The Swords of Gregara - Jenala, a sci-fi romance Read Online Free

she knew it from his story of Zlaten’s treachery.   She made a quick decision and didn’t mince words, “I have a proposition I would like to run by you.   I need help with Zlaten and my mine.   Zlaten has disappeared for the moment, as you’re well aware, but I know he will be lying in wait for me somewhere along the way unless I leave before he does.   He wants to claim me and my mine.   I can’t let either one of those things happen.”
    She saw Santro’s jaw clench.
    “I propose you come with me for the winter, assuming you have no other obligations that would prevent it.
    “You could help me work my mine.   I will give you fifty percent of the ore and you can help me keep watch for Zlaten.   He will be encamped in my valley, where he’s been for the last two weeks.   The only thing that has kept him from killing me is Lottie.   He’ll be trying to get me and my mine.   I guarantee it.   If you stay here, you won’t get the opportunity to confront him.   I can give him to you.   He will be harassing me, perhaps even try to kill me.   At the very least he will rape me and instantly claim me for life.”   Now it was her turn to clench her jaw.
    “Your home is large enough to accommodate me?”
    “Yes.   I’ve never had guests, but there are two bedrooms.   You would have my old room.   I have moved into my father’s room.”
    “I will take you up on your offer.   At least for the winter.”
    “Good.”   She’d finished her breakfast, every last morsel and was sipping her aeta.   She held her cup with two hands and looked down into it.   “You also need to come meet someone after we eat.”
    “Who is that?” Santro said between mouthfuls.
    “Lottie…my…uh…snarlot.”
    “Snarlot?”   He choked on his coffee.   “You have a snarlot?”
    “Yes, she can easily carry two and makes incredible time through the mountains,” Jenala said quickly.
    “You ride a snarlot.   They can tear a zogamac limb from limb with that beak of theirs. They are ten feet of snarling, chirping beast.   Do you have any idea how dangerous that is or how dangerous a snarlot is?   ”
    “Of course, I do.   I’m not an idiot.   But Lottie is a big softy where I’m concerned.   She’s saved my hide from Zlaten more than once.    We’ll have to see how she feels about you.”
    “Great,” groaned Santro.
    “It’ll be fine.   You’ll see.   You’ll need supplies.   I’m afraid I didn’t lay in enough for two.   I can’t pay you before the ore is dug and we sell the kalcion at the annual market.”
    “No problem.   I’ll get my supplies.   I have enough beras from my former work as a malitin hunter.   Though this time it is personal.”
    “My mine is a one man operation up until now.   Of course when Father was alive we both worked the mine.”
    “Woman.”
    “What?”
    “A one woman operation.   Even I, with one eye, can see that you, with your fiery hair and sapphire blue eyes, are not a man.”   His one eyed gaze raked over her body.   Jenala felt her nipples tighten at the heat she saw there.
    Jenala laughed, covering her nervousness at her body’s response to just a glance from Santro.   “I’m glad to see you have a sense of humor.   It will make the time pass much more quickly.”   Suddenly she was serious.   “You intend to kill him, do you not?   Because if you don’t, I will.”   She wasn’t boasting or threatening.   She meant it.   She would kill him, not for what he did to her, that was secondary.   No, she would kill him for murdering her father.
    “I will kill him or die trying.   I can’t sleep if I let him go unpunished.”
    “Agreed.   You will get your chance, I promise you.”

 

    Chapter 2

     
    The next morning, Santro met Lottie.  
    She was eleven feet of snarling, chirping beast.   Perhaps the biggest snarlot he’d ever seen and certainly the only one he’d seen this close up.
    Dark brown fur covered her from her