Page 61 of Dark Company

Within seconds of speaking, he looks back up at me, his brow furrowed for a second. “No. I didn’t see anything. But there was something about him I didn’t like.”

He continues with the conversation, going on about how he felt and the anger that swirled around Brennen when he dismounted. And yet, he says nothing about the brief episode that made him freeze in place. Leon still keeps his hands where they are, never budging, not even when the boy looks down at them.

“Why are you so upset? I feel it coming off of you like a cloud sliding off the mountains. Is he a friend of yours? Have I insulted you?”

Leon shakes his head for a moment before drawing back. “I’m just concerned. Is there something wrong with you?”

“Why would you -? Ooh. It happened again, didn’t it?”

“You tell us,” I grind out, refusing to guide him. I want this child to explain what the fuck we just saw all by himself.

“I froze for a bit, didn’t I?” The little boy pauses, his lips quirking up. “I take it you haven’t been around many Laxians?” He laughs for several moments, the wheezing sound starting to grate along my nerves.

“I can understand how scary it can look,” he continues, the laughter dying down. “But I’m okay. Honest. I get visions and then pass them on. I try to convey what I see, but sometimes it comes out in a garbled mess that I can’t even make sense of.”

Leon and I step backward, not wanting to continue threatening the child in any way. If we’re going to have to play nice with Laxa to get Karis back, then the last thing we need is for this child to embellish our actions.

“And these visions of yours. They come true?” I don’t want to believe him, but right now, I’ll gather any clues I can, including ones from this so-called Laxian.

Tears shine in his eyes as he backs away. “You didn’t like it. That’s why you’re so upset. I don’t mean to tell bad omens. I promise. I only say what I see. Please, sirs. Don’t be angry with me. I don’t do it on purpose.”

The hysteria in his voice is too real, too desperate to be faked. Unease slithers down my spine as Leon and I look at each other. We both act as if his words have no bearing, but I can’t shake off the dread that coils around my heart.

I take both sets of reins and hand them to the boy, desperate to forget anything that just happened. Instead of letting fear and terror take control, I latch onto the part where he said victory. I don’t care if it’s short-lived or not. I’ll take it as proof that I’ll get Karis back.

He also spoke of our bond, and that tells me she will be alive, even after getting her back. That’s good enough for me. Kneeling down, I get on eye level with the boy and smile at him, handing the reins to him.

“We no longer need our horses right now, but they seem to like you. Will you watch them until our friends come and get them?”

Within that small increment of time, I realize I don’t want to lose anything else. There’s always another way. When the boy nods, I open my communicator back up and call out for both Basq and Landon; however, at the very mention of Basq’s name, the little body starts to shake and tremble. At this point, I have no idea if he’s about to have another vision or if this is something left over from his earlier one, and I don’t want to find out.

Not wanting to vex him further, I ask for Landon and Gerond to ride to the location and take the horses back with them to Stanlion. He seems to calm down at those names, and so I take it as a sign that it’s the right choice.

Nodding, I stand up and slide my hand over the boy’s hair, tousling it slightly before walking off with Leon. Neither of us speak as we make our way to the docking port; there’s just no way to verbalize the strangeness of these interactions. Still, the boy has given me a lot of food for thought.

After finding Karis, I will figure out what it is about Basq that scared the little boy so badly. Is he someone that hurt him? As far as I know, Basq has never left Stanlion. Perhaps there’s nothing at all wrong with Basq as a person, but that he needs to be there with the group. Either way, there’s something wrong here, but I don’t dare probe at it until I have Karis.

Glancing down at my communicator, I note the time. With our transport taking us, it shouldn’t be difficult or take too long to get to Laxa. They’re still about an hour away at a minimum, and so we keep our eyes peeled for any other form of transportation that’s not an animal.

We get to the docking area and sit, looking about, just in case another ship gets there first. Either way, we will be in Laxa soon. I will move heaven and earth if I have to. I will spend every dime I have, give up my very soul if it means having Karis in my arms again.

Hold on Karis. I’m coming for you.

Chapter 16

Karis

Heat engulfs my body, warring with the agonizing pain as it rips through me. I’m barely able to even breathe past the intensity, but when I do, I catch the faintest whiff of unfamiliar scents. Where the hell did Brennen take me? And that’s when I hear it. A soft sound singing a song, as if it’s being pulled out of my dreams.

My love, my love, don’t cry.

Let the suns guide you.

Let the moons shield you.

I know that voice. It’s the one that follows me into my dreams at night, the one that comforts me when I’m alone.

My love, my love don’t cry.