Pursued - Entire book

Chapter 4

Klair woke to rain and kept his eyes closed and listened to the heavy pounding against the tiled top. It had been a six-day since his adventure at the underground river and he was now back in this own bed. Today would be their first visit to market since the news spread throughout the village of his and Tarrant's adventure.

What kind of reception would he get?

From his bed in the loft, he reached his hand out through a loose board and let the torrent soak his hand. The sweet aroma of Kidder patties frying below ticked his senses He stretched out his arms, sensing the storm's rumbling energy. He felt and heard the walls rattle against the wind. Since childhood, his mother had learned of his discomfort of a city's close quarters, so they always lived outside of town.

The cut boards making the walls of homes felt dead Compared to the living wood of trees.

The hard wind promised that the skies would be clear for their late morning walk to market. Klair relaxed in the warmth of his blankets. His mother would be calling him soon. Maybe he could persuade her to skip the morning magic practice.

Thunder rumbled as rain filled his outstretched palm as he inhaled, his chest filled with energy to spread from his torso to arms and legs. His entire body buzzed. With a shift of thought, his mind turned to the rain itself. He felt the individual meteorites of moisture plastering the roof. Cool dampness caressed his face from the breeze drawing the moisture in. He felt like spit fire right now. He knew he couldn't, but the rain felt so good.

He drew his hand inside and splashed the collected water against his face.

A disturbing image suddenly flashed across his mind. His best friend, his friend's father, plus eight other hunters were clustered together in battle. Their chakrams zinged through the air at some unseen targets. Properly thrown, the circular blades could sever a head off a gnu. Then the image was gone.

He and Tarrant hadn't yet had a chance to talk since their last argument. Bad dream, Klair wondered. He'd been stewing over their fight for days. Was it now affecting his dreams? He sat up. Who were they fighting? Had his friend calmed down enough for them to continue their friendship?

Tarrant's grudges were unpredictable at times.

From the floor below he heard a familiar voice. It was one of the Kindred, Ravenna, talking to his mother. Of all the prostitutes, she was the one he liked the least.

"You're being stingy, Norah."

What was the Sheet complaining about, now? Klair got up and began to dress. What did she want especially to motivate her to walk here in the rain? Klair hadn't told his mother how the woman pressed him while she wasn't around. Ravenna promised him a good time if he ever wanted to sneak out at night and learn the ways of life.

"A virgin is always free," she offered.

Klair's lips pressed in growing anger. He didn't hear his mother's response and hurried down the ladder only to see the door close behind the woman. He found his buffed boots waiting for him at the base of the ladder. He ignored them.

Though his mother was no longer a woman of the evening since his birth, fifteen years ago, she still befriended the women who worked as such in Merrsain.

She'd returned to the cooking fire. She wore a flowing blue skirt with a darker blue tunic, a payment for managing the difficult birth of twins. Her back faced him as she cooked. Her golden hair hung braided down her back bound by marking of cords weaved throughout identifying her as a midwife and herbalist.