Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
She laid out the cards as she thought carefully about what she would ask. She had to know how real the danger was, not only to her family but to her people, and if there was a war, how important the stranger’s participation in it was. That was a lot, but if all those questions were answered, she would try a second layout to see if the members of her immediate family would be safe.
Taking another deep, cleansing breath, she cleared her mind of everything but her questions for the cards as she shuffled, divided and then laid them out in a simple pattern, turning them over carefully. Her heart stuttered. Knots gathered in her stomach. She felt sick. Clammy. The cards always told the truth. There it was, laid out in front of her. She had to open her mind to accept the whispers of all the revelations the cards were willing to give to her.
Everyone dead. Everyone she loved. The city destroyed. The animals dead. Everything gone. The soil saturated with blood. A black acid destroying every wildflower, the trees, crops, their world. Vile creatures taking over and spreading mayhem and hatred, reaching to extend their foothold into other places. The danger was very real. It was right there in front of her. No getting around it.
She had believed in the cards all her life. Each time she’d read them, the predictions had come true. The path the cards had put the one asking on had always been correct. She couldn’t very well ignore the warning.
Safia forced herself to continue the reading. There he was—the stranger and his traveling companions. He brought five men with him. Seeing the enormity of what they faced, she didn’t think five men, her family and Aura were going to be nearly enough to turn the tide. Quickly, she pushed that thought from her mind. She had to be open to whatever the cards would tell her. This wasn’t about her fears or ego, only about gathering information and being grateful for whatever the cards would show her.
She kept her mind and her heart open to the impressions and whispers of the cards. The stranger was dangerous beyond anything she had ever conceived. A fast, experienced fighter of demons and vampires, things she only had nightmares about. Creatures she’d trained to fight but had never seen. She had the impression of terrible battles, hideous wounds, more battles, but always he returned undaunted, unswerving.
She sat back in the chair and took another deep breath as the images in her mind faded. Very slowly, she looked up from the cards to meet her grandfather’s eyes. He knew. She saw the knowledge on his face. Her gaze traveled to her father. That same awareness was there and then on the faces of her brothers. Comprehension slowly dawned on her sisters-in-law.
“We must train harder than ever,” Amastan decreed. “Starting in the morning before light. Before the chores. Everyone, even the children.”
“Perhaps it would be best to send the children and Layla to Illi and Kab,” Izem ventured. “Layla is a great asset to us, but she is with child. Kab and Illi can protect them while we fight here in Dellys. If we succeed, they can come home. If not, at least a part of us still lives on.”
Layla drew in her breath and shook her head, leaning close to Badis. She looked up at him. “I would rather be with you. I feel if we’re together, we have a better chance. It’s a strong feeling, Badis. Very strong.”
Safia’s heart ached for her. She couldn’t imagine how her sister Lunja felt. At the moment, Zdan had the children on his lap, with Lunja cuddled close to him. Her sister’s face was pale under her normally golden skin.
The family looked to Amastan as Safia gathered the cards and placed them in the pouch. She had to cleanse them before she packed to spend the night guarding her grandfather in the cave.
“I will think on this question and ask the advice of our ancestors.” He turned his attention to Safia as she stood. “I take it the cards decreed that we need this man to win this war.”
She nodded. “Without him, it is clear to me there is no hope. It appears he is extremely skilled. Even with him and those he brings, it will not be easy. We will need every fighter, and I fear there will be losses.” She couldn’t keep the sorrow from her voice.
Safia didn’t look at her family as she left the room to go to her own little space where she kept her things. She donned a long coat that her grandmother had made for her. There were loops and pockets inside where she could shove the many weapons she would need. She’d practiced removing each of them hundreds of times so she could get to them without looking. The draw was natural after so much practice, and she knew exactly which weapon was where on her body.