Storm Surge by R. J. Blain Page A

sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. An Akakashani and Guardian's foal with ample motivation to do the job well was something he had never dreamed possible. Kalen hadn't made a single Guardian since taking the title of King Slayer.
    Few Guardians had died under his rule.
    But because none had been made by him, the Rift King's Guardians were Arik’s legacy, not his . Could Delaven change that?
    It was a dangerous hope.

Chapter Five
     
     
    Honey shook beneath him. Unable to see far into the forest, Kalen trusted in his mare’s keener senses. Fear tightened his chest and he struggled to breathe. The pain in his hand and arm became a remote thing, as though it belonged to someone else. The intangible threat drew closer.
    Nearby, the Yadesh stood stiffly, her ears turned back. Lather darkened her golden coat.
    “Kalen? What’s going on?”
    It pained him to admit the truth, but Kalen straightened in the saddle and replied, “I’m not certain.” There were too many gaps in his memory. Something had happened nearby, unless Honey had carried him farther than he thought. Tala’s naming of the town, Morinvale, woke something in him, a foreboding Kalen wanted to ignore and couldn’t. Something had happened there, but until he could recall the specifics, he wouldn’t tell her any of it.
    Whether or not he could trust the Kelshite woman was a different problem altogether. Something warned him against associating with the Knight, but the reasons behind his wariness likewise eluded him. It was all there in his head, mocking him whenever he tried to grasp the memories.
    “Then why are you so afraid? You and Relas both! This makes no sense. What’s coming?”
    “I don’t know,” he snapped. The urge to run and get as far away as possible with Honey ate away at his calm and patience.
    ~Truth. Something’s wrong. I just don’t know what,~ the Yadesh whispered in Kalen’s mind. Along with her words came sensations of unease.
    He couldn’t begrudge the creature for weighing his words, not when he couldn’t smother the anxiety growing within him.
    Tala shifted in the saddle. “What do we do? Won’t riding make your injury worse?”
    “The day I can’t ride is the day they feed me to the nibblers,” he spat.
    ~Running seems wise. I shall pace to your mare,~ Relas said.
    The Kelshite woman fidgeted. “Run where? I’m not even sure what we’re running from. Do you?”
    While he agreed with the woman, Kalen didn’t dare speak. If he voiced his concerns, he doubted Tala would remain calm. He turned Honey in a full circle. The memory of darkness, a cellar, altars, and sacrificed children haunted him.
    He recalled two names in his nightmarish recollections: sources and hosts.
    But hosts for what?
    Kalen feared he was about to find out.
     
    ~~*~~
     
    Thunder rumbled and the ground shook. The First’s presence chilled him from the inside, soothing some of the pain in his head and arm. Beside him, Relas fidgeted, and her Knight shared the Yadesh’s discomfort. For a moment, Kalen almost admired the woman. Despite her mount’s restlessness and his agitation, she didn’t panic—not completely.
    He had no doubt of her unvoiced fear. Not even his blurred, unreliable eyesight hid her pale complexion and uncontrolled trembling. While his instincts urged him to turn Honey and let her run, he forced himself to remain still. If he panicked, he doubted he’d be able to keep his mare calm. If she bolted, more likely than not, he’d fall again.
    Consider his throbbing hand, aching head, and bone-deep exhaustion, if he fell, he wouldn’t get back up again.
    “Perhaps we should go to Morinvale,” Tala suggested, her voice wavering.
    “No. Not there.” Kalen considered his harsh tone, winced a bit, and shook his head. “It’s unsafe.”
    “Unsafe? How? What are you talking about? What could possibly be unsafe there ?”
    Once again, the memory of a dark cellar and the bodies of children and young men haunted him. He