Free CaptiveoftheStars by Viola Grace Page A

pulled the energy out of her body and poured it into the stones.
    She vaguely heard a shout as the grinding of rock on rock became her whole world. Please, Ithena, please, just let them be safe.
    They will live, Nasha. As will you. Now, you have done your duty, go and rest. Do not fear what will come, it is your destiny.
    As her mind blanked, she smiled. It was her destiny and now she could rest.
    When a hard arm gripped her around the waist, she shouted and struck out. Her blind thrashing caught flesh and she heard cursing. She saw a large blurred object before her head exploded in pain. Apparently, it was time to rest.
    * * * *
    Damn, he had struck her too hard. The woman in his arms was barely breathing. Blood covered her from head to toe. Thorn Kalowell scowled down at the slight figure and pity warred with fury. He was supposed to have claimed his mate on this land and instead, he found betrayal and a dead keep that was to have housed his betrothed.
    "I have a live one. Send for the healer!" He carried her over the dead and dying. Her clothing was nothing but rags. He could only guess that she had been one of the peasants of the Fano.
    A healer came running and his eyes widened at the woman in Thorn's arms. "This way, my lord."
    A tent was quickly erected a safe distance from the final battlefield. None of the Fano warriors had survived. They had been men too young to be in guardsmen's uniforms. Their defence of their people was charming, but it was a futile effort.
    The goddess always chose a woman of Fano for her avatar and he would not rest until he found his chosen mate. Thorn's star had moved him to this moment, Eshkar wanted to have what Ithena promised him, a child of the stars.
    Centuries ago, they agreed that when they both had the perfect avatars, they would join them to breed a Hashka with its own power beyond the stars. A power to lead its people and protect them from the marauding population who were not worshipers.
    Eshkar was completely fixated on this being the right time and the right place. Lord Fano had dangled his daughter in front of Thorn for a price. Thorn had paid the bride price gladly, but when he came to claim the woman, Lord Fano had passed on. No one knew the woman that he was speaking of and he had fought long and hard to get as far as he had.
    This bloody battle was not supposed to have happened. He was supposed to be spending the first week with his bride. Thorn cursed and laid the woman on the small cot. "Do what you can for her."
    "Yes, sir. Do you know why she is unconscious?"
    He grunted and scrubbed his hand over his face, spreading her blood on his skin. "I struck her when she attacked me. She crumpled in my arms."
    The healer muttered, "That would do it."
    "Is there any major damage?"
    "I can't tell. She is covered in blood, my lord."
    "Then wash it off."
    The healer called a page over and sent for water. "Her hands are abraded, my lord. There is also a gash within her hairline."
    Lord Thorn scowled and strode to the tent opening. He watched his men trying to find survivors, but there was a curious lack of civilian casualties on the field. "Where are the villagers? The people of the keep? The servants?"
    General Alsco came up next to him. "What do you mean?"
    "The first time we came to the keep, there was a village of hundreds, over fifty servants in the keep. Where are they?"
    Alsco looked confused. His dark blue brow furrowed. "We didn't see any large groups of that kind."
    "I know. Where are they?"
    A scout came running up. He knelt at Thorn's feet. "My lord. The Fano gap is gone."
    "What?"
    "The gap. The division between the public lands and private. The tiny pass into the Marshkar valley. It's gone."
    A tingle of hope ran through Thorn. "Show me."
    The scout swallowed and nodded.
    They moved across the field of death and the wall of rock greeted them at the end of their destination.
    Eshkar surfaced. Ithena was here recently. She touched this stone and closed the gap.
    Are you