Free The Sorcerer's Concubine (The Telepath and the Sorcerer Book 1) by Jaclyn Dolamore

protect her, but he was in more danger than she was.
    Another shot, and Fern reared back and let out a whinny of distress. Grau dug in, clutching the reins and Velsa tight. “Those bastards!”
    No—no! Velsa couldn’t bear that sweet Fern would be hurt…and worse might follow. The men were angry now and at least one of them had an eye on her. This could easily be the night when she was kidnapped, the night she lost the precious, fleeting life she had gained.
    Fern, please. Please. She wrapped her arms around the horse’s neck, such desperation pouring out of her that she felt hot and dizzy. A sensation washed over her, almost like hot water poured over her head—or inside her head?
    Somehow, Fern resumed her gallop.
    Velsa kept her head bowed low. She didn’t dare move, as if she had placed her own strength into Fern.
    The distance between the horse and the three men grew wider. A few more shots fired, but they didn’t reach. Fern’s hooves pounded the path until they were safe enough—for now.
    The sun was sinking below the horizon now, casting the sky in shades of pink and orange. It would soon be dark.
    Grau slowed Fern to a walk. “We’d better stop a moment to see if Fern is hurt.”
    He dismounted and immediately had a look of consternation. “Here it is,” he said. “Right in the ass! Poor girl. But she doesn’t seem to be in pain anymore…” He opened his bag and got the healing balm for her wound.
    He looked at Velsa.
    “I—I don’t understand,” she said.
    “Your telepathy,” he said. “It breached the golden band. You were in such a panic that your power surged, so you could calm Fern and ease her pain.”
    “I couldn’t,” Velsa said, but hope fluttered in her chest. Power. He was saying she had power.
    “You could.” He spoke gravely, twisting the cap back on the healing balm. “You must not tell anyone this happened. People would be afraid of you.”
    “I saved us,” Velsa said, lifting her fingers to the band.
    “Yes, you did,” he said. “Thank the fates for that. But a telepathic Fanarlem would still not be welcomed.”
    “The Halnari are welcomed,” Velsa said. “They have telepathy.”
    But she already knew what he would say.
    “They are loyal allies to Atlantis and Nalim Ima,” Grau said. “Fanarlem aren’t supposed to have power.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry. We’d better keep moving. I don’t know where else we could find shelter, so we’ll have to keep going as long as we can.”

Chapter 5
    T hey reached Grau’s home late the next day, after a miserable stretch of the journey. They had slept briefly in a shed for a few hours before sunrise, Grau shivering all night long although he was wrapped tight in blankets with her body in his arms. Rain had moved in not long after, and their clothes were sopping wet, penetrating her skin. If she was soaked through to the stuffing, she would be rendered almost immobile until she dried out. Luckily, it never went that far. Grau rushed them into the house and straight to the fireplace. It was already burning steadily, but he piled on a few more logs.
    A woman hurried into the room to greet them. “Grau! I thought I heard you. Give me a hug.”
    “I’m soaked.”
    “I don’t care. I haven’t seen you in a month and when you go on patrol, well, what if I never see you again?”
    “I’ll be fine. Don’t listen to those stories about the dragons.”
    “ Dragons ? I haven’t even heard that. I’m talking about telepathic bandits. Now I have to worry about dragons, too?”
    “Ma, this is Velsa.”
    “Welcome, Velsa!” she said, brushing off the dragons easily enough. “You are really…quite lovely. I was so worried this would be another time when Grau brings home something really bizarre.”
    He looked deeply embarrassed. “I’ve never brought any girl home before!”
    “I was talking about that toad thing you had as a pet.”
    “You can’t compare Velsa to a toad.”
    “Certainly I