “He was well prepared. You taught him
enough to survive, more than most parents. Take comfort in that.”
    She stopped carving and laid down
the utensils. After standing still for moment, she turned to face Anthony. She
said slowly and with emphasis, “No, you don’t understand. The Graeliths came
after Eros. They knew he was marked. Someone told them.”
    Anthony took a step back and
considered this, “Who knew he was likely to be marked besides you and me?”
    “I told no one. You?”
    “No, I never mentioned it to anyone.
But, Isabelle, many in Kullac knew you were once marked yourself, not to
mention your father. Didn’t you tell me you thought the Graeliths followed you
sometimes in town? Perhaps they assumed he would be marked as well.”
    She hesitantly agreed. “Perhaps. At
least we were cautious enough to celebrate his birthday a week late each year. The
Graeliths would have killed him for certain otherwise.”
    Anthony smiled. “That’s the spirit.
He’ll be fine. I’m sure of it. He’s a bright boy and very skilled. If any of
the marked ones can find the training camp, I’m sure he can. Did you ever show
him the location?”
    “Only once, many years ago. I dared
not take him again for risk of exposing its location to others.”
    “Well, let’s hope he recognizes it,
once he makes his way to the forest. Do you think I was wrong to drop him near
the city?”
    “No,” she assured him without
hesitation. “That was the safest place. With the increased scrutiny of air
transports, dropping him near the forest would have been too risky. The
Graeliths likely patrol there now.”
    “If someone did reveal Eros’s
identity, why do you suppose the fact you were once marked has never been an
issue other than keeping an eye on you?”
    Isabelle looked at Anthony and
laughed in self-mockery, “Who, me? A Miyran reject? Worth anything to the
Tyrnotts or the Graeliths? No one would believe that.”
    Anthony chuckled. Isabelle finished
carving and brought more dishes to the table. He helped her and they sat down
to eat. The conversation shifted to the routine details of daily life, and for
the rest of the evening they avoided the topic of Eros’s journey.

Chapter 9
     
    Prizene skirted around the two
Graeliths and skipped casually down the street toward the boy. He still
meandered along, stopping to gawk in shop windows. She caught up with him and
linked her arm in his. Startled, he tried to pull away, but she tightened her
grasp, propelling him along.
    She gave him a warm smile to
counter his evident surprise. “I’m Prizene. You passed a diner a few minutes
ago where I was eating lunch. Don’t look now, but you do realize that two
Graeliths are