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Chapter 207

Author: Nicole MacDonald
last update Last Updated: 2022-06-15 14:13:35
'WOW,' SAID KASSIE FROM BESIDE Ignatius and me, breaking the silence.

I nodded then grimaced and wiped the splattered blood from my face. 'Ewww.'

No one moved at first, the silence feeling shockingly loud after all the commotion and I couldn't help looking at the body of the Nyjen, lying against a wall. Then the other Nyjens moved to the body and everyone else politely ignored them while we moved through to the next chamber at Loi's suggestion. Sito and the griffons stayed behind to dine on the creature's remains and I felt Sian's energy ring out when she healed Daron's arm. Reminded of that, I joined Leseach on her rounds to see who else needed healing.

The men around me still appeared tense and when Ignatius appeared at my side I softly asked, 'Is there still a threat?'

The soldiers and allies all cast suspicious looks into the alcoves and entrances while we walked to the next cave.

'If a dynahck can survive in that lake then other creatures live here too,' Ignatius explained wh
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  • The Birthright Series   Chapter 208

    DARON HEARD THE STRANGE CHOKED scream and moved without thinking. Snatching an axe from the ground he bolted toward the sound while the other three girls flared bright. Sian shoved out through a tiny entrance in the wall, screaming and shaking. Daron stopped short, gaping, his brain not making sense of the angry red creatures swarming over her. She wheeled and leaped about, trying to dislodge the things and one leaped off her, landing on his arm. The spider bit into the chainmail, unable to reach him and stuck to his arm. Using the back of the axe he scraped it off, flicking it to the ground and slammed his boot down, crushing it. A sharp whistle pierced the air and a flurry of small red and black bodies flashed past Daron.'Get them off! Get them off!' Sian shrieked, dancing all over the place while the Halenine fae plucked the spiders off one by one, biting or stinging them, then dropped the corpses in a growing pile.A muffled gasp made Daron twist and he saw Kassie, Cat, and Loi,

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15

  • The Birthright Series   Chapter 209

    RUMAL WOKE HER IN THE morning and Kassie groaned when she sat up.'Those bedrolls really aren't thick enough,' she grumbled.'There isn't thick enough when you sleep on rocks,' Rumal said, already dressed. He offered a mug of nellor and even better, a kiss. Kassie ignored the nellor, leaving Rumal to hold it while she ran her hands over the rough stubble on his jaw and savoured his lips. 'Mmmmmm.'He smiled and offered her the mug again when they separated. 'Here, take this and go sit with Cat. I'll finish packing.'She accepted the mug but reached for his face again and smiled when those gold eyes whirled, the darkness of the caves making them more prominent than ever.Rumal dropped a quick kiss to her forehead. 'Go on, love. We're leaving shortly.'Picking her way across the rocky floor Kassie joined Cat who sat watching the soldiers packing gear onto the griffons and Sito.'Morning.'Cat twisted and smiled with warm eyes.'Morning, Kass.'Having a seat beside her on the ro

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15

  • The Birthright Series   Chapter 210

    IT ALMOST MADE ME WISH to be in a tunnel again, as much as I wanted open space, I didn't want it underground. The sheer vastness of this cave with the dense blackness everywhere gave me the creeps. I didn't notice so many rock formations either, emphasizing the sense of being in an excessively large room. I listened to Rumal and Kassie chatting and watched the pretty gold lights Kassie danced around us. A brief flash of white made me pause, staring hard at a light that danced a fair distance out on our left. Nothing else caught the light and I shrugged to myself, assuming it was a light-coloured rock. With the surface so much closer some of the smaller tunnels led to it and the occasional brief glimpse of a breeze drifted past, creating the illusion of the cave breathing. I shivered at the thought, unable to help it.'What's wrong?'I glanced over, surprised to find Kassie watching me.'Just the big open pitch-black space creeping me out. That's all.' I winked at her.Kassie nodded

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  • The Birthright Series   Chapter 211

    GREDEL WALKED WITH A HAND on Phroma's neck, mind far away while he imagined the estate and what Citaan and Rirae might be doing. His daughter's tiny face and the delighted smile she made when he bent over the carved wooden cradle beside their bed, brought a smile to his face. The crazy curled mop of turquoise hair, the same shade as Citaan's and those beautiful big gold eyes creasing with laughter when he teased her, pretending to bite a tiny slipper covered foot.A loud shout pulled him out, and he spun to look back, sword in hand.'It's Cat!' Phroma thought in alarm.The blaze of light was so bright he couldn't make Cat out at the centre, then his stomach dropped when he spotted the focus of her fury. Gredel bolted, shoving through the gathering soldiers.'Catherine! CAT, STOP!'It took only moments to reach Loushka. The griffon bent her knee just as he jumped, seizing the edge of the griffon's shoulder armour, and swung up to crouch in front of Cat. 'Cat, stop it!'Cat jerked

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  • The Birthright Series   Chapter 212

    HE WENT STILL AND I felt his chest stiffen, another sigh shuddering through. 'Yes, Cat. I saw them again.'It struck me then, how little I knew of Gredel's past. How little I knew of all the men's pasts and the things that must have occurred to make them like they were. Part of me didn't want to ask, didn't want to know just how awful it had been. I'd seen and felt Jenviet's influence first hand; did I need to know more?The question whispered out on its own accord.Apparently, I did need to know.In his steady, quiet voice, Gredel told me. 'There were rumours they'd been taken by the Sorceress' guards, but nothing to prove it. Townspeople spoke of it, then forgot and eventually I gave up visiting the caves. Life continued. Everyone knew awful things happened across the realm but our small town seemed untouched. Then Phroma came into my life and people thought we were blessed and it only enhanced the complacent attitudes.'Gredel paused and stretched, his back making an audible cr

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  • The Birthright Series   Chapter 213

    LESEACH HANDED ME A STRIP of fabric and I tied it around my forehead, tugging gently to make sure it slid into place easily. The thin fabric still allowed me to see through it but might deflect the flashes. I didn't want to be completely blind. Everyone else did the same and when I looked around laughter bubbled up. I clapped a hand over my mouth when a giggle squeaked out and those near turned to stare at me. Fully armoured centaurs, goblins, soldiers, and Nyjens wore them, the Halenine fae too. The serious stern expressions coupled with confused frowns at my giggle proved my undoing and I doubled up, laughing harder than I'd laughed in months.Loi turned my way and grinned. 'Mass ninja induced hysteria?'I held my knees for support and managed a nod, laughing more at her comment. When the laughter reduced to giggles, I worked at stopping them and straightened up, face flushed, and attempted a serious expression. The crowd of confused ninja faces set me off again.WHILE IT MADE H

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15

  • The Birthright Series   Chapter 214

    THE MEN DRAPED THE LIEUTENANT'S limp form over the back of a cavalry soldier. Two other soldiers stepped forward to guard the exit and prevent the vorks from coming through.Leseach watched it, then turned back to Sian who lay on a bedroll, staring at the ceiling of thin triangular stalactites. 'How are you feeling?''Concerned.'Leseach leaned over the frowning girl. 'Why?'Sian extended a hand and pointed at the ceiling. 'What's the likelihood of those falling down during the night?'The teasing tone made Leseach shake her head. 'Well, I see you're feeling better. Up then, I need to see to my next patient.'Sian winked and climbed to her feet, stepping off the bedroll straight into Daron's arms and the two of them moved away to where Nesha and Sito rested.The men laid the Lieutenant out and she squatted beside him, lightly running her fingers over his swollen hand. The saliva stung and numbed them in an instant. Grabbing the moistened cloth she used for a compress, Leseach wi

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15

  • The Birthright Series   Chapter 215

    THE LIZARD STEAKS MADE AN interesting addition to dinner. Afterward, while the girls and their guys retired for the evening, I stayed up late playing cards with Belsesus, Ignatius, Gredel, and Chaieth. Playing against the Lieutenants and Gredel, who all had decades of practice meant quite a bit of sitting out for me in the beginning, I lost so quickly. Then they paired me up with one of them each game, considering it a personal challenge to beat the others while teaching me how to play.'No,' Belsesus murmured in my ear. 'Play that one.'I shifted on his saddle, my perch for this game, and offered the card up for the others to see. Belsesus plucked the card from my hand and dropped it on the pile. The other three regarded it suspiciously, with speculative glances at their own hands. The deck of cards belonged to Gredel, the same deck we'd used those long months ago while traveling to the castle. There were four classes in the deck; water, air, earth, and fire, and the cards bore imag

    Last Updated : 2022-06-15

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  • The Birthright Series   Chapter 390

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    Everyone moved. It surprised Mila how many people were here, but so many seemed to be missing too. Mama took her hand. On her other side was her younger cousin Paiga. Normally she annoyed Mila, with all the questions she asked, but the scared expression in her eyes reminded Mila of Addy. She offered her other hand to Paiga, who took it with a tentative smile.The group began to walk.Mila hadn't realized until now how tired she was. She stumbled over the riverbed the rocks stubbing her toes as she held Paiga and Mama's hands. It made tears run down her cheeks, but she didn't stop. On and on, picking her feet up, tripping, Mama's hand stopping her from falling. Paiga tripped and Mila managed to hold her arm high enough to stop her cousin from hitting the stones.'Thanks, Mila,' Paiga sounded like she felt. Ready to cry. So very tired.Around them the adults talked. Mila listened.'Where do we go?''The hidden caves. We can keep underground nearly all the way to the coast.''The

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  • The Birthright Series   Chapter 386

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  • The Birthright Series   Chapter 385

    An array of squeals, bells, rattles and shrieks rang out. Face white Papa reached for them as something flashed out from amongst the lock trap, winding around his leg, wrenching him off his feet as it wound back in the blink of an eye.Mama gripped Mila tighter, her voice breaking on a note of despair, 'ZAYCK!'In the centre of the ceiling held by his ankles, hung Papa.Mama's energy holding Mila clutched even tighter as Mama set her on the ground then stood and reached out with both hands toward the lock, her energy glowing. Mila stared, waiting to see what happened.Mama stretched her energy out, probing gently.It touched the first puzzle piece. A clattering of chimes and screeches rang out, sparks flying.In the centre of the room, jerking like a fish caught on a line, Papa made an awful shriek.Mila dropped, hugging her knees to her forehead, stomach and mind sick from that sound.Papa was the bravest, strongest man in the world.He couldn't be caught, be hurting.Who wo

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