The Heartstone Saga by Archibald Bradford (short novels in english .TXT) 📕

“We were about due for another adventure.” Erica declared brightly; “Watching our master sit on his ass all day and shill monster girls is hot, but it gets super boring, so it’ll be good to get out in the field again.”

“He’s not going.” Booker shook his head; “There are too many unknowns in this for us to risk our only Empath.”

“Hate to make you look like an idiot there Book-Book.” Nina declared while cracking her knuckles; “But my Empath goes where I go. Or did you miss the big ass Valkyrie talking?”

“My ass is hardly big.” Volka pouted quietly, but no one heard her.

Booker turned on the Gigas, his one healthy eye set in a severe glare.

“Miss Nina, I realize that you don’t consider yourself under the authority of the Aegis, but your bond-mate is, and do you really want me to demote him just so you can prove how strong you are?”

“I dunno. Do you want to find out what your spine tastes like just so I can prove how strong I am?” She retorted flatly; “My angel is going, so I’m going. And since he’s wearing my heartstone on his arm, our man is going too. The math is pretty simple, so figure it out numb-nuts.”

The thick silver bracelet she was referring to held her heartstone, embedded in a raised image of her hammer set against a depiction of Volka’s shield, and she didn’t bother telling him that she could remove it if she wanted.

Recognizing the potential for a serious argument, Volka gripped Nina’s shoulder and intervened.

“Our focus now needs to be upon young Avita. I’m sure that on that point we can all agree?”

Booker ground his teeth together in frustration, but couldn’t argue against that.

Then Ophelia spoke up to point out the obvious.

“Since we finished working with Miranda and her task-force, my bond-sisters and I have been pretty much left to our own devices, while our bond-mate has either been sitting behind a desk or working at the auction house. Respectfully, I must point out that our ‘manpower’ is being underused as it is.”

None of the councillors could argue with that, in fact, a few of them looked like they had just been found out doing something they shouldn’t.

Nameless frowned when he realized that he really had been sidelined.

Margaret Bloom stepped in.

“Yes, and everyone here knows why that is.” She turned to Nameless; “I’m sorry Aegis Armstrong but Booker is right, you must be kept safe at all cost.”

He surprised most everyone when he firmly shook his head at her.

“Begging your pardon ma’am, but I’ve never been safer than when I’m standing next to my bond-mates. Unless anybody here wants to challenge Nina to an arm-wrestle?”

The Gigas nodded firmly and dropped her hammer on the floor with a heavy thud, kneeling beside it and setting her elbow on top of it to get in position for what he proposed.

“Taking all comers.” She wiggled her fingers in invitation as she looked around the room; “Anybody? No? Here, I’ll even close my eyes.”

“Insubordination is not a laughing matter young man.” Booker scowled at Nameless, but notably didn’t accept Nina’s challenge.

Watching on with a bemused expression, Queen Julia shook her head.

“I do not care how or where it comes from, but I need help to find my daughter!” She reminded the room.

Margaret Bloom sighed, giving up.

“Very well. But we can’t afford to send both Holt and Semper, so we will only send Holt. A Wolfen’s nose isn’t as good as a Grizzly’s but she should still be able to find an entire colony of Antlions! And besides, Miranda was assigned to protect you once before so it seems a fair... compromise.”

Nina shrugged indifferently as she gave up her arm-wrestling posture.

“Not really a compromise. I told you what we’re doing. Don’t really care what you do.”

Before his bond-mate could talk him into getting demoted, Nameless clapped a salute to his chest as if taking the academy’s headmistress’s words as an order.

“Yes ma’am. When do we leave?”

He was trying his very best to hide it, but he was desperately glad to be doing something important again.

Chapter 21:In the Dark

Using her knife, Helena carefully peeled back the black crust of the massive tree, Escrya and Kaylee watching on warily.

“I think it is safe to say that we are here.” The oldest of the three Amazons announced when she pried a piece of the exposed trunk away.

It was black, and as she worked it between her fingers it crumbled like charcoal.

The three of them had traveled fast from Garland, their destination set and their resolve unwavering.

But their headlong journey came to a halt when they reached the massive black cedars of the Darkwood.

“Safe is not the word I would choose. How can these trees still live?” Kaylee wondered.

Escrya took up her spear and looked into the darkness between the towering monoliths. Five feet back from where they stood the trees were smaller, young and healthy.

It was as if the Amazons stood upon a dark precipice.

“A mystery that we three will certainly not be able to solve.” The young teller declared; “Come sisters, we must press on.”

Kaylee chuckled and nudged at her ribs.

“You’ve become so decisive since you bonded! Why, it is as if Alcaia herself was here to command us!”

“This is no time for jests Kaylee.” Helena chided quietly as she wiped the charcoal-like wood off on her skirt; “The moment we trespass underneath these trees, we will be under a sentence of death from the Matriarch.”

Kaylee’s good humour evaporated, but she squared her shoulders against the dark.

“So be it. At the very least, she will need to meet with us to deliver upon that sentence.”

“Now who sounds like my mother?”