Free Hunted: The Warrior Chronicles #2 by K.F. Breene Page A

gone by now,” Sanders asked in a gruff tone.
    “She’s headed to the same place as the other Chosen—the Shadow Lands.”
    Sanders’ head snapped up. Wariness crouched in his expression. “The Shadow Lands? Sir, forgive me, but knocking on the door of a bunch of devil-worshipping, black-magic users is a little extreme, even for that woman. I know you were told the same things I was as a kid—eat your vegetables or I’ll whisper your name to the Shadow people. Don’t bite your brother, Sanders, or I’ll ship you off to the Land of the Mist where they’ll cook you up and eat you…”
    Cayan let a smirk quirk his lips. “Afraid of children’s tales at your age, Sanders?”
    “Half of that is hearsay, sure, but legends often come from truth. There’s not one person who doesn’t fear what they call the Shadow People. Why else would they be banished from the mainland to a small island only reached through a treacherous journey across the sea? Location doesn’t lie, sir.”
    “People fear what they do not understand. My power could be called dark magic. Shanti is as violent and destructive as they come. As are you, I might add, and you still bite. Banished might really just mean relocated to a more fertile land. That’s how this city started in the early days. But yes, that’s where she was headed. That’s where this Inkna is headed. That is why there has been a pause in the raids and attacks—I won’t say stopped. The Graygual focus is now away east. In their effort to secure these Shadow People, they are unwittingly giving the rest of us time to get organized.”
    “Xandre seems smarter than that, if what you say is true. Why would he allow us to organize?”
    Cayan stood. “He’s one man with a lot of pursuits, and we are small cities, however prosperous. He thinks we’ll be here when he’s ready. And he’s right. A few of us combined still don’t equal his might, especially with the number of Inkna and power he has. We need Shanti to get those Shadow People, and we need her to unite with us. I’ve thought long on this—her help is the only way. Krekonna thinks the same thing. He urged me to go after her. He was thinking of sending a battle commander of his who spent some time with her—”
    Without warning, a blast of power surged, consuming Cayan, locking his jaw. It boiled his blood, blasted through his control, and gushed into the room. He staggered against the desk, fighting with everything he had. With the effort equal to wrestling a wild boar to the ground, he sucked it back in and shoved it deep, down within himself. Still, his mind swam and dizziness clouded his vision.
    When the haze cleared, Sanders was leaning against the wall with a pained expression. “Sore subject, ay sir?” Sanders wheezed. “Don’t like mentioning that pain in the ass in the same sentence as other men, looks like. That makes you crazy, you realize that?” Sanders rolled his shoulders and shook out his arms as the power subsided. “Thank Satan’s butt those Inkna didn’t have your power in that torture chamber, or I might’ve broken.”
    Cayan leaned over the desk as he huffed out a laugh. “No, you would’ve died quicker, and then you wouldn’t have to live with being saved by a girl.”
    Sanders huffed. “True.”
    Cayan rolled his head to loosen the sudden tightness in his neck. “She has a way of getting under a man’s skin.”
    Sanders stiffly pushed away from the wall. “Yeah. Well. I plan to get her alone and beat some sense into her. Don’t think I’ll take it easy on her just because you want to see what’s under her skirt.”
    “She’s going to beat you senseless, Commander. Which you know. Still wanting that fight makes you crazy, do you realize that?”
    “Nah. I’m used to fighting battles I can’t win. Hell, I don’t think I’ve won an argument since I got married. I’ll just need to get another dame to save me from her.”
    Cayan smiled and took a deep breath. “Anyway, I