A Cavern of Black Ice
Chapter One
The Badlands
Raif Sevrance set his sights on the target and called the ice hare
to him. A moment of disorientation followed, where the world dropped
out of focus like a great dark stone sinking to the bottom of a
lake; then, in the shortest space that a moment could be, he
perceived the animal's heart. The light, sounds, and odors of the
badlands slid away, leaving nothing but the weight of blood in the
ice hare's chest and the hummingbird flutter of its heart. Slowly,
deliberately, Raif angled his bow away from the target. The arrow
cracked the freezing air like a word spoken out loud. As its iron
blade shot past the hare, the creature's head came up and it sprang
for cover in a cushion of black sedge.
"Take the shot again," Drey said. "You sent that wide on purpose."
Raif lowered his bow and glanced over at his older brother. Drey's
face was partially shaded by his fox hood, but the firm set of his
mouth was clear. Raif paused, considered arguing, then shrugged and
reset his footing on the tundra. It never felt good deceiving Drey.
Fingers smoothing down the backing of his horn-a ... read full excerpt from A Cavern of Black Ice ebook
