Vengeance Born (The Light Blade #1) by Kylie Griffin Read Free Book Online Page A

mentioned Na’Hord Patrols earlier. We need to avoid them. Your night vision is better than mine. I almost broke my ankle following you in here.” His jaw flexed. “If you’d lead me through this forest I’d appreciate your help.”
    Kalan extended a large hand. She stared at it. Was this some trick? His expression was tight, angry, and he made no move to hide it from her even as the silence between them grew. She chewed her bottom lip.
    Trust has to start somewhere . Hesia’s wisdom echoed in her head.
    Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand in his. Her palm tingled as his warm skin touched hers. For the first time since fleeing the fortress, she felt hope and something more. He unsettled her in a way no other man or demon ever had.
    “There are some caves just ahead of us,” she said. “We can hide in them during the day when the Patrols or any other people from the fortress frequent the forest.”
    “How long will it take us to get there?”
    “An hour, perhaps a little more given the dark.”
    “Then lead on…”
    For the moment he seemed willing to trust her. The idea warmed her more than it should have. She pursed her lips. Perhaps tolerate was a better, safer word to use. The memory of too many years of being betrayed hovered at the back of her mind. And they still had to get out of Na’Reish territory unscathed.
    Would he abandon her once they reached the safety of the border? Hand her over to the humans at Whitewater Crossing? Kill her? Annika rolled her tense shoulders as she led the way through the trees.
    For now, they were allies. She’d guide them both to freedom. For now she’d trust him, but if he thought she’d be an easy mark later on, he’d discover his error soon enough.
    KALAN couldn’t recall how many times he stubbed his toes on tree roots or trod on rocks hidden beneath the debris littering the trail in the journey that followed but exhaustion dogged his every step. Time narrowed to putting one foot ahead of the other.
    The cold no longer mattered but the days spent in the dungeon had waged an exacting toll on his body. His muscles ached, despite Annika’s healing, yet he was determined not to complain. They needed to get away from the fortress. A day, maybe two, in his weakened state would see him at the boundary between Na’Reish and human territory.
    “There’s a log ahead of us.” Her soft voice drew him from his thoughts.
    He felt a change in their grip as he heard the quiet scrape of her dress brush over something rough. He’d given up straining his eyes trying to see his surroundings. The world had narrowed to shadowed forms and whatever his other senses could decipher. About waist height in front of him, he touched smooth bark.
    “If you sit down you’ll be able to swing your legs over more easily.”
    Being dependent on someone else was a humbling experience. He’d expected Annika to take advantage of his blindness, to punish him for his earlier attitude, but she hadn’t. And that went against everything he knew about her paternal heritage.
    Was that because of Hesia’s influence? Or was she planning something more devious?
    “Rest here.” She released her hold on his hand and, for a moment, he regretted the loss of her touch. There was a soft rasping sound as if she was looking in her pouch. “I see the river over to our right.” He heard the rushing sound of water over rocks. “I have a flask in here somewhere. I’ll be back in a moment.”
    Kalan sighed wearily, content to rest on the log as she headed for the river. The night air was cold and still around him. The trek had left him warm but he knew they didn’t dare rest for too long. As she returned, Annika’s tread was deliberately heavy.
    “Here, drink this.” She pressed a wet flask into his hand. The cool water tasted sweet. Despite the temptation, he only drank half then offered it to her. “Keep it. I drank at the river.”
    “Thank you.” He drank again then recapped it. “The ground is