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put in
front of him. A warrior never knew when his next meal would be, so he didn’t
waste. The last few months on earth had meant a steady flow of food, but old
habits were hard to forget. He had spent too many years on the front lines to
believe that his life was different. He was always on guard.
    Niail
stood to help clear the table. The room started to spin and he grabbed onto the
table. He would have fallen if Kimi hadn’t grabbed his shoulder and guided him
back into the chair.
    “You’re
still weak.” Kimi rubbed his shoulder. “Give it a second and then I’ll help put
you back to bed.”
    Wil
came to his side. “You should have rested after fighting with Uncle Jake.”
    Niail
grimaced. “You are right.” He gripped the table and took a deep breath before
forcing himself to stand. He exhaled and pushed back the pain.
    “Have
a care.” Kimi put his arm around her shoulder. “I won’t be able to lift you if
you fall.”
    Peta
came over to his other side and grabbed his waist. “It’s very uncomfortable on
the floor.”
    The
three of them made their way to the bedroom. Once Niail felt the side of the
bed, he relaxed his weight against it and fell onto its soft surface.
    “There.”
Kimi pulled the covers over him. “I’ll let you get your pants off on your own.”
    Niail
heaved a sigh. “That blow to my head has left me weaker than I thought.”
    “Do
you still have a headache?” Kimi walked to the night table and reached for a
medicine bottle. “It might be best if you took a couple of these.”
    Niail
held out his hand. He would take anything if it meant the room would stop
spinning and the cotton wool in his head would disperse. He didn’t know how
long this was going to last, but as long as it did, he wouldn’t be able to
contact the other Hunters.
    Kimi
and Peta left, but Wil stayed behind. He sat on the chair next to Niail, his
eyes wide with concern. Niail was too weary to do more than smile and then
close his eyes. Sleep was the only thing that did not take any effort. There
would be time to leave when he woke up.
    The
soft patter of rain against the roof soothed his head. He was weary with
exhaustion and pain. Sleep was a welcome relief. A shuffling noise and the
whisper of a door closing were the only things that disturbed him before he
fell into utter oblivion.
    The
first thing he noticed when he awoke was that it was daylight. The second thing
was the silence. Nothing stirred either inside or out. He glanced at the chair
beside the bed. It was empty. Wil had probably spent the night in his own bed.
    He
focused his mind connection and reached out to Partlan, his team leader. A
shimmer of blue and red lights danced near his eyes and then a searing pain
knifed through his head. He clenched his jaw and forced himself to push through
the agony, but it was useless.
    There
was no answer.
    He
was alone.
    Somehow
he must find his way back to his fellow Hunters. Reaching them was his only
chance of survival. Niail threw back his covers and sat up. He needed an alternative
way to contact his brothers.
     

Chapter 4
     
    Kimi
looked up from the lesson plans she had been preparing for her classes. Niail
stood in the doorway, shirtless. His short black hair was ruffled and there was
two days’ worth of stubble on his chin. His abdomen muscles tensed as he raised
a hand to his head.
    “Where
are the facilities?”
    Kimi
grinned and pointed to the open door on the left. “It rained last night so
there’s no problem with water supply.”
    Niail
nodded. “Thanks.”
    Kimi
pushed away from the table. “A quick shower might help you feel better.”
    “I
don’t want to impose.”
    “The
sun is shining so there’s plenty of hot water.” Kimi opened a closet and
started pulling things out. “Here are some clean towels, a razor, and a fresh
shirt.”
    Niail
frowned. It looked like he was going to say something and then stopped. He
followed her directions and the door closed. Kimi went back to her