Men of Anderas II: Dak the Protector Read Free Page B

of tears to her eyes. "You have nothing to fear
from me. I won't harm you in any way. In fact, you may find you
enjoy your duties.” She couldn't prevent the blush that stained her
cheeks pink just thinking about what his duties would
entail. She had to find a way to convince him to accept his
temporary situation. This plan, however foolhardy, wouldn't work
without his complete cooperation. He couldn't perform the services
she required while wearing the amulet, and she couldn't trust him
to stay if she removed the stone. There had to be compromise
between them.
    Dak slowly closed his large hand around the
shimmering white stone hidden just beneath the surface of the
water, never breaking eye contact.
    Kierin squirmed under the intensity of his
gaze. Hesitant to let the once-powerful lord see her discomfort,
she reached for the clear crystal she wore around her own neck. The
gentle pulse of the smooth stone, as steady as a heartbeat, never
failed to soothe her.
    A wave of violent emotion slammed into her
mind like a physical blow. Gasping and staggering from the mental
assault, Kierin released her stone to steady herself against the
heavy wooden door. Almost instantly, the sensation ceased.
    By the Goddess Jovena, what madness is
this ? Never in her life had she experienced such an invasive
episode. The riot of emotion still fresh in her mind was too
jumbled to analyze. Rage, fear, anger and hopelessness were the
strongest of what she experienced, but there was so much more.
    Sneaking a quick glance at Dak, Kierin
watched his eyelids close and his head roll back against the rim of
the tub. Good. Sleep would help heal his battered body. They had a
long trip ahead of them and she hated to think of him suffering all
that time. Since there was no danger of him slipping beneath the
surface of the water in the small tub, she took advantage of his
fatigue. She needed time to regain her composure.
    Risking another glance at Dak to make sure
he still slept, she eased into the only chair in the room and
reached for her amulet again. She needed a focus session to sort
the myriad threads of her memory, and she might not get another
chance for several days.
    Drawing her concentration inward, she
clasped the stone between her two palms and lifted her hands. With
thumbs beneath her chin and resting her fingertips just above the
bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes and turned her mind in on
itself.
    A feeling of great sadness and loneliness
settled over her, bringing tears to her closed eyes. An image took
form in her thoughts. An image of multi-colored flowers in full
bloom and peaceful sunlight. Here, in this idyllic garden, the
sadness was tempered with deep love.
    Shadowy silhouettes slowly appeared amid the
rioting blossoms. Two men, both tall and strong, were joined by a
woman with long hair. The faces were unclear, but Kierin sensed
strong ties bound these people.
    Pressing the crystal tighter, Kierin focused
intently on the trio. There was something familiar about them. As
if aware of her intrusion into their midst, all three turned and
she saw them with perfect clarity. All had black hair. One man's
eyes glowed brilliant blue, the other the warm dark brown of kava fur. Kierin saw no one she recognized. One of the men,
standing slightly apart from the couple, reached out his hands in
welcome. A surge of soul-deep caring flooded Kierin’s thoughts.
Whoever was joining them in the garden was deeply loved by the
brown-eyed man.
    "Elizabeth."
    Kierin jerked in response to Dak's sleepy
voice. Elizabeth is the name in my vision . Confused and
disoriented, she watched him come fully awake. Blinking like a baby
night bird, he scanned the room, frowning at the surroundings. When
he spotted her, still sitting by the door, all traces of sleep
vanished in an instant. Again, strong emotions bombarded her mind. Vengeance! The word screamed once through her
conscience.
    Dak dropped the glowing stone still held in
his grasp and turned his back on