Green Fox Chapter 15

A solitary lamp hung from a hook over the long table, turned low, it cast a gentle light over the forms of the sleeping refugees scattered around the kitchen. Shadows lingered in the corners, but came no closer. The adults and children alike slumbered deeply, tucked under an array of woven blankets provided by Talia.

Near the magical hearth, Eva was wrapped snugly in her own blanket. But a few feet away, Cosi lay awake and restless. He watched as a hazy halo of light pulsated around the lamp above in time with his breathing, slowly expanding and contracting. A tingle coursed just under his skin, and he raised a hand to block the lamp from view. An eerie red glow seeped out between his fingers, darkening to black around the bones. A strained voice reached his ears, and Cosi sat up to peer around the room. It almost sounded like someone in pain trying desperately to form words. “Who is that?” he whispered, but no one answered. Moving carefully to avoid stepping on any sleepers, Cosi got up and crept to the door. Again, the tormented voice cried out, clearer now. Something about its tone teased at his memory, someone from the village perhaps. Hope rose in him that maybe the mercenaries had departed, and Boden had come to fetch them home.

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