Promising Hope Read Online Free PDF

usual spot,
the seat to the right of Jeshro, who was at the head of the table.
Evan sat next to her.
    Jeshro stood up and placed his hands on the table,
looking at the others. “Based on the memories we’ve shared with
Sierra, we know who cursed the Avialies.”
    Someone gasped; the group leaned forward, instantly
more intrigued.
    “He’s still alive, and we need to prevent the curse
from happening again,” Jeshro said. “If the Protectors find out the
curse is broken, they may try to contact this Thieran again.”
    “Who is it?” Adrian hissed.
    “I’ll only reveal his identity to the men who will
join the unit to find him.”
    “We all will,” Adrian said. He looked around the
table, and the men nodded in agreement.
    Sierra noticed Lisbeth was the only woman. These men
were going to find the Thieran and then what? She considered it for
a moment, but after looking at the determined faces, she didn’t
have to ask. Her eyes widening, she looked at Evan, who gazed at
Jeshro with a grim look.
    “I need a definite answer,” Jeshro said. “This unit
will be going back into Haltar, where this man lives. They’ll be up
against the Protectors, and if anyone is kidnapped… well, we can’t
let valuable information reach the Protectors.”
    Sierra touched Evan’s hand. “Evan,” she
whispered.
    He made no motion that he even noticed her hand
touching him. She gritted her teeth and looked around the table as
the men nodded again.
    “We’ll do it,” Adrian said.
    “Yes, Adrian, I understand you’re willing, but you’re
not the spokesperson for everyone here,” Jeshro said. “I need
individual vows.”
    “Vows that what?” Sierra asked, taking her hand from
Evan’s. “That they’ll kill themselves if they’re kidnapped?”
    “If that’s what it has to be, then yes,” Jeshro
said.
    “That’s the only solution you can think of? What
about paired Cosa magic?”
    Jeshro gave her a smile like she was a child. “That
doesn’t work with any two people, and we’d need a fairly strong
Cosa to do that.”
    “What about Matilda?” Sierra asked.
    Jeshro shook his head. “Even if she were able, I
wouldn’t ask it of her.”
    “But you’d ask your own blood relatives to go on a
suicide mission?”
    “There’s every chance at succeeding—”
    Sierra scoffed. “You think the Protectors are just
going to let a group of assassins take out their most powerful
Thieran? He’s probably guarded and kept at the palace; he probably
has been for years.”
    “We’re going to consider everything, Sierra.”
    “If you really are, then there’s no need to ask your
men to kill themselves if they get taken hostage.”
    “That is the extreme. I need to be sure of the fealty
of everyone in this room, even in the most extreme circumstances.”
Jeshro splayed his hands out in front of him. “Does that please
you?”
    Sierra gritted her teeth. “I will be pleased when I’m
sure you’ve done all you can to protect my husband and the other
men here.”
    “Sierra, I’m not a child,” Evan said in a low
voice.
    “No, you’re not,” she snapped. “But if you’re going
to leave me for this Thieran, I’m making sure you’re coming back
alive.”
    Evan leaned closer, dropping his voice even further
so Sierra could hardly hear him. “Do not make this about you.”
    She clenched her hands into fists. She knew this
wasn’t the time or the place, but her anger wouldn’t let her remain
silent. “Tell me, Evan, one time in the last month when I’ve made
anything about me. I’ve traipsed all over Haltar for you and this
damn family. I risked my life for people who were okay with killing
the both of us, and you want to run off—”
    “I am not running off,” Evan said. “I’m doing this
for us!”
    “Oh, don’t you dare.” Sierra shook her head, dropping
her voice so the others couldn’t hear her. “If you did anything for
us, you’d stay here with me.”
    “And then what? Go get Grace and Dar?