Free Heir of Shandara (Book 4) by Ken Lozito Page B

hack-and-slash until it stopped moving, but precise and targeted hits carried out in just the right order.
    “Can you get this information into the hands of Free Nations Army? Particularly”—Bayen paused for a second, trying to recall the name of the Hythariam general that served in the beginning—“Gavril Sorindal?”
    “It would require leveraging the nearest comms device to send the information. This communication could later be discovered, and our presence would be detected,” Sam warned.
    “It’s a risk we need to take. If we can get the FNA to neutralize the infiltrators, that would buy us some time to prevent the plague from spreading so rapidly.”
    “Confirmed, sir. Data packet sent.”
    Bayen frowned for a moment. “Whose comms device did you use?”
    “T-thirty-one-H,” Sam replied.
    Bayen rolled his eyes and shook his head. “A name, Sam. I’m looking for the user of the device.”
    “Apologies, sir. I gave you the device’s unique identifier. The current user of the device is known as Tanneth.”
    Bayen glanced over at the Hythariam and cursed inwardly. Tanneth was clever enough to know if his comms device had been tampered with. It was only a matter of time. Bayen glanced back over at Aaron. He was so different from the man he knew, but some things were the same.
    “Planning your next argument?” Verona asked, approaching from behind him.
    Bayen quickly covered up his bracer with the sleeve of his cloak. “With who?”
    Verona’s lips curved in a half smile. “I understand why you wanted to kill me.”
    “You were very lucky. Anyone else would have been dead.”
    “Still, you seem hell-bent on challenging Aaron at every turn”
    Bayen clutched the haft of his bladed staff. “Someone should. If you don’t, then what he does could doom us all.”
    “Aaron wouldn’t let that happen. You know, when I first met Aaron, he had secrets that were weighing him down. They constantly ate away at him and almost became his downfall.”
    “Really, and what did he do?” Bayen asked.
    Verona met his gaze. “Well, he trusted me, for one. Eventually, he shared his burdens with the rest of us. Friends help each other, and right now you look like you could use a friend.”
    Bayen looked across the way at Aaron but didn’t say anything. Success means death. Failure means the end of the world, he thought.
    “Another time perhaps,” Verona said, and took a few steps away. “Just remember: Bearing a burden alone is the surest path to defeat. Aaron taught me that.”
    Bayen’s breath caught in his chest. “What if my burden is meant to be carried alone?”
    “Carried, perhaps, but you don’t have to stand apart from the rest of us to do so. Just think about what I said.”
    ***

    “They don’t think we’re infected,” Aaron said. The holo display above his comms device showed a miniature depiction of Sarah from the shoulders up.
    “That’s good. Roselyn pieced together what happened to Verona. The fact that he has the Nanites in him didn’t sit well with Iranus,” Sarah said.
    “They saved his life,” Aaron said, and suppressed a shiver at just how close he had come to losing his friend forever.
    “What is it?”
    Aaron frowned. He should have known better. If he denied anything, she would see right through him. “I keep thinking what if it had been you.”
    Sarah’s gaze bored into his. “Then you would have done what had to be done.”
    “I won’t do it,” Aaron said.
    “I trust that when the time comes for action to be taken, you will do what you believe is best in your heart,” Sarah replied.
    They didn’t say anything for a few moments, and Aaron silently cursed the distance between them. He wanted to be with Sarah and not speaking through a damned comms device.  
    “I keep hearing the Eldarin. At first, it was only in my dreams, but it’s coming more frequently. It’s like they are close but just out of reach. I don’t know how to help them, and I need to. Not only