OUT OF THE DARKNESS (THE PRESCOTT SERIES) Read Free

breechclout to cover his sleek, bronze body. Throwing his moccasins on the bank, he dove into the deep, water.
    Fear washed over her, clawing at her like some living organism, burrowing deep inside her, taking root in the marrow of her bone. The trembling of her body sent tiny ripples skimming across the water’s surface to be captured in the limbs of her discovered sanctuary.
    Three Feathers’ powerful strokes sliced through the water toward her safe haven. The branches, which moments ago beckoned to her, now held her prisoner. She had no other place to hide, no place to run.
    Pushing further back against the bank, she felt trapped, helpless. Her life had been so short. Eyelids dropped over her eyes, she didn’t want to see the deathblow that took the last breath of life from her body. She silently released the air trapped in her lungs: a soft sound of acceptance of her fate.
    With her e yes squeezed shut, her other senses became more alert. She could almost track Three Feathers’ progress as he swam closer. Hear him breathe harder, faster, as he strained against the current. She knew the instant his long arm stretched out to take hold of what she regarded as her only dying hope. Now even that was gone.
    The water soaked branches gave way as he searched for hiding places. Her body stiffened when she heard him dive under the water. Time suspended as she waited fo r fate to play out her destiny.
    Something warm touched her cheek. Her heart stopped. Her eyes flew open. In her small refuge, Three Feathers tread water looking her straight in the eye. Jade never laid claim to courage, but at that moment, what little courage she had, fled in the blink of an eye. She wondered if a person could die from sheer fright. Her mouth opened, but she was too frightened to scream. He slid his finger from her check to press against her lips.
    Long black hair lay wet against his tanned shoulders. His bare chest was strong and broad. She understood how Morning Dove would be attracted to this warrior. Fierce and proud , he stood out among the other men in the village.
    She waited for his shout of victory to alert the others he’d found their prey. Minutes passed, with no cry of alarm. No shout of victory. His silence planted a seed of expectation in her heart. A crazy mixture of hope and fear quaked through her.
    Dark eyes regarded her with something akin to pity. Did something more shine in their enigmatic depths? Admiration?
    ~~~
    Three Feathers gazed into the frightened eyes of the woman he called Flame. She had cared for his wife and her mother with great devotion. His wife’s mother had passed to the land of their ancestors, content, knowing her daughter had finally brought forth a man-child and he still lived. His wife had long given up hope of having a child of her own, until she’d had this woman’s care. As his wife’s time drew closer, he could see the fear in her eyes, thinking this child would be lost like the others. But Flame had brought his son into the world, and he was happy to call her friend.
    When the sun rose two days ago, Black Hawk had noticed her gone. He wanted to begin the hunt at that moment. The deadly gleam in his eyes alerted Three Feathers as to what Black Hawk planned for her when he captured her.
    He had delayed the impatient warrior long enough to mourn the death of his wife’s mother. Morning Dove had informed him she’d seen the white woman–dressed in Bird Song’s clothing–slip out of their sleeping hut after the last fires of the camp had died down. She did not want to raise the alarm and hinder the woman’s chance of escape. Suckling her child, she had allowed the woman to leave.
    Flame had never spoken to any of the clan, yet, he and his family sensed she longed to go back to her people. Fate had brought her to them for a reason: that reason lay nestled against his wife’s breast. He had left her and their new son to search for Flame because he didn’t want her found and brought back to