Free A Templar's Gifts by Kat Black Page B

aching body hit the dirt and I rolled away from the horse’s hooves with great effort.
    â€œAre ye daft?!” I shouted. “Damnation! Do that again and ye’ll be sorrier than ye can ever imagine.” Fury rose and rippled through me like the strike of lightning. “Ye know well that it could never be,” I snapped, at the same time confused and frightened by the intensity of the feelings rushing over me. It made my head spin. Slowly I crawled to my feet, trying to reorient myself. “It’s an order of monks. They’re no’ even allowed in the presence of women. Can ye imagine for one moment that they would accept one as a member?”
    She had the grace to look away even though I could feel her seething. I climbed back into the saddle, not at all helpful to her as she worked to get up behind me.
    â€œIt’s nothing against ye personally,” I grumbled. “From what I’ve seen, ye’d give them a devil o’ a hard time.” I said the last beneath my breath, but she heard nonetheless, and I felt a ripple of amusement slide from her to me. Placidly she wrapped her arms around my waist. I wanted to throw them off to spite her, but my body and mind had already begun to settle with thecontact and my anger grew less. I urged the horse on without another word.

UNLEASHED
    W e followed the sun as it worked its way across the land, skirting as many of the crofts as we were able. There were, no doubt, even more factions hunting me now. It was frightening to know that now I had more enemies than friends. News did not generally travel fast but word of murder was sure to reach the watch, the Highland group of men who kept the law. It would not be safe to test our luck at any of the homesteads within days of Aine’s former home.
    Aine tried at conversation several times, but I didn’t encourage her. It was not the falling out of the morning, but a growing sense of general unease that hovered. By late afternoon I felt the chaos rising within me, and even her touch did not bank the fire. It was growing more and more difficult to sit upright. Every once in a while, she hummed in my ear and the feelings settled enough for me to bear, but it was never for very long.
    Just before sundown we stopped in a grove beside arushing burn to rest. We ate some carrots and cheese that the old Father had sent along, but the food lay hard in my stomach. Aine saw to the horse and then sat down near me and began once more to softly sing. The worst of my queasiness evened out.
    â€œD’ye know how far away the village is?” She was tired. I could see it in her face. Darkness bruised the space above her cheeks.
    â€œIt can’t be far now,” I said with a confidence I didn’t feel. Just then a gust of wind lifted the bare branches around us, and fear tore through my mind. Aine stilled and a wash of emotion surged from her to me.
    â€œSomeone approaches.” I leapt to my feet and drew my dagger, quickly stepping in front of her. “We travel to our uncle’s in Straloch. You are my sister,” I said urgently.
    She nodded and we waited for their arrival. The sound of the horse’s hooves was loud in my ears. I concentrated on the feel of them. It was a ragtag group. Hungry. Petty. Dangerous. At the back of my mind, Aine’s low hum sounded. I latched on to it to calm myself as I scanned the level of power beneath the ground and among the trees. The slow and steady thrum of life was comforting. Full to bursting and tempting me to call upon it.
    â€œWhat do we have here? Two wee cockerels ripe for the pickin’?” The man was skin and bones, and he smelled as if he had never come in contact with water orlye soap. His teeth were brown and rotted, and there was an edge to him that was desperate.
    â€œWe want no trouble,” I said. “Just be on yer way, an’ we’ll all come out o’ this fine.” I pulled a tiny tendril of power