Chapter Take You To Deragan
He sighed. “I’m going to have to take you to Deragan.”
“Deragan?” She looked at him puzzled. “What’s a Deragan?”
“It’s my Captain.”
“You have a Captain? Are you a soldier?”
“I’m a knight?”
“A knight!” Her brows shot up.
“Of the Grier Guard or the NightGuard?”
“Neither. Older than that.” He walked over to catch her arm. “We need to find some horses so I can get you to Meadowbrook.
“Oh, Luca has horses.”
Tev shot her a quick look. “Where?”
“He keeps them stabled behind the tavern in Greenway.”
“Why?”
“So they’re tended. We’ve nowhere to keep them in the cottage.”
“How does he have funds for that?” Tev sent her a shocked look.
“Luca has plenty of funds but since he’s the son of a Dread Woman no one would house him when Cimmerii killed his mom and burned the house and stables. He only managed to save the two horses.”
Tev gave her a long look. “Luca is the son of a Dread?”
“Yes.”
“Well, let’s get those horses.”
“Can’t you travel faster without them?”
She means by shapeshifting.
“Yes, but you can’t.” He was pulling her by the arm again.
They’d only made it as far as the Dread Hideout before Serdephe had tired enough she’d pleaded to rest with the rising light.
Tev looked at his surroundings before relenting and taking her to the nearest place he knew.
“Why is she here?” Acharius whispered to him. “And in my bedding?”
“You were out checking traps and she needed some rest.”
“In my bedding?” Acharius sat down in his wood chair and looked at Tev who was leaned against the cave wall nearby.
“Well she needed some. I didn’t let her sleep in your bed!”
“’Tis a good choice as my little woman wouldn’t have appreciated that in the least!”
I was guessing not.
“It was the lesser of two evils.” Tev shrugged.
“But you miss my question. Why is she here?”
“I have to take her to Deragan.”
“Is this the woman I was nearly in trouble for?” Acharius’ blue eyes narrowed on him.
“Not in trouble, persay…Merely questioned.”
“Little brother…” A familiar warning note entered Acharius’ voice. “I have enough problems of me own without your help!”
“I’d heard. Chavias. Artifacts being stolen. I thought you were moving them.”
“I’m in search of a place.” Acharius sighed. “But everywhere is too far from Meredith House or unable to be secured as well.”
Tev straightened from the wall. “You don’t want to leave your woman behind. That’s understandable. What if you were to remain here but you moved the artifacts to WaterRose?”
Acharius considered it. “Not a bad idea.”
Tev tapped his head. “This is why I’m the smart one. Our magic would guard it there. And you could be free.”
“I’d have to see if the Captain would approve of the idea…”
“When the Captain first sent you here to guard them the stronghold wasn’t built. Propose it.”
Acharius grunted and began to slowly nod. “What a reprieve that’d be!”
“Indeed.” Tev walked over to help Acharius unroll a parchment he was preparing to read. “It’d give you more time to spend with Mardichi.”
Acharius gave him a sharp look. “Who in bloody hell would want to do that?”
Tev chuckled. “Likely no one.”
“So what is the tale with her?” Acharius finished putting candleholders on the corner of the parchment to keep it unrolled then gestured to Serdephe laying on the dais next to his bed fast asleep.
“She’s the Huntress. The Captain was looking for her. Apparently he thinks she could help our cause.”
“She hunts Cimmerii?” Acharius blinked shocked eyes at him.
“Apparently. And now she is, perhaps, generating a pheromone that can summon Cimmerii over a great distance.”
“For what?”
“To eat her, I presume.” Tev shrugged.
“So she’s creating a smell like a delicious snack?” Acharius sat back and slid his hands from the table in confusion. “I fail to see how that’s helpful. In addition, have I expressed how delighted I am that you brought her to my abode…Smelling like a delicious Cimmerii snack…”
“She hunts them too.” Tev defended.
“Good. So when they get here she can kill one?”
“It’d probably be more than one. Since when do you grumble more than me?” Tev remarked.
“Since you got here.”