Finding Roanoak

By Christa Maurice

Emme is the midwife for the Roanoak Colony. Circumstances threaten their survival, but Emme has met a European man calling himself Tighe in the forest where no European man should be. Tighe has problems of his own. His people fled across the sea to escape mortal men and their iron weapons, but now they are dying out. Stealing children is not an option, but Tighe hopes if Emme and some of the other from the failing colony will agree to come live with his people they will interbreed. However his mother is opposed to bringing mortals into Faerie and threatens to close the border sealing the Fae in and sealing their doom. At the same time, he has lost Emme's trust and does not know how to regain it. His efforts to protect her with Fae magic have also cast a suspicion of witchcraft on her from the expedition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christa Maurice
• Release date: Nov 8, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386175209

Book preview

Table of Contents

Copyright 2017 C B Maurice

Title

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Also by C. B. Maurice

Copyright 2017 C. B. Maurice

eBooks are not transferable. All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

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Finding Roanoak

By

Christa Maurice

Chapter One

The scream startled Emme out of her annoyed fugue. Dropping the wood in her arms, she gathered her skirts and ran through the trees in the direction of the sound. She broke through the scrub and landed knee deep in water. On the far side of the pond she saw a man crouching over someone or something.  She circled the pond, struggling against the water. What is it? What's happened?

She fell, the man said. I believe her leg is broken.

Margery lay in high grass mercifully unconscious. So heavily pregnant, she should not be out of the camp. Her leg bent to the side between her knee and her ankle. White bone showed through the skin and blood poured out, pooling under her. This injury would make her an invalid. Emme crossed herself anticipating Ananias's response. There's nothing I can do for this. Do you have an ax or a sword to take off the leg? We might yet save her.

An ax? The man recoiled. Don't be barbaric. Hold her knee. I will fix the wound.

You can't fix a break like that.

Do as I say, he snapped.

Emme clasped Margery's knee. The idiot would learn soon enough. Whoever he was. The man took her ankle and pulled until the leg until it straightened, grunting with the effort.

I need another pair of hands.

I can pin her knee between my legs. What would you have me do?

You haven’t the ability, but it is a good idea. He shifted so Margery's ankle was clasped between his knees and started inching his hands up her calf.

My lord, I don't know what you think you're doing, but it isn't proper for a strange man to handle a woman that way.

You cannot do what I can. Margery will forgive me.

Shock rolled through her. How do you know her name?

Hold tightly or her leg will heal crooked. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he focused on his task.

Emme watched, waiting for something to happen. The wind rustled the leaves overhead and chased rings of water across the pond, bringing up the scent of damp ground and growing things. The man breathed heavily through his nose. He wasn't from the expedition. His black hair shone blue in the sun and he had no facial hair, exposing his strong jaw and full lips. His eyes were silver like the sea at sunset, absorbing the colors around them, but remaining gray underneath. He wore a black vest over a very clean white shirt. She hadn’t seen the like since they set sail from England.

It is done.

Emme blinked. The man leaned back admiring Margery's very straight leg. All that remained of the break was a smear of blood. Even the skin seemed fused together. How did you do that?

Magic. Wiggling his fingers in the air, he stood and walked to the pond to rinse his hands.

Emme slid her fingers down Margery's leg. The leg was whole and straight. This can't be.

It is. The man returned and stood staring down at Margery, wiping his hands on his odd looking loose gray pants.

There isn't even a scar.

She will deliver soon. The man knelt and gathered Margery into his arms. I will help you take her back to your encampment.

Emme followed him through the forest. He carried Margery like he might carry a child, walking through the forest as if he'd been to the encampment a hundred times. At the edge of the clearing, he stopped.

"You will have to take her