Free Vision of Light [The Renegades 1] by Amanda Hilton Page A

out of sight. She did not even know how to find Victania. Given time, she would go into town and ask questions. Meanwhile, she had to put distance between Lucien and herself. By early evening, Aislan began to tire because she had walked nearly the entire day. She ventured back to the river, knowing the risk of being in the open, but she was thirsty. After drinking her fill, Aislan sat on the riverbank and took off her cloth boots, then walked into the river to wash. After this, she planned to head towards the cliff to figure out where she needed to go to find the nearest town.
    The boy's braes had gotten quite filthy, so she tried to wash some of the mud off. Having no monetary means to purchase new clothes, she would have to take better care of her clothes. Splashing water over her face and her body the best she could, Aislan rubbed off the dry blood and sweat until she ended up with her clothes all wet. She hesitated, then shrugged and waded further in until she could wash herself more thoroughly while still fully clothed. Used to be on the run, it would be foolish to be caught bathing in the nude.
    Once satisfied, Aislan waded back onto the bank, wringing the water out of her clothes. She debated taking off her clothes and wearing only the cloak until she could find a way to dry her clothes. A few years back, she had gotten sick for staying in wet clothes too long. She did not want to lie in another cold cave running a fever.
    Picking up her boots, she shook out the small stones, and her attention strayed to her left hand and the marriage band she wore. She had thrown the first few bands out the window into the moat, to Hayton's rage. Because nearly half a dozen priests blessed the latest band, Aislan had dared not risk their wrath when one of them came by to visit, mainly to reprimand her for her unrelenting demeanor towards her long-suffering husband. No priest could lecture her now.
    Aislan tossed her boots aside and pulled at the ring. Hayton had deliberately made the band too small. She had to spit to loosen it and had to use grunt force to pry it off her finger. Once free, she pitched it into the river with the same consideration she had given the filigree discarded earlier. The ring landed further than she expected.
    "Good riddance,” she whispered and turned to pick up her boots. She stopped abruptly.
    Lucien leaned against a tree, watching her.
    Aislan knew he would find her. She had run out of sheer habit, always running away from anyone or anything trying to hold onto her. Yet, during her journey, she had expected Lucien to find her. She had hoped he would find her and had stopped often to let him catch up.
    Looking at him made her nipples tingle and her body quiver to life. She knew lust for what it was. It consumed her with the intense desire to mate with him. She did not have to answer to anyone, no husband, no priests, and she hurt no one with what she wanted. Victania could wait a few more days. Aislan had to know why this man was so familiar to her before she even met him.
    There was no escaping fate, and at this moment, Aislan did not want to anymore.

Chapter 7
    Gentle Seduction
    Lucien's anger faded as soon as he saw Aislan.
    He had been sick with fear when she walked out of the cave, and he had to force himself to finish regenerating another day. The hell she put him through almost meant nothing once he saw her splashing in the water. Anger would not solve anything. Having seen him kill twice, she did only what he expected of someone who considered herself a captive, associating him with bloodshed, violence, and death. She only rebelled against captivity even though what she did was pure foolishness, putting both of them in great jeopardy.
    Any form of rebellion and defiance had always been dealt with harshly in his life. Like all humans, anyone could be broken. Lucien's sorcery master had broken him when he was a boy, which effectively altered some of his basic beliefs, but he had no interest in