Warrior (Princesses of Myth #2)

I gasped. “Tell me everything.”


He looked skyward. “Carver is searching, but I will speak of what I can. After Faith’s eighteenth, when her forethought developed, I knew I’d been given a highly skilled child. I’ve always believed you girls to be Halflings and I had not expected such a thing. But the mated bond had prevailed and given me a child with full-strength. Donaldo would accept that, because our line would continue strongly. When Faith came into her skill of mind-merge, one that’s not carried within our Wincrest line, we knew Kate was not of Earth.”

“I see.” My mother had been abandoned, left in an orphanage on a foreign world, never knowing where her family had come from. “How did Faith come to be with Loveria?”

“He tracked her through their mated bond, and before I knew she held the highest strength skills. At the time, I still kept my distance. Within days, he’d laid claim to her. I couldn’t reverse what was already done.”

“Their bond had taken.”

“Yes, it develops fast, as you’re discovering. Even Carver cannot set your mated relationship aside. He hunts for you now.”

I rubbed my chest. “He said we have a non-relationship. I can’t push him for more. I don’t even want to.”

“Davio Loveria hides Faith’s true identity. He cleared Peacio of Donaldo’s spies to ensure Faith could safely travel here, but Faith stays low. She doesn’t venture too far from the castle or from Loveria, and she heeds my warnings. It’s imperative you do the same. Never take your safety for granted here. Donaldo has sent more spies into the lower ranks of our enemy protectors. Right now they seek acceptance where they can.”

It could take months or upward to a year for them to gain access. I’d entered a battlefield. “I’ll be careful.”

“Good.” He squeezed my arms as he stepped back. “Carver’s pursuit is closing in. Goldie and I must leave.”

Goldie groaned as she hugged me. “With these changes, I’ll need to talk to Maslin and Lieska. Guy too. I expect you at the station soon.”

“Yes, I’ll be there.” I shivered as the wind picked up and my sodden clothing clung to my skin.

Her lips flattened into a tight white line as she glanced toward the forest upstream. “I hear horses. Carver must have bought reinforcements.”

“Go. Silas and I need to talk.” Three horses galloped free of the trees two-hundred feet away, two men and a woman riding. “I’ll be fine.”

Dad held Goldie’s arm. “Carver will watch over Hope.” To me, he said, “We will talk soon. By the way, there is a mess in your hair.”

They flashed away.

I felt my head, my fingers catching in a mass of tangles. Oh, so now he tells me. With a low growl, I plucked out bits of leaves and pine needles. Yuck. No girl wanted to look her worst. As the female rider closed in, I flicked the debris to the ground.

Dark brown hair blew over her shoulders, inky, skintight pants encased her legs and a leather vest covered a ruffled white shirt. She wore knee-high, black leather boots and a sword belted at her side. She pulled her horse up in front of me. “Silas told the truth. Faith does have a twin. An identical one.”

“Apparently.” I eyed her. She was a protector and I was the enemy. That I would never forget.

The second horseman rode in, his animal snorting. This protector was huge, broad-shouldered and dressed as most of their battle-hardened were in dark leathers. He gripped his horse’s reins, stilling him with one simple command as he glowered at me then the woman at his side. “Another Wincrest, Viv. We should kill this one before Silas gets here.”

They drew their swords.

“Put your weapons away!” Silas bellowed as he thundered in. He slid to the ground then stood firmly in front of me as he faced the others. “Zac, Wincrest or not, she is still the other half of my soul. You will never harm a hair on her head.”

The protector grunted. “She is a true Wincrest. Unlike Faith, this one grew up in Dralion.”

“I get that.”

I stepped in beside Silas, spearing him a look. “Why’d you bring them?”

Waving a torn piece of cloth, he said, “I found this from your t-shirt upstream, snagged around a rock. I thought the worst and needed reinforcements to search for you. Zac and Viv are loyal friends.” He pulled off his dark leather jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders then zipped it up. “You shouldn’t have moved from the cabin. It’s my job to keep you safe.”

Encased in warmth all the way to my knees, I sucked in a deep breath. “I’m not a job.” I found the armholes from within my leather cocoon and shoved my hands through. The sleeves swamped me.

“You feel like one.” He rolled one cuff to the wrist, and then the other. “Zac and Viv know who Faith is.”