Kaelan leaned over the table and sniffed the meat, the bread, the cider, absolutely everything there.
He finally nodded. “No poison.”
Her brow wrinkled in surprise. “You can truly smell poison?”
A faint smile touched his mouth. “The beast has advantages.” His smile faded quickly. “Eat but remain cautious.”
He slid onto the bench after he helped her sit, keeping close.
“Any idea of what Ogga intends to do with us?” Bria asked, reaching for a slice of bread, the delicious scents far too tempting to ignore.
His gaze swept the hall, ever watchful as he spoke. “It depends on what she wants from us. Some witches can be vengeful.”
Bria stared at him, looking as if she was ready to speak yet remaining silent.
“You wonder how I know about witches,” he said.
“And Driochmor,” Bria added. “You walk its paths as if familiar with it.”
Kaelan stabbed a piece of meat with one of the knives on the table. “I did, many years ago, when I was a young lad, before magic was banished.”
Once again, her thoughts turned deep as she calculated in her mind, finally asking, “How old are you?”
“That’s a discussion for another time,” he said and took a bite of the meat.
It wasn’t long before the great doors opened, conversation dying instantly between them.
Ogga entered the hall. She moved with calm confidence, dressed in deep green robes embroidered with silver thread that shimmered when she walked. She looked more regal now than last night, her silver hair neatly braided.
She did not enter alone. A young man accompanied her. There was a youthfulness to his features, so she doubted he was close in age to Kaelan. He was broad-shouldered and powerfully built. Dark hair brushed his shoulders while confidence radiated from him as naturally as breathing.
Something about him made Kaelan go utterly still.
The young man’s gaze settled on Kaelan and for one moment neither moved. Then the young man’s eyes flashed gold.
Kaelan’s did as well.
The man was Thornek and judging by the look that passed between them… they knew each other.
It was then Bria realized who the man must be, the beast that Kaelan hunted.
The young man seemed entirely unconcerned by the revelation. He stood comfortably beside Ogga, his arms folded across his broad chest while he regarded Kaelan with open amusement.
“You are surprised to see me here?”
Kaelan’s expression remained hard. “I am disappointed, Braden.”
Braden’s smile faded slightly.
Bria looked between them. “So, you know each other.”
“Aye,” Kaelan said.
The answer carried enough weight to tell her there was far more to the story.
Braden gave a careless shrug. “We were raised in neighboring villages.”
That did not surprise her, but to confirm, she asked, “You are Thornek?”
