The Forgotten Village: Tales of Misbelief III Read online

  Cooper, Harlan, and Gregor had not missed me, nor read my note, until the following morning.

  Then they’d rented a team of mules as fast as possible and come after me, not arriving until evening.

  Several of the villagers showed them the veil, and they’d quickly found my wool dress and my bag. Cooper had gone through alone, leaving Harlan and Gregor to spell each other to either help or fight anything that might come through—depending on what came through.

  However, once on the other side, Cooper realized he had no idea where to go and that if he got lost, he could forever lose me.

  He decided that no matter what happened with my plan, in the end, I would make a run back for the veil. So he decided to remain there for a while. Shortly after that, the young village men had come running from out of the twisted trees. As I said, time seemed to work differently on both sides.

  I tried not to think too much on all I had seen—nor worry that I’d made an enemy of the horned creature who lived through the waterfall. Instead, I focused on Tetovo having its young men back again, hopefully in time to bring in most of the harvest.

  Cooper considered staying long enough to take one barge load of grapes back to Golognè, but he decided against it. The weather was turning bitter, and it was time for us to head to Kéonsk… and for me to meet Cooper’s parents.

  Werner, Bronson, and old Alma saw us off at the dock, and as I waved to them from the river, I knew I’d made several friends, and it pleased me that in this new life, I would see them again and again.

  As I sat on the barge, the world slipped past on both sides of me. Gregor was on the north side of the river, leading the team of mules, while Harlan and Cooper were positioned at each end of our vessel, navigating with their poles.

  Cooper stood over me as I huddled in my cloak, and I looked up at him.

  He was stoic and somewhat prickly and hard to know. I was much less predictable than he’d expected. Some people would call us foolish for having married so quickly without truly knowing one another.

  I didn’t find us foolish. Not at all.

  ·•♦•·

  Other Works

  About “Pending” Works:

  This indicator within brackets is only used for works confirmed for release within six months following the release of this text. Where a more specific schedule has been set, this is usually mentioned instead.

  The Noble Dead Saga

  by Barb & J.C. Hendee

  Series/Phase 1

  Dhampir

  Thief of Lives

  Sister of the Dead

  Traitor to the Blood

  Rebel Fay

  Child of a Dead God

  Series/Phase 2

  In Shade and Shadow

  Through Stone and Sea

  Of Truth and Beasts

  Series/Phase 3

  Between Their Worlds

  The Dog in the Dark

  A Wind in the Night

  First and Last Sorcerer [2014-01]

  […and one more to come.]

  T·N·D·S:

  Tales from the world of

  the Noble Dead Saga

  by Barb and/or J.C. Hendee

  “Homeward”

  The Game Piece

  The Feral Path

  The Sapphire

  The Keepers

  The Reluctant Guardian

  Captives

  Claws

  The Sleeping Curse

  Silent Bells

  “Bones of the Earth”

  Karras the Kitten

  Karras the Cat

  “Tales of Misbelief”

  The Forgotten Lord

  The Forgotten Mistress

  The Forgotten Village

  “Sagecraft”

  Puppy Love

  The Mist-Torn Witches Series

  by Barb Hendee

  The Mist-Torn Witches

  Witches in Red

  The Vampire Memories Series

  by Barb Hendee

  Blood Memories

  Hunting Memories

  Memories of Envy

  In Memories We Fear

  Ghosts of Memories

  [Complete]