Free The Calling (Book 7 of The Blood & Brotherhood Saga) (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) by Jeremy Laszlo

his return the way he longed to see her again?
    Reaching into his pocket he touched the lock of her hair he had hidden there and imagined its smell. He had always loved the smell of her hair. Something about it was familiar and comforting. Thinking of her hair made him long for her smile and embrace, but here, neither would be coming. He needed to be done with this trip and get back home. But, he had wanted this too. He knew it was good to be out with friends. There had to be some sort of happy medium. He couldn’t be home with Linaya, and out with his friends, investigating a possible crime. Both required his attention and he wanted to do both. What he needed, what he really needed, was a way for Linaya to come with him. Sure, he had her hair, and she said that one day they would be able to be together again all the time, but he wanted that time to be now, not later.
    “What about you, Garret?” Ashton asked.
    “Huh? Sorry, my mind was elsewhere.”
    “I was asking, if you could have chosen your blessing, what would you have picked?”
    “Oh. I…um… I’ve never thought about it before. I suppose to better protect my kingdom I would have to be able to rival all of my foes. Size, strength, and skin of steel are wonderful, but I suppose if my options were unlimited, I would chose the ability to fly as well and throw fire,” Garret answered, knowing he would need to be able to do at least as much in order to defeat his brother.
    “That’s quite a list,” Zorbin grumbled in his deep voice.
    “What was your answer then?” Garret asked.
    “To be handsome enough to woo any woman of my choosing,” Zorbin chuckled.
    “I can see how that would come in handy,” Garret admitted. “And you, Ashton?”
    “The ability to heal the world instead of just wounds.”
    “Like end wars and lovers’ quarrels?” Garret asked.
    “Yes, but if we all got what we wished, I think Zorbin would make my ending lovers’ quarrels impossible,” Ashton grinned.
    Chuckling deeply, Zorbin slapped Ashton on the back, nearly sending him sprawling into the fire as Garret too began laughing at the semi-panicked, surprised look on his friends face. Laughter. It had been a while since he had heard any, let alone enjoyed his own. It was good, and he knew instantly that this was why Linaya had encouraged him to go. Thanking her silently, he returned his attention to his friends and joined in on the amusement.
    It was several hours later when they decided to settle down for the night. Taking turns, Garret took the first watch, waking Zorbin near the middle of the night to lay down himself. Though he was forsaken, Garret prayed to Gorandor for his blessing to be returned, but felt no different once he completed his prayers. He wondered if Gorandor even heard his words any longer. Maybe his plight was useless. Maybe his silent suffering was a punishment that he had to endure in order to regain the god’s favor. Garret had no way of knowing.
    Rolling onto his side, he faced the north, back where his lover lay without him, and imagined her here at his side. Closing his eyes, he relaxed his saddle-sore muscles and fell quickly into a deep, rejuvenating sleep.
    * * * * *
    Zorbin’s watch had been more or less uneventful until his link to Xanth got interesting as the giant wolf caught the scent of a doe and sprang off into the forest to begin stalking it. With images flickering past his eyes, he watched as the wolf bent low to the ground, and sniffing, dug his clawed toes into the soil before leaping ahead, and slowly began picking up speed. Like he was racing along through the trees himself, Zorbin witnessed the hunt in a surreal, all too personal way. Leaves, darkness, trees, brush, and the ground passed before his eyes as adrenaline began to run in his veins.
    With his heart pumping he witnessed as Xanth suddenly changed direction, heading what he presumed was east. Climbing through the forest, the wolf raced on, slowly uphill. Then, unexpectedly,