Cariocecus beckoned to me from beyond the wards. I almost didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d 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. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe girl,\u201d Cariocecus said, his gaze flicking from me to Phelan and then back again. \u201cSeamus the Black\u2019s get. Have you seen her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan came up behind my shoulder, a frown darkening his expression and his voice. \u201cThesan isn\u2019t here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you certain of that?\u201d Cariocecus cast a nervous glance over his shoulder. \u201cAre you quite sure of it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy the hell are you asking?\u201d I crossed my arms, glancing between him and Phelan. And why the hell don\u2019t you sound surprised by the question, Phelan?<\/em><\/p>\n I\u2019d have to deal with that later, I decided.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll come back,\u201d Cariocecus said, almost babbling. It was strange, seeing him so utterly unnerved. I frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on with you?\u201d I asked, edging closer. \u201cWait a second. Is that blood?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Cariocecus said, then apparently changed his mind about telling the truth. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Sure enough, there was blood seeping through a rent in the dark shirt he wore, a wound near his hip that he\u2019d tried to keep hidden under the black wool of his cloak.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d Phelan demanded.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you so afraid of?\u201d I asked in a whisper.<\/p>\n He met my gaze and shook his head. \u201cYou\u2019re in danger, Seer,\u201d he said, his voice barely audible. \u201cYou\u2019re all in danger and I\u2019m sorry I couldn\u2019t stop it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cariocecus beckoned to me from beyond the wards. I almost didn\u2019t 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 … Continue reading