Free The Queen of Stone: Thorn of Breland by Keith Baker Page B

no move.
    Although the gnolls were spread out among the various campsites, the creatures also had a camp of their own. As she made her way toward it, she paused to avoid a pair of gnolls … and became aware of a problem. In the absence of any humans, the two were speaking in their own tongue. It was difficult for her to recognize that the hooting and whining was actually communication; it sounded like the noise of wild beasts.
    Steel was able to identify a few key words. The gnolls were waiting for someone to arrive. Thorn decided to wait and learn the identity of the newcomer. But if it was another gnoll, she might not be able to understand much.
    As she moved closer to the gnoll camp, she heard a sound in the woods behind her. It was no rabbit; it was the crack of a foot snapping a fallen twig. Thorn slid around the trunk of a gnarled oak, taking cover while searching for the source of the sound.
    I sense no magical emanations
, Steel said.
Most likely another sentry
.
    Thorn wasn’t so sure. The gnolls were larger and heavier than humans; the snap had sounded like the work of a smaller creature. Reluctantly, she abandoned her position, moving deeper into the shadows of the forest. A moment later, she heard the rustle of an arm brushing against bark. She glanced toward it … and saw nothing. The magic of her ring let her see clearly in the gloom, but she saw only empty air.
    And yet … she knew something was there. She’d always had sharp eyes and keen ears, and now she
felt
a presence in the woods—more by instinct than anything else. Though her eyes denied it, she
knew
someone had slipped around the tree ahead of her.
    Thorn couldn’t ask Steel’s opinion without warning her prey. But she wasn’t about to let this stranger escape. She had come to find out about the attack—and some invisible creature was skulking around the perimeter. She carefully closed the distance to her target.
    Focusing her thoughts, Thorn spun around the tree. She saw nothing, but she
knew
where her target was, and she rammed her forearm into the place where a man’s throat might be. Her bracer struck a soft target, what felt like flesh. She raised Steel, ready to drive the blade into her hidden foe.
    Finding the invisible man was challenge enough.Predicting his movement was something else entirely. His kick caught her off guard and knocked her backward, just enough to put her out of reach. His invisibility had the same limit as her own magic; his hostile action shattered the enchantment. The air rippled as Drego Sarhain appeared before her, his hands wreathed in silver fire.
    “Well, Lady Tam,” he said quietly. “It seems we have something in common.”

C HAPTER N INE
    The Duurwood Camp Droaam
    Eyre 12, 998 YK
    A drenaline surged through Thorn’s veins, and the crystal shrapnel burned along her spine. Her first instinct was to charge, to rush in and slash her enemy’s throat before he could begin an incantation. She’d fought wizards and sorcerers before, and she’d found that steel, applied directly to the flesh, was the most effective counterspell. Still, Drego had landed a solid kick; he knew his way around a brawl. She couldn’t afford a long, loud fight … but, odds were, neither could he.
    “Flamebearer Sarhain,” she murmured. “This is a surprise. Unless you’re trying to attract the attention of every gnoll in the woods, I suggest you douse your pretty hands.”
    Drego flexed his fingers, and Thorn tightened her grip on her dagger, ready to leap at the first sign of a mystical gesture. He lowered his hands, and the flames flickered and died.
    “Wisdom
and
beauty,” he said with a smile. He’d seen through her disguise in an instant, but he hadn’t bothered with one; he still wore his embroidered doublet. Of course, an invisible man had little need to conceal his identity. “Does Lord Beren know what an exceptional assistant he has?”
    “I’m just as surprised to see your talents at work,” Thorn said,