glanced down at the woman in his arms. News of the Master’s game had reached Searon’s ears, and Searon knew that all he had to do was win the game by bringing the princess to the Master. Connor pulled Angeline closer to him and ran.
CHAPTER NINE
It felt like Connor had been running for hours and Angeline completely lost track of time. Initially she was surprised to hear the thud of a heartbeat, his heartbeat, against her ear, but eventually she tucked her face into Connor’s cloak and let the rhythm soothe her nerves. The night air was chilly and they seemed to be moving at an impossible pace.
Angeline had just started to doze when Connor stopped and she was jarred awake. She was afraid they had already arrived at the coven, but realized that it was still full dark and the only light she could see was that of the moon. Conner carefully slid her down onto a small rock that sat on the edge of a clearing. They were surrounded by tall grasses on all sides, but in the center of the clearing stones had been laid out to form a small fire pit.
“Why are we stopping?” she asked, although she was relieved. She didn’t know how long it would take to reach their destination, but the more stops they took the more opportunities she’d have to find a way to escape. “The sooner this detour is done the sooner I can be returned to my people.”
“I thought you could use the break, Princess. Would you like something to eat?”
Angeline’s stomach answered for her and she winced.
Connor chuckled and dug into one of the pockets of his cloak. He pulled out a piece of hard jerky and handed it to her. She took it delicately, but bit into it with a force that she couldn’t control.
“Tell me about your Master,” she said after several moments of silence.
Connor started stalking the perimeter of the clearing. She knew what he was doing. He was simultaneously guarding anyone from sneaking up on them while at the same time staying close enough to guard her from running. Not that she would have known where to go in any case. The lands around them seemed completely barren of life. She had not even seen a house or farm since they had entered the Forgotten Lands. She had never felt so isolated.
Connor was silent so long that she wondered if he was going to answer her or not. “What is it you’d like to know?”
“I’d like to know why he sent you to accost me from my father’s deathbed,” she replied, crossing her arms. “I’d like to know what he hopes to gain from this meeting.”
Connor didn’t reply and Angeline waited. Looking up at the stars, she felt like the sky was so big that it was closing in on her.
“I’d like to know if I’m going to live long enough to see my father again,” she said softy. Tears sprung up in her eyes.
Connor finally turned and his emerald eyes seemed to float in the heavy darkness. “I am a simple servant of my Master. But I know that he has matters of great importance to discuss with you, Princess. Matters that affect all of us. He has risked much by asking me to bring you to him. He knew that this would bring the legends back to life, and not in a good way. He is wise. He has ruled our coven here in the dark forgotten land since the days before we were banished here. He is a fair leader. I do not think you are in any immediate danger from him.”
Angeline caught the hitch in his voice when he said “immediate.” That didn’t make her feel one bit better about her predicament.
“You were banished here?” she asked. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that vampires existed. There was so much she didn’t know, and part of her was still angry at her father for putting her in this position. She should have been at his side for the last three years learning every bit of knowledge he could teach her about ruling Altera
CHAPTER NINE
It felt like Connor had been running for hours and Angeline completely lost track of time. Initially she was surprised to hear the thud of a heartbeat, his heartbeat, against her ear, but eventually she tucked her face into Connor’s cloak and let the rhythm soothe her nerves. The night air was chilly and they seemed to be moving at an impossible pace.
Angeline had just started to doze when Connor stopped and she was jarred awake. She was afraid they had already arrived at the coven, but realized that it was still full dark and the only light she could see was that of the moon. Conner carefully slid her down onto a small rock that sat on the edge of a clearing. They were surrounded by tall grasses on all sides, but in the center of the clearing stones had been laid out to form a small fire pit.
“Why are we stopping?” she asked, although she was relieved. She didn’t know how long it would take to reach their destination, but the more stops they took the more opportunities she’d have to find a way to escape. “The sooner this detour is done the sooner I can be returned to my people.”
“I thought you could use the break, Princess. Would you like something to eat?”
Angeline’s stomach answered for her and she winced.
Connor chuckled and dug into one of the pockets of his cloak. He pulled out a piece of hard jerky and handed it to her. She took it delicately, but bit into it with a force that she couldn’t control.
“Tell me about your Master,” she said after several moments of silence.
Connor started stalking the perimeter of the clearing. She knew what he was doing. He was simultaneously guarding anyone from sneaking up on them while at the same time staying close enough to guard her from running. Not that she would have known where to go in any case. The lands around them seemed completely barren of life. She had not even seen a house or farm since they had entered the Forgotten Lands. She had never felt so isolated.
Connor was silent so long that she wondered if he was going to answer her or not. “What is it you’d like to know?”
“I’d like to know why he sent you to accost me from my father’s deathbed,” she replied, crossing her arms. “I’d like to know what he hopes to gain from this meeting.”
Connor didn’t reply and Angeline waited. Looking up at the stars, she felt like the sky was so big that it was closing in on her.
“I’d like to know if I’m going to live long enough to see my father again,” she said softy. Tears sprung up in her eyes.
Connor finally turned and his emerald eyes seemed to float in the heavy darkness. “I am a simple servant of my Master. But I know that he has matters of great importance to discuss with you, Princess. Matters that affect all of us. He has risked much by asking me to bring you to him. He knew that this would bring the legends back to life, and not in a good way. He is wise. He has ruled our coven here in the dark forgotten land since the days before we were banished here. He is a fair leader. I do not think you are in any immediate danger from him.”
Angeline caught the hitch in his voice when he said “immediate.” That didn’t make her feel one bit better about her predicament.
“You were banished here?” she asked. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that vampires existed. There was so much she didn’t know, and part of her was still angry at her father for putting her in this position. She should have been at his side for the last three years learning every bit of knowledge he could teach her about ruling Altera
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