Free Source Of The River by Lana Axe Page A

hidden among fluffy white
eyebrows and a partially tamed white beard. He reached out to shake Darvil’s hand
and said, “Good morning, Darvil. There’s some trouble in town, and Rudi
insisted we check with your girl about it. Gerry and me came to keep the
peace.”
    “Where’s the witch?” Rudi asked impatiently.
    Darvil glared at the mine foreman. He was in no
mood to listen to his daughter being insulted, especially on his own land.
    “We don’t need any of that,” Gerry said, chiding
the dwarf. “We’re going to keep this civil.” He reached for Darvil’s hand as
well, gripping it firmly and looking him in the eye. Gerry was a bit younger
than Anid, and his yellow beard was well groomed and partially braided.
    Hearing the voices outside, Kassie stepped out
onto the porch, followed closely by Kaiya. Upon seeing the men, Kaiya knew they
had come for her. They did not frighten her, and she stepped in front of her
mother, holding her head proudly in the air.
    “You’re here to speak to me, I take it.” She
stepped down from the porch and looked up at the three men. Rudi glared openly,
not bothering to conceal his contempt for Kaiya.
    “Perhaps we should all go inside and discuss a few
things,” Anid suggested.
    “We can settle it here,” Rudi grunted. “Take the
spell off, witch, or else!” He was unarmed at the insistence of his companions,
but he clenched his fists as he spoke.
    “This one should learn to shut the hole in his
face,” Kaiya stated boldly. If these men had come for a fight, she would give
them one they’d never forget. She had never used her magic to harm any living
being, but to defend her family and her own life, she would not hold back.
    “Let’s not be hostile,” Anid said, holding up both
hands. “We want to speak to you is all. No one is here to hurt anyone.”
    “Kaiya,” Gerry began, “you are the only person
nearby with magic. We are hoping you can answer some questions for us, and then
we will leave you in peace.”
    Kaiya looked to her mother, whose eyes were wide
with apprehension. Darvil seemed more suspicious than nervous, but he nodded
his approval to Kaiya.
    “You can come in,” he said, “but keep things
civil.”
    Without another word, the three men headed inside
the farmhouse, followed by Kaiya and her parents. Each of them took a seat
around the kitchen table, the only place in the house big enough to hold
everyone.
    “Let me start off with a more thorough
explanation,” Gerry said. “Today the miners have not been able to enter the
southwest facing cave. Anyone who enters is immediately attacked as if being
strangled by an unseen hand.”
    Kassie gasped, putting her hands over her mouth.
She stared at Gerry and did not look in Kaiya’s direction.
    “Six more dwarves have fallen ill, and there is still
no sign of Jeb. He disappeared shortly after falling ill.” Gerry searched
Kaiya’s expression for any hint that she knew something, but her face remained unchanging
as he spoke.
    “What does any of this have to do with my
daughter?” Darvil asked, growing impatient.
    Anid and Gerry exchanged glances.
    “A cloaked figure was seen leaving the cave last
night,” Anid said. “It appeared to be a female.”
    “This is ridiculous,” Darvil said, jumping to his
feet.
    Kaiya touched his arm to calm him, and he once
again took his seat.
    “It was me,” Kaiya admitted. “I sensed the magic,
and I thought I could help.”
    “I told you it was the witch!” Rudi pointed at
Kaiya. “This girl is trouble. She’s cursed the mine, and she needs to be
punished!”
    “You come near my daughter, and you won’t live to
tell about it.” Darvil’s brown eyes were serious as he glared at Rudi.
    “We don’t want any trouble here, and Rudi is not
the one in charge,” Anid said. “We came only to find out the truth so we might
put our minds at ease. No one thinks Kaiya is a witch.”
    “Nor do we believe her capable of harming anyone,”
Gerry