Magician's Touch (Deadly Touch book 3) Chapter 30: 30: I Want You

Read chapter 30 of Magician's Touch (Deadly Touch book 3) by Deb E Howell on NovelPedia.

“We need to name them. Our … babies.” Llew had thought the sentence over several times and thought she had her emotions under control, but no, her throat still thickened. “You know, for when we go back … to the tree.” Jonas paused in buttoning his shirt. He cleared his throat. “Good idea.” Llew nodded at him, but she could no longer speak. The way his eyes shone, she suspected he was right with her. “Later,” she managed while brushing down the front of Merrid’s dress. She would rather a shirt and trousers, but there weren’t enough to go around. “Later,” he agreed. By the time they were dried, dressed, and met back up with Lyneth and Garnoc, the sun had lowered, setting off an orange and pink fire behind the blue-gray clouds, giving the entire landscape a heavy, moody feel. “We need to take care rounding the hill,” Lyneth said as Llew and Jonas drew near. “Another troop has arrived. Negotiations were going well earlier, but they haven’t yet laid eyes on you, or …” She glanced at Jonas. “… him.” “They know we’re here?” Llew asked. Garnoc nodded. “Rowan and Sam were leading discussions. And they’ve seen Karlani bringing us updates. Oh, and she knocked a couple of them out when they first arrived. They surrendered pretty quick after that, and once they saw they were fighting their own. Sounds like they’re weighing up if it’s worth standing with us against the rest of the Turhmos army.” “If they leave, can we trust them not to report our location?” Garnoc shrugged. “How many in this group?” Jonas’s voice held his usual hero-of-Quaver authority while fatigue had crept back into his eyes and stance. Llew hoped the negotiations concluded swiftly. “Another twenty,” Lyneth said. “Whatever their officers decide, we can’t expect twenty soldiers to all keep their mouths shut,” Jonas said. “And if they stay, that’s a lot of new mouths to feed.” Llew turned to Jonas. “Both of those statements seem to be saying they’re too much of a nuisance to let live.” Jonas shrugged. “How many little suckers you flattened to save a few hours itchin’ in your lifetime?” Llew stared. A soldier he may be, but Jonas wasn’t that callus, surely. Besides … “None. I just brush their bodies off.” Jonas rolled his eyes and eased his stance. “I’m just sayin’, them showin’ up is bad news for us. We can talk to them, ask ’em to play nice, they can say yes, but I wouldn’t bank on trustin’ ’em.” “How long before Turhmos figures out we’re here anyway?” Llew turned to Garnoc and Lyneth. Garnoc shrugged. “There’s a chance our report might be missed already. I think we were due to report from the Hinden telegram office.” Lyneth nodded her agreement. “Our senior officers were among those you couldn’t revive.” “So this troop will have officers who know more of Turhmos and what’s expected of them?” Llew asked. Garnoc and Lyneth both shrugged. “Best to assume so,” Garnoc said. “Well, I guess we won’t know what we’re about to face until we face it.” Llew gestured for uniform-wearing Garnoc and Lyneth to lead the way. They were granted several seconds to look down at those gathered by the Ajnai trees, still a couple hundred strides distant, before one of the new Turhmos soldiers noted them and alerted everyone else. Karlani firmed her position before the soldiers, a hand coming to rest on the handle of a knife she’d found. Alvaro stood beside her with his sword slung by his side. Sam and Rowan motioned for calm. Most of the newcomers stood squarely and relaxed, hands behind their backs, unmoving and awaiting orders. Two had been speaking with Rowan and Sam. From this distance, Llew couldn’t gauge how their appearance had been received. Certainly, Karlani and Alvaro had readied themselves in case things turned hostile, but the soldiers hadn’t obviously reacted. Once again, she wished she had Jonas’s strength, speed, and near decade of training to rely on. She trusted it fully. All she had was Karlani; naturally gifted enough, but with only weeks of training, and only as a spectacle