Free Discovery: Altera Realm Trilogy by Jennifer Collins Page A

were nearly killed by a panther! Hunter has a wound the size of your head on his side! Screw your protocol! I needed answers, and now I need more!" Syney yelled.
    Cass looked at her, her blue eyes filled with frustration. "Look, I'm sorry about the lying and the attitude. But if Hunter told you the basics, then you know how important you are to our race, to hundreds of people. We have to get you home safely."
    Syney took a deep breath to calm herself down and nodded. "OK."
    "I promise I'll tell you all you want to know once we cross over to Altera Realm." Cass's eyes held some desperation.
    "Fine." Syney turned to Hunter. "We should change your bandage before we go."
    Hunter gave her an odd look and placed a hand on his wounded side. "Yes, we should."
    Syney nodded toward the bathroom and led the way, giving Cass one last wary look before shutting the door. "Is it still bad?" she asked Hunter.
    He looked into her eyes for a moment before returning his gaze to the floor.
    Syney frowned. That was odd. He seemed as though there was something he wanted to say but was struggling with whether to say it. "What's wrong?"
    Hunter took a deep breath and looked back at her. "It doesn't...hurt."
    "Did you finally break down and take some aspirin?"
    He shook his head slowly.
    Syney sighed. "I'm confused. I think this is one of those things you're going to have to explain to me."
    Hunter lifted his shirt and pulled the bandage from his side. His skin was completely healed. There wasn't even a red mark.
    "How the hell did that happen?" Syney shrieked.
    "Shhhh." Hunter put his hands on her arms and moved her to the farthest part of the room, away from the door. "I don't know...for sure."
    "But you have a guess."
    He stared at her and nodded, glancing down at her hands.
    "Me?" Syney said, realization sweeping over her face. "You think I did this?" She thought about it for a moment. It would have happened while they were sleeping. She turned Hunter so that his side faced her and put her arm around him. Sure enough, her hand fell right over where his wound had been. "Oh, god. I did this." The world seemed to spin a little as she fell to sit on the toilet.
    "It's OK," Hunter said, kneeling in front of her. "Healing is actually one of the lost spells. It would make sense that you might have it."
    "Lost spells?"
    He nodded. "Certain things were lost to the Magic Users after the war began."
    "But I'm from before the war." She took a deep breath and looked toward the door. "Are they going to think I'm crazy when we tell them?"
    Hunter shifted uncomfortably and avoided her look. "Maybe we shouldn't say anything."
    Now he wants me to be secretive?
Syney thought. This was all making less and less sense. "Why?"
    Hunter sighed and looked back to her. "It's... just a feeling."
    "I don't believe that."
    "Fine." He paused. "The Shifters had to have heard about you from someone."
    "Cass said the Village is huge."
    "But only the royal family and court knew about your being found."
    Looking back toward the door, Syney considered the idea that Cass and Raine could be part of the reason they had been attacked. "Do you suspect them?"
    Hunter shook his head. "I've known Raine for years, and I don't believe Cass is capable of betrayal. It's more about who they told."
    Syney looked back at him and got lost for a moment in his eyes. After a moment she forced herself to nod. "OK, but I need something from you."
    "Anything," he said without hesitation.
    "I'm going to need help figuring all of this out. Can you do that?"
    He nodded.
    "OK then. We keep this to ourselves." Syney said, standing up. All she knew was that she really couldn't take any more surprises.

Cass

    Cass let out a sigh of relief when they pulled up in front of the portal to the Altera Realm. It didn't look like much to the human eye—just a rock face at the end of a dirt road. But, to any other race, it was a beacon of white light, forever shining the way home to Altera. It was a sight for sore eyes