Free Blazing Earth by Terri Brisbin Page A

love,” she whispered. “Let us seek a place away from the others.”
    His blood surged then, desire for her almost overwhelming his control. But he would never harm her or allow her to come to it. The warblood took her hand and followed her deeper into the woods, to a place where none could hear them or his roar when he claimed her. She worried over that.
    But she did not worry long, for he pleasured her relentlessly through that night until she forgot about everything else. A strange feeling haunted him through their hours together and did not leave no matter how many times he sank into her soft, human body and heard her cries of passion and release.
    Unable to define it, the warblood pushed it aside and did not allow it to control him. He took her body, heart, and soul that night and offered her all he had in return.
    Only when he returned back into the human’s blood, only as William regained his place, did the warblood recognize the feeling he’d noticed.
    Loss.
    Loss of her.
    He would lose her.
    Unacceptable!
he thought as he pushed through thebarrier separating his mind from the human’s. He would not leave and allow her to be unprotected. He could not lose her. He would not. If he could not be present at all times, he would be watching. He would . . . watch.
    â€œWill?” Brienne tugged on his hand as they walked back to the camp. He stopped and turned to meet her questioning gaze. She frowned.
    â€œWhat is it? Have I forgotten something?”
    â€œYour eyes. They are . . . they are the warblood’s eyes, Will.”
    At first he’d thought the red tinge was caused by her nearness and the power that surged from within her. But now he realized it was his own eyes that had changed.
    And not only had the color changed, but so also had his ability to see farther away and clearer. Will glanced back at her and nodded.
    â€œSo it is,” he said as he took her hand once more and led her back to the others. “The warblood is still here, Brienne. He’s still here.”
    Will could not explain it more, but he knew that the warblood would never be completely absent from his conscious mind ever again. As he sought a reason, it came to him.
    The warblood was watching. Like a sentry on duty, the creature within now stood guard. And the only reason he could think of disturbed him greatly, for the warblood must think his mate was in danger.
    Over the next days, as they began to travel north, into the heart of England and farther along theirdestined path, the warblood never left Will completely. His gaze stared out over the lands as they crossed the miles to the place where they would once more battle the evil one and her followers.
    Ran discovered no open dangers along the path of this river, called Avon. Soren reported that nothing seemed out of place from his view above. And Father Ander mentioned that being on the hallowed ground of the church seemed to mute his and Corann’s ability to sense the others and might be a way to hide from de Gifford, who must arrive here soon.
    All important things to consider as the huge group broke into two and headed to Amesbury a day apart. But the most important thing was never far from Will’s or the warblood’s thoughts—Brienne must be kept safe.

C HAPTER 7
    Tolan’s world was spinning out of control. Each day something else happened that he could not stop or change or divert from its course.
    The orderly progression of his life and purpose through the seasons was gone. He’d liked the predictability of how he lived, especially since he understood how the spring would wake the earth, the summer would bring it fertility, the fall would see its bounty collected, and the winter would see it seek its rest. Until it all began again.
    Now the woman he wanted to marry was opposed to such a thing. And his son was gazing with calf eyes at a young woman with alarming regularity. Worse, the man whom he served