Cariocecus beckoned to me from beyond the wards. I almost didn’t see him, catching sight of him only out of the corner of my eye. Casting a quick glance toward Phelan, I changed direction, heading toward our erstwhile ally, wondering what had brought him so close to the border of our settlement, a border that had burned him at least once before.
“What is it?” I asked as I drew within earshot. It took a second, but I noticed that he was paler than normal, almost wan. I slowed down. “What’s wrong?”
“The girl,” Cariocecus said, his gaze flicking from me to Phelan and then back again. “Seamus the Black’s get. Have you seen her?”
Phelan came up behind my shoulder, a frown darkening his expression and his voice. “Thesan isn’t here.”
“Are you certain of that?” Cariocecus cast a nervous glance over his shoulder. “Are you quite sure of it?”
“Why the hell are you asking?” I crossed my arms, glancing between him and Phelan. And why the hell don’t you sound surprised by the question, Phelan?
I’d have to deal with that later, I decided.
“She’ll come back,” Cariocecus said, almost babbling. It was strange, seeing him so utterly unnerved. I frowned.
“What’s going on with you?” I asked, edging closer. “Wait a second. Is that blood?”
“Yes,” Cariocecus said, then apparently changed his mind about telling the truth. “No.”
Sure enough, there was blood seeping through a rent in the dark shirt he wore, a wound near his hip that he’d tried to keep hidden under the black wool of his cloak.
“What happened?” Phelan demanded.
“Nothing,” Cariocecus said, perhaps a bit too quickly. I could see the fear in his eyes and it left my already unsettled stomach worse off than it had been before.
“What are you so afraid of?” I asked in a whisper.
He met my gaze and shook his head. “You’re in danger, Seer,” he said, his voice barely audible. “You’re all in danger and I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it.”
oh dear oh dear……..love this story!!!
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