Read Path of the Crushed Heart: Book Four of the Serpent Catch Series for Free Online

wrapped a wool blanket around her, large enough for the both of them.
    “Thank you for keeping me warm last night,” Darrissea said, and Stavan whispered in her ear, “I’m hungry for you, now.”
    Darrissea peered around. Nearly all of the Hukm had gone to fight. Fava was washing pans with snow. Phylomon had left with the hunting party.
    Two hundred yards away the odd humans occupied the only other camp in sight.
    “Where shall we go?” Darrissea said, her heart hammering, and Stavan pointed up a ravine. “Let’s go over the hill. We can be alone there.”
    She let him lead the way, eagerly, yet feeling nervous enough that she slowed their pace.
    They ambled up a narrow trail, hand in hand, until they found a small cubbyhole wedged between snow-covered rocks. “I—I’ve never done this before,” Darrissea said as he made the bed.
    “That’s all right,” Stavan answered; he kissed her, a long slow kiss from lips that tasted sweet. She could feel her skin burning right back to her eyeballs, and she stood frozen, not wanting to stop. In this one moment she felt that she had touched glory.
    Stavan made a bed of his cape, pulled his knife and plunged it into the snow, its blade naked.
    Then he began to undress her, and she found the clasp to his belt, opened it. They kissed, undressing slowly, and Darrissea closed her eyes and relished the moment. When they had undressed, Stavan helped lay her down gently.
    There was no wind here in the grotto, and though the touch of the air felt cold, it was not painful. Instead, it somehow seemed to fuel her passion.
    Footsteps crunched through the snow, coming toward them, and Darrissea imagined that Fava was searching for her.
    Stavan stopped kissing her, raised his head cautiously. Darrissea kept silent, hoping Fava would go away. The footsteps stopped just outside the circle of rocks, and Darrissea listened for a long moment, hearing nothing, thinking that perhaps the person had departed.
    Then someone moved into view—a girl—one of the newcomers to camp, found only three nights earlier, a human named Allon Tech with pale skin and blond hair. She glanced behind guiltily, as if checking the trail, her lips full and puckered, then she faced them.
    “Oh, you’re awake,” Allon said.
    “Yes,” Stavan answered.
    Allon averted her eyes, as if caught off guard. Darrissea realized that she must be a thief, for she’d obviously been checking to see if anyone had seen her approach the rock.
    “What do you want?” Stavan asked.
    Darrissea stirred, moving from beneath him.
    “What are you doing?” Allon asked Stavan casually, as if she had no idea.
    Stavan said, “What concern is it of yours?”
    The girl stared at him blankly, as if trying to comprehend his words. “I … I need,” she said to Stavan. “I thought, we might share.…”
    Darrissea’s heart hammered, afraid of what the girl was suggesting.
    Stavan rolled off Darrissea just a bit, enough to look up at the girl. Allon had a strange slack expression in her face, and her eyes did not focus on either of them, as if she looked past them.
    Darrissea suddenly realized that the girl seemed insane, possibly dangerous.
    “Go away,” Stavan said. “I have nothing to offer you.”
    “The others, they want it, too,” Allon answered. She made a strange moaning noise, like the whine of a small pup, and stepped closer, breathing heavily so that her chest heaved.
    Stavan grabbed his knife, and his muscles tensed. Darrissea could feel his arms, incredibly strong.
    “Leave,” he ordered. “Now!”
    “Oh, oh,” Allon said. She turned, shot a feral glance over her shoulder.
    Darrissea crawled free, watched her go.
    “What was that all about?” Darrissea asked, heart pounding.
    “I swear, I have no idea,” Stavan said.
    Allon had just crested the hill when Phylomon and Fava appeared over the top, riding a mammoth.
    Darrissea quickly pulled her clothes on, and then stood as the two approached. Stavan remained