The Watcher's Eyes (The Binders Game Book 2) by D.K. Holmberg Read Free Book Online Page A

like a paste and sucking every bit of healing from them that I could. My body began to loosen, but the aches in my joints from how the poison affected me lingered. I wouldn’t have the same strength that I was normally accustomed to. If I couldn’t get the feeling back in my fingers, I might not have the flexibility I needed to grab my remaining darts. It would leave me helpless.
    The voices continued to close in. As they did, the mixture of high and low told me that this was the couple I’d spied in the garden. Maybe I’d get lucky and they wouldn’t see the body. I could hope they wouldn’t even see me.
    Someone gasped.
    Not lucky, then.
    I fumbled for my pouch, but my fingers didn’t reach it in time. A boot kicked me and I rolled over. The face looking down at me looked familiar. He pulled back his foot again and kicked.
    “Who are you?” he asked loudly.
    Too loudly. Even if I managed to escape, there would be others coming and I wasn’t in any shape to fend them off.
    I tried to speak, but my voice came out in a grunt. I’d been a fool, thinking that I could sneak into Benahg’s garden, weakened as I had recently been. A dangerous gambit, but one driven by the sense of needing to find revenge for what had happened to Talia. Now I would pay for the arrogance of thinking that I could sneak in here and successfully reach him.
    The woman met my eyes. I saw something there like a flickering of recognition, but then it was gone.
    The man pulled his boot back to kick. I rolled to protect myself and felt the crossbow under me. I’d forgotten about it until now. It wasn’t a weapon I usually used, but at this point, I would try anything.
    I gripped the handle and leaned back to aim, still feeling too weak to raise it on my own. My attacker didn’t see it or thought he could get to me before I pulled the trigger. The bolt released with a solid sound and struck him in the stomach.
    He dropped.
    The woman continued to stare at me. I expected her to tend to the man, but she didn’t. I thought she might scream, but she didn’t.
    What had I walked into?
    A disaster. That much was clear. And now I had to find some way to get myself out.
    Noise came from the front of the house. Still, the woman didn’t scream. She stood there, watching me, as if studying me.
    I crawled toward the wall as footsteps raced across the pavers, and I reached the shadows along the back wall of the garden as the two fallen men were found. Voices moved off, but not toward me. Rather, they made their way to the back of the garden.
    My strength was finally starting to return, enough that I could stand. I touched the wall, ready to jump, when I thought better of it.
    With men out of the house and chasing after me, I might not have a better time to reach Natash. Was I strong enough to make an attempt?
    Going back now would be the kind of folly Isander had always warned me against, but if I did nothing, Natash would send attackers again. Maybe even after Talia again. Between Orly and Carth, and what happened to Talia, I needed to have some control. Stopping Natash would be the start of that.
    I flexed my fingers. The feeling had mostly returned. Strength had returned to my legs, maybe enough to run if needed. I pressed my hand against the cool stone wall, knowing better than the thoughts running through my head. I should return to my rooms, recover as much as I could, and then make another attempt at Natash. Now that I knew the surroundings, I’d be better prepared. Then again, so would he.
    With a sigh, I grabbed a pair of darts, checked the knife tucked into my waist, and staggered toward the house.

Chapter 7
    S ounds from the back of the garden told me the search had continued. From what I could tell, no one remained near the house. The sellsword had been left lying where he’d fallen, but the other man had been moved. A trail of blood led toward the house. Somehow, my trail toward the wall had been obscured. I’d have to understand that