Read Tapestries 03 - Woven Dreams for Free Online Page A

trying to hang on, but it was useless. The weapon fell to the ground beside them.
    “I’m sorry,” the low male voice whispered in her ear. “But I cannot let you harm my brother or yourself.”
    Genita slumped forward. She was caught. Worse, her only means of protecting herself was gone. She’d tried to kill the man’s brother. She did not expect any leniency.
    Bracing herself for the attack, she did what she always did when one of her older brothers beat her—she withdrew inside herself. The world faded around her. They would do whatever they would to her body, but they would not touch her emotions or her spirit. She would protect that until the last breath left her body.
    Jarmon felt the woman go weightless in his arms. She was slight, almost fragile, and he held her easily. He glanced at Garrik, an uneasy feeling settling in his gut. He shifted her in his arms so that he was cradling her instead of holding her captive. Her eyes were closed, her expression blank. He felt her slipping away from him.
    Concerned, he moved back into the shade and sat. Brushing a stray hair from her face, he cupped her cheek in his hand. “Open your eyes, little one. We will not hurt you.”
    She didn’t stir.
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    Garrik picked up the dagger and shoved it into his belt before settling beside them.
    A frown marred his features. Tugging the fabric of her dress over her chest, he then picked up her arm and began to chafe it with his hands. “She’s cold.” Jarmon shifted her closer, trying to share some of his body heat with her. She lay limp in his embrace. He patted her cheeks gently. “Come back to me, little one,” he crooned. “No one will hurt you.”
    Garrik stripped off his vest and laid it over her, tucking the fabric around her body.
    “I should go back across the river and get my pack. She needs a fire and blankets.
    Probably food as well.” He didn’t move but continued to stare down at the unknown woman. “Why did she think I would rape her?” He spat the distasteful word. “She is a woman. We protect our women here.”
    Jarmon sighed, his mind still reeling with what he’d seen. “Not all women are protected, my brother.” Shifting her, he leaned her forward so that her back was exposed to both their views. Fading yellow bruises and angry red welts crisscrossed her back, but what fired his fury the most was the fact that it was obviously not her first beating. Older scars marred her flesh. There was no telling how old some of them were.
    Garrik sucked in a breath. Jarmon could feel his brother’s rage. It matched his own.
    He had a deep need to seek out whoever had done this to her and kill him. A man protected all those physically weaker than himself. At least any man of honor did. And that included all women and children.
    Jarmon traced one of the scars and the woman sucked in a breath. “What happened to you?” Her body had tensed the moment he’d exposed her back. He knew she was aware of her surroundings again, back from wherever her mind had taken her.
    “What do you care?” Her words were clipped and cold.
    He shifted her against his arm and had to bite back a smile as she glared up at him.
    Her eyes were a dark brown and, even angry as she was, they were still soft and deep.
    “Why would you think I wouldn’t care?”
    “You’re a stranger and a man. You’ll take what you want regardless of what I want.”
    Jarmon could hear the bitterness in her voice. His gut clenched as a horrible thought occurred to him. “Have you been raped before?” Unable to keep his anger from his voice, he knew it was harsh.
    She flinched slightly but tilted her chin up once again. Her eyes widened as she truly looked at him for the first time. Jarmon knew he wasn’t a reassuring sight with his scarred face, but there was no way he was letting her go until she answered his question.
    “Answer me,” he all but growled.
    “Jarmon,” his brother warned. He knew Garrik was warning him not to frighten her