Page 7 of Hunting for her Heart
A gong sounds behind them, and my brother, behind me, curses. “Shit, Willow, you’re late! Come on.” He grabs my hand and drags me behind him, away from the group of men.
I glance over my shoulder, and just before I’m pulled out of view, the Viking’s green eyes bore into me, and he gives me a single nod of his head and beats his fist against his chest.
I have no idea what that means, but as my brother drags me back through the tents to the clear path the other women took, I think about how different those three men looked to everyone else. Then Larissa’s warning about the cannibals from Redmere replays in my mind.
Oh my goodness, that was them!The Vikings are the cannibals!
Chapter Three
Bo
Slamming the ax down through the log, it splits easily in two. I grab another log and set it up to chop. I know my parents have more than enough wood to last them through a month, but it’s always good to be prepared.
After cutting through the next log, just as swiftly, I hear the door open and turn to see my mother stepping outside with a large glass of water.
“Honey, don’t spend too long out here. It’s hot out today,” she says worriedly as she passes me the cup. I try not to laugh, but it’s always like this with her. I am twenty-nine-years-old, and she still tends to treat me like a child half the time. But I know it comes from a place of love.
“Thanks, Mother,” I say before downing the whole glass and handing it back to her.
“Where are Hawk and Ronan? Normally, the three of you are inseparable.”
I smile down at her as one of my dads, Torran, comes out to join us. “Ronan is giving the hunters their assignments forthe week, and Hawk is… around here somewhere,” I say, looking down the path and into the trees, unsure where he’s gotten to.
He was quieter than Ronan and me, and was content to sit on his own for hours, whittling away on something or other.
“Bo!” I turn to find him running down the path toward me, looking frantic. My father and I both step in front of my mom, our stances ready and eyes alert for the threat.
“What’s wrong?” I ask as he comes to a stop in front of us. I’ve never seen him out of breath before, but he’s panting now, as if he ran twenty miles to get here.
“It’s Florentina. She said it’s time!” he says as his wide eyes meet mine.
My mouth opens and closes a few times before I’m finally able to speak. “What, likeright now?”
He nods his head quickly. “Yes, we must go. We need to be fully outfitted for our journey.”
“Why don’t you boys sit down and have a drink before you go?” my mom asks from behind me.
I turn my exasperated eyes. “Mother, if the seer says we need to go, then we have no time to sit around.”
My dad clasps me on the shoulder and gives me a nod. “I’m proud of you, son. Our island will be saved because of the three of you and your sacrifices.”
I lay my arm over his, gripping his shoulder back as I nod to him in thanks and respect. “Protecting our home is no sacrifice, Dad.”
He smiles as if he expected me to say that. He glances at Hawk as he tells us, “Take care of each other out there. And don’t worry, I’ll step in for Ronan while you’re all away.”
“Thank you, Torran,” Hawk says with a nod of respect.
“Give me a hug before you run off to save the world!” my mom says, already crying as she throws her arms around me, making me chuckle. “Not the world, Mother. Just Redmere.”
“Either way, we all appreciate what you’re doing. Bringing back that charm is our only hope now.”
She kisses my cheek, then moves to Hawk to give him the same treatment.
“Goodbye, Miryam,” he grunts out.
“I’ve told you, call me Mom or Mother!”
“Yes, Mother,” he says with his usual stoic expression as she steps back. I’ve never seen him smile, but I can tell when he’s happy or amused, which is the way he looks at my mother.
