Tears of War Read Online Free PDF Page A

feel Kirynn’s fear. Like Mckale, she’d never seen the redhead afraid of anything. Not even when overwhelmed by a sea of Kojen.
    “Where is she?” Mckale’s voice was calm.
    Maleena focused on the feelings, confusion in her mind. “Her lair. What would frighten her so much in her lair?”
    Mckale turned and ran down the hall. Maleena followed, running hard to keep up with his long strides. He took the stairs to the next level two at a time, reaching the doorway to Kirynn’s bedchamber before she did, his twin blades already drawn.
    She found him in the bedchamber. Kirynn stood several paces away, her zahri held ready. The fear was stronger here. A dull ache started in Maleena’s head. Her eyes swept the smooth stone walls trying to pinpoint the cause of Kirynn’s emotion.
    Maleena sensed Mckale’s confusion. His voice was cautious when he asked, “Kirynn, what is wrong? Maleena felt your fear through my shield.”
    Kirynn stared at the base of the far wall. “I need to kill it. Creepy thing sneaking up on me like that. Except I have to get too close and I can’t set it on fire without lighting the wardrobe.”
    Maleena followed her gaze. On the floor next to the wardrobe was the largest, hairiest spider she’d ever seen. The fear she felt wasn’t wholly Kirynn’s. A tiny spark of it came from the spider.
    Mckale threw his head back and laughed, the tension easing from his shoulders. Kirynn shot him a murderous look. He sheathed his swords and clamped his mouth shut. Only his silver eyes still flashed with mirth in his expressionless face.
    Maleena stepped between them. “You are truly frightened of that spider aren’t you?”
    The redhead eyed the arachnid warily. Fear still rolled off her in waves. The dull ache in Maleena’s head grew. Mckale stepped forward, placing his fingers lightly on her wrist to reinforce the bond. The painful thrumming in her head eased at his touch.
    Kirynn’s breath hissed through her teeth. “Yes, I am afraid of that thing .” A shudder ran through her body.
    Maleena stared at it for a moment. “I wonder where it came from. We don’t have any spiders like that in this region.”
    “Who cares where it came from. Kill it.”
    She shook her head. “No. I bet he hunts mice. Look at the size of him.”
    Kirynn rolled her green eyes. “Who cares what it hunts?” Her voice turned pleading, “Just please kill it.”
    “I’m going to take it to the records room. Mice are always trying to get after the scrolls.”
    “Cat takes care of the mice. Or one of the others running around here.”
    Maleena smiled. “Cat will be going with Namir and Vaddoc when they leave.”
    Kirynn snorted. “I forgot about that. Fine, do whatever. I’m leaving until it’s gone.” She turned and stalked from the chamber, one eye on the spider as if she expected it to attack her.
    Mckale crossed his arms and shook his head. “Kirynn afraid? Who would have expected such a thing?”
    Maleena laughed. “And of a spider of all things.” She crossed the lair slowly, reaching out to the furry arachnid with her mind, washing him with soothing feelings.
    The spider watched her approach but didn’t move. She lowered her hand to the floor and sent a picture of him in her hand and then him snug in the records room with mice to hunt.
    The spider stared back at her with its too-many eyes and then climbed onto her palm. The hairy monster took up her whole hand. She raised it to eye level and sent another picture of the hold with a question behind it.
    Strange, fuzzy images flickered through her mind. It took her a minute to realize she was seeing things through the eyes of the spider. She felt, more than saw, a bird snatch the spider from a forest floor. Dim images of light and dark swirled through her vision until she felt the impact of rock as it tumbled to a ledge.
    Maleena glanced at Mckale. He still had his arms crossed, but one eyebrow was raised in question. She smiled. “I think a bird dropped