AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Bliss heard the lift of the latch and was surprised that Trey had returned so soon. The door sprung wide open, and so did her eyes.
“A fire and a woman to keep me warm.”
Bliss didn’t need her skills to tell her that she was in trouble. The man who kicked the door shut behind him had made his intentions clear with his words, but his leering look alone would have told her the same.
The rain had done little to wash the stench off him, he and his garments in need of a good washing. Grime stuck to his knotted, long hair and craggy face even though it was obvious from his dripping garments that he had walked a good distance in the rain. It had done little to wash away the filth. Dirt caked thick beneath his nails, but the worst thing was his size. He was big and wide and much too strong to defend against.
The only weapon she possessed was her knowing, which would have warned her of his approach if she had not allowed herself to get lost in her worries over Trey.
Stop, you need to concentrate.She was grateful for the silent warning and paid heed to it.
Her hand flew up when he took his first step. “I am a seer and was expecting you—”
She paused and waited, for a moment worried that she had not cleared her muddled thoughts fast enough, but her knowing did not fail her. “William of Longee.”
He stopped dead. This time it was his turn for his eyes to grow wide.
His fear washed over her like a rushing wave, and she shivered at the unexpected force. Many believed seers were witches and, therefore, feared them, though they sought their powers, and not always for good reason. William obviously feared seers, and that could prove advantageous or deadly.
When his hand pulled a dirk from a sheath at his waist, Bliss worried that it was the latter.
Trey was soaked and annoyed. Bliss had been right, the animals had sought shelter from the storm, and there was not a single one about. He wondered if there was ever a time she wasn’t right. And would it do him good to pay heed to her words more often?
He had been about to give up and return to the cottage when he had come upon a stream, and the heavens had taken pity on him and seen to it that he caught a fish. It would feed him well enough, but he needed another for Bliss. The heavens must not have agreed with him, for now he was having trouble catching another.
With the rain continuing to soak him through, he was about to give it a few more minutes when he was suddenly hit with the overwhelming urge to hurry back to the cottage. His heart began to pound in his chest so badly that he thought it would burst. Something was wrong, very wrong. Bliss was in danger, he could feel—it twisted at his gut and turned his blood cold. He took hold of the lone fish and rushed through the woods, hoping he wasn’t too late.
He shouldn’t have left her. These were dangerous times, and vigilance was called for more often than not. She might be able to sense things, but did it help her defend herself?
The more he thought, the more anxious he became and the more he believed that Bliss was in trouble. He rushed through the woods, paying no heed to the pouring rain, his feet pounding the muddy ground. He stopped abruptly when he drew near the cottage and gave a quick glance around. No one lurked about, and no horses were tethered to the trees. Still, the sense of dread fell heavy upon him, which meant that the threat had to come from within the cottage.
Trey rushed forward, his heart hammering in his chest and fear gripping his heart like never before. He burst through the door and found Bliss sitting alone at the table.
After shutting the door and making sure the latch caught firm he approached her. He slapped the fish, then his hands down on the table, and said, “What happened?”
“You sensed danger?” she asked, appearing perplexed.
“Aye, I did, strong and hard and I raced back here to find you alone and yet—” He shook his head. “What happened? I know something happened.”
She nodded. “It did. I had an unexpected visitor in your absence, but he’s gone now and won’t be returning.”
His heart stopped slamming against his chest, and his fear ebbed though not entirely. “Who was he and what did he want?”
“You’re dripping so much rainwater that fish may just come back to life.”
“Then he too will be just as interested to hear what you have to say.”
She gave a chuckle and shook her head. “You need to get out of those wet clothes first.”
He shed his garments quickly and without care and stood stark naked in front of her.
She pulled the blanket from around her shoulders.
“Don’t,” he ordered stopping her. “I did what you requested. Now it’s your turn.”
“You’ll chill,” she said, flustered, and again attempted to offer him the blanket.
“My annoyance heats me.”
