The Traitor by A. Lombardo (i can read with my eyes shut TXT) 📕

words soothed his spirit. He knew Rayna was right; at some point, he would need to decide. “I am not sure if it is a vision of what is to come or me trying to reconcile my heart to live in Katori or Diu. What should I do?”

Rayna tilted her head to the side, revealing her confusion. “You asked me to follow you to Katori, and now you are questioning your choice. Why?”

Kai sighed again. “I cannot lie. The peace I feel in Katori is undeniable, but I am torn. Am I, like in my dream, to burn the bridge behind me to Diu? Am I to forget what they meant to me?”

“I love my parents, but they live in Diu. It is a beautiful city, but not my home.” Rayna patted her heart with her hand. “Port Anahita was not my home either, though I spent half of my life there. During the many months we’ve lived in Katori, I have never been more at peace. That is my home—I know it in my heart.”

The usual kindness in Rayna’s eyes melted into uncertainty. He knew she did not judge him, but his indecisiveness created doubt about their future. At a loss of words, he tugged the chain of his crystal.

Rayna stayed his hand. “Follow your heart. You are not saying goodbye to these people forever; you are simply moving to a new place. I cannot impose my choice on you, but you do have to make one. Now, you only slept about an hour. Rest.”

She let her head fall as she closed her eyes. Kai was pleasantly surprised at how quickly he drifted off.

♦ ♦ ♦

The sounds of metal clashing on stone woke Kai. Disoriented, he sat up and looked around the cramped space. Rayna was asleep. Another sound hastened him outside, the sounds of low grunts and groans.

Rain mixed with snow put a new chill in the air and wet his head and shoulders. Down the slope, he searched for the sounds that woke him. He moved down the hill—the area was familiar to him, and he knew the sounds were coming from the direction of the hunting lodge that he had visited many times. Dread welled in his throat. Halfway down the hill, he spotted a man trying to climb over the large boulders.

“Come on, Marcus, slow down,” the man shouted.

Kai's heart stopped. There was another man somewhere nearby. Was he so tired that he had walked right by someone and not noticed? Hidden in the trees, Kai searched the foliage for the other man. The glint of armor revealed a second man standing on the last boulder, panting.

“Don’t be such an old man, Joshua, get up here. We are halfway now. The view from the top must be glorious.”

Fear crept around the edges of Kai’s heart. Soft-footed, he darted down the slope into a patch of broken branches. There were only two ways off this cliff: descending the hill to the lodge or propelling off the sheer cliff on the backside—the very place he had fallen all those years ago. Considering Rayna was asleep, and these men were closing in on the top, he needed to act without getting caught.

Unsure what else to do, he thought of scaring the men into leaving. Through his connection, he called out to the Alpha. Within moments, Kai felt the wolf approach. His low growl and barks brought the pack to his side, and they appeared on the rocks above the two men.

The unsheathing of a sword caught Kai’s ears. “Get back, beast, or I will put you down,” Marcus snarled.

A firm hand touched Kai’s shoulder. Rayna knelt at his side. “You should have woken me. What is happening?”

“Soldiers climbing to the lookout,” he said, motioning ahead. “We need to hide or get them to turn back. I will not allow anyone to hurt the Alpha or his pack, even if I must attack them myself.”

She nodded in agreement, “Call the wolves back.” She pressed both hands against a sturdy oak. “I hate to ask this of such a strong tree, but it is the only way.” Her skin started to turn gray and craggy like the bark.

Kai did not understand her plan, but he instructed the Alpha and his pack to retreat. Then he watched her fade into the trunk of the tree, a curvy lump on the side of the oak. Her magic always mesmerized him.

Kai waited and listened. The men laughed and joked, shocked by their close and counter with the wild wolves.

“We should turn back,” Joshua called.

“You’re not afraid, are you?” Marcus challenged.

There was a sharp cracking sound followed by a dull thud, and Joshua was pinned by a large branch.

“Help, Marcus!”

Marcus came into view as he climbed down to reach his friend. “Easy does it, old man, I am here.” He lifted the limb to help Joshua. “Maybe you are right. We should turn back.”

Relieved they were undiscovered, Kai gleaned the area. The men were alone halfway up the ridge, but there were over thirty soldiers down at the lodge. As Rayna eased from the tree trunk, he held her hand to steady her. “We need to leave.” He narrowed his eyes. “Where do you think they are going?”

As if certain, she pulled him up the hill. “By now, the Dragaron should have delivered me to Diu. These men could be searching for me.”

Kai nodded, sure that she was right. “We should leave before the guards change their minds.”

Now that his strength was returning, Kai slowly began to pull energy from his surroundings—a slow, easy drain to ensure he did not alert any possible Katori in the area. Not enough to make his crystal glow, but enough so that he felt the magic build. The Alpha and his pack ventured close, and Kai thanked them—then