Twisted Enchantment (Unbreakable Force Book 5) Read Online Free Page A

here.”
    I nodded miserably. “I’m sorry.” I put my hand up, running my fingers over the smooth silk rope of the charm. “Thank you for the necklace.”
    “You’re welcome.” Aaric squeezed my hand reassuringly. “It’s been too long since I’ve bought something nice for you.”
    My ears perked up as we passed a tavern. Despite the cold weather, there were several men seated outside, drinking and talking.
    “The mayor’s been paying them solid gold to keep the city safe,” one said, a narrow rail of a man with an enormous mustache. “Maybe we should join them.”
    “They’re outsiders,” another replied. “I trust them about as much as I trust the Twyli, maybe less.”
    “They’ve killed Twyli,” the mustached man protested. “They can’t be all bad.”
    We’d passed out of earshot, leaving me wondering who or what they were talking about.
    “Let’s get some supplies and leave,” Aaric said suddenly.
    I looked up at him, confused. “We just got here.”
    Aaric’s eyes never stopped shifting as we walked, surveying the crowd and surroundings—a habit he picked up from Bran. “I don’t trust these people. You saw how that girl reacted; she was still spooked after I tried to smooth things over. And those men by the tavern, if they’ve killed Twyli . . .” He let the unspoken implication hang in the air. I swallowed. Perhaps I’d be killed if they found out I could wield enchantment, even if I wasn’t a Twyli. The farmer had thought I was. They might harm Aaric and Dahlia, simply for being associated with a magic user.
    I nodded. “Yes, you’re right. We should.” The unspoken thought that neither of us spoke, but knew: We couldn’t leave Dahlia here alone.
    In less than two hours of entering the city of Bleaksdale, we left.

 
    9
    Aaric
     
    A daryn wasn’t eating enough. Aaric glanced at her anxiously in the fading light. Her face was pale, and she looked exhausted. They’d been riding for the better part of a week, leaving Bleaksdale far behind. He’d coaxed, demanded, suggested and begged her to eat, but she couldn’t seem to eat more than a few mouthfuls of whatever their meal consisted of without throwing it back up. She could keep water down, thankfully. He worried about her health, and that of their unborn child. What if the baby didn’t get the nourishment it needed?
    “Let’s rest here.” Adaryn reined Sorrel to a halt and pointed to a small clearing of trees off the side of the road. The child sat in front of her. She hadn’t said a word since the night her mother was killed, despite the affection Adaryn showered her with.
    “Seems as good a place as any,” Aaric agreed. He dismounted and led his horse to the area she indicated, clearing some of the snow to make a place for them to sleep.
    Adaryn and Dahlia spent the next few minutes gathering dead twigs and branches for a fire. Aaric secured the horses and pitched their tent. He remembered a time when it took him the better part of an hour to get up. Now it took only fifteen minutes. He crawled inside and laid out bedding and blankets. By the time he emerged Adaryn had started a small fire, its flames greedily licking the dry wood. Dahlia watched it, her little face expressionless. He walked over to sit next to them.
    “What’s for dinner?” he asked, and blinked in confusion when Adaryn glared at him.
    “Same thing we’ve had for the past five days,” she snapped, throwing the rucksack at him. “Stale bread, dried apples, and cheese.”
    Aaric sighed, pulling out some bread. He handed it to her. “Here. Eat this.”
    She shoved it away. “I’m not hungry.”
    “Adaryn, you need to eat.” Aaric could feel his temper rising. “You’re going to make yourself sick.”
    “ Eating makes me sick!” she retorted, folding her arms and looking at him crossly. “I’ll try some later.”
    Aaric ground his teeth in frustration. “Adaryn . . .” he growled, but cut off when her eyes filled with tears.
    “I