by JC Kang
She looked down at the unconscious leader and shuddered. Each time she’d used her voice, it drained her in alarmingly increasing increments. The effect of her command took longer to take hold and lasted shorter. As her fear grew, she found it harder to even find her voice. The last time, he had managed to rip her pants off, and only the hook of her thumb kept her undergarments from going with them. She shuddered to think what would have happened if he had had another chance.
She pulled her pants back on. After this torment, she’d never look at a male the same way again.
That changed when the tent flap opened.
Tian entered. A sense of relief washed over her. When had that happened? In two months, he’d transformed from an uncaring oaf to the dear friend she remembered from childhood. His embrace had felt…good.
Behind Tian followed the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen, with delicate features and large violet eyes that could’ve been the essence of a dawn cloud concentrated into a rich liquid. Vibrant golden hair tumbled down his shoulders. He seemed familiar.
Kaiya ran her hand through her own short hair, suddenly feeling naked again despite the warm woolen pants.
Tian’s attention shifted to the semi-conscious ogre. Kaiya shivered. Its rough hands had rubbed her face. Even now, after Allie had tightly secured those same hands around the pole, behind his back, Kaiya edged away from the brute.
“Greetings, Your Highness. It has been a while.” The elf’s voice sung like the symphony of gods. Oddly, it sounded familiar, even if she’d never seen him before—and she’d certainly not have forgotten meeting someone so beautiful.
“Have we met?” She tilted her head at just the right angle and smiled.
He nodded. “At the time, we were not properly introduced. I am Thielas Starsong.”
The name didn’t sound familiar. “I am sure I would have remembered you.” Heat rose to her cheeks. Had she just said that?
Thielas’ grin was captivating.
Embarassed, she turned to where Allie and Tian knelt over the ogre leader.
“Nice handiwork,” she was saying. “I don’t know many people who could defeat an armed ogre with just a couple of daggers.” Allie put a hand on Tian’s chest.
An uneasiness sloshed in Kaiya’s stomach. Jealousy? She shook off the thought, trying to replace it with more important matters. “We need to find out where they took Ma Jun and Fang Weiyong. They left the campsite around dusk, bound to poles.”
Allie nodded. “That means they can’t be traveling that fast.” She gave the ogre a light kick in the leg. “Where do you take your prisoners?”
The ogre shot her a confused look and mumbled something long and drawn-out in his own language.
Allie scowled at him. “The people you captured.”
“Me no speak you words.”
If Kaiya didn’t already hate the beast, she would now. “You do. Tell us where you took our friends.”
The ogre chortled. “Whore, I won’t tell! Since you’ll kill me, I have nothing to gain. Unless you let me stab into your depths with my man-club!”
Kaiya winced, and he roared out in laughter.
His tone turned demeaning. “Of course, it’ll have to wait until your girl-bleeding is finished.”
Her face flared hot. All these men, learning her secrets. She fled the tent and stopped outside.
Inside, Allie whispered, though still loud enough to hear. “Don’t follow. Just pretend you didn’t hear or understand it.”
The tent flap opened, and Allie emerged. “You okay?”
No. She nodded all the same.
Inside, the ogre bellowed. What was happening?
Tian’s voice rose. “Poisonous fiend. You’re right. You will die. Either quickly tonight. If you cooperate. Or very slowly overnight. If you don’t.”
Silence. Was the ogre considering the—
A roar of pain blasted out of the tent. Kaiya shuddered again.
Tian stomped out, Thielas close behind.
“It’s no point in torturing the ogre.” Tian shook his head with a look of frustration. “He won’t tell us a thing.”
Kaiya peered at him. “Get him to talk. Ma Jun and the doctor, and all those captives rely on that information.”
Tian turned towards Allie. “Will you be able to track the others?”
“Not until daylight. Until then, I suggest that we get some rest. The tents reek, so I’m happy next to the bonfire.” She beckoned her men over. “Two-man watches, two hours each. We’ll let the princess sleep through. We should get moving before dawn, before the other ogres come back.”
Sleep! After this horrific day, her body screamed for it, even if she was sure to have nightmares. Kaiya eyed the bonfire.
Tian headed towards one of the tents. After a short while, he emerged with their bedrolls and other supplies. He laid out Kaiya’s bedroll for her, and then tightened the blanket around her, insulating her from the chill air. He really was like her childhood friend again.
A friend who might provide protection and comfort tonight. She pointed her chin towards the space not far from her and cast a shy smile. “Sleep there.”
Tian’s eyes widened, but he offered a tentative nod. He placed his bedroll where she indicated and settled in.
As she drifted into an exhausted sleep, she could hear his heart pounding.
CHAPTER 40:
Pursuit
At dawn, pins and needles skittered through Tian’s left arm. He shifted slightly to relieve the pressure when Allie shook him out of sleep. He was lying on his side, something he never did.
Allie grinned as she pointed at his numb arm.
It was lying under the princess’ neck, and wrapped around her shoulder. She also lay on her side, her back pressed to him, separated only by the thick blankets. His other hand… It rested on her hip.
Tian’s eyes opened wide and he jerked his arm back. The princess rolled onto her front with a soft sigh.
His face burned hot, probably redder than the horizon. He’d just committed a capital offense, far worse than locking her in an armoire.
Allie chuckled. “She was crying in her sleep, and you reached over to comfort her. It was quite sweet, actually.” She flashed him a sarcastic grin. “Your princess is very beautiful, though the legends of her luxurious hair are definitely overstated.”
Tian’s throat tightened. If only she knew. “Our secret, okay?”
“Another one?” Allie puckered her lips and grinned. “Anyway, we’ll need to get moving soon.” She nudged her head back. “The others are getting ready.”
Which meant they probably all saw him with his arm around the princess.
“After waking your princess from her beauty sleep,” Allie continued, “I suggest you take what you need from the provisions tent. Find something warm. It’ll snow today.”
Was that a tingling in his chest, where the princess’ back had pressed into him? He shook the thought away and crawled out from the bedroll, his body reluctant to abandon the warmth. The air seemed much colder this morning, and clouds greyed the sky. He gently shook the princess, and her eyelids fluttered open.
Hands clenched, she frowned. Her gaze shifted back and forth until it settled on him. The scowl melted into a beautiful, innocent smile, one that sent his heart skittering. “Is it already time to get up? I had horrible dreams all night, and it seems like I only slept for a few minutes.”
“Yes, Dian-xia. Allie says it will snow today. They need to start tracking. Before we lose the trail. Get ready. I’ll bring you some hot water.”
The rangers prompted them to go within half an hour. Tian retrieved the Kanin sabers, Kaiya’s straight swords, two bows, two quivers of arrows, and their own packs from the supply tent. Most of the other items belonged to the native tribes: bows, stone-headed spears, furs, and the like.
One of the keys opened the locked chest. Inside were Teleri-coined gold drakas. They had little need for them in the Wilds, but he took two large handfuls just in
case. He also retrieved Chen Xin’s and Ma Jun’s silver rings.
Rami discovered a rough map in the leader’s tent. Some locations were marked in green, others in red, though no one could decipher the code. A small island at the confluence of the North Kanin River and the nearby tributary was circled in blue.
Markel and Kori had examined the tracks and concluded that the prisoners had been taken down the southern path. They set the tents ablaze, leaving only the supplies and the leader’s tent untouched.
Which left the leader. They could’ve avoided this entire journey had they killed the altivorc in Gaukaimos. Tian didn’t plan to make the same mistake again.
Surprisingly, the princess insisted on letting the ogre live. Allie added that a crippled ogre would face torment among his kind for the rest of his life. He’d never admit to having been defeated by just eight humans.
The rangers departed down the path, with Thielas at point and Rami taking up the rear. Tian walked near the front, the princess staying near his side. Her closeness sent a shiver up his spine. What was he thinking?
Within a couple of hours, light flurries began to fall.
Allie gave the sky a dubious look. “It doesn’t usually begin to snow this early in the season. This might be a long winter.”
Snow already? Tian started to look up when Thielas pointed at the ground. “A large amount of human blood here. I’m guessing it was vomited, maybe three hours ago?”
With a flash of Allie’s hand signal, the rangers fanned out.
Markel knelt by the head of a trail. “The trail of blood heads east down this path toward the river, but everyone else continued south on the main path.”
Kaiya placed a hand on her chest. “The ogres beat Ma Jun before they departed, when he tried to protect me. He could barely walk.”
Four imperial guards, already dead or unaccounted for. Tian sighed. His fault.
Allie came up beside Markel and pointed at the ground. “We’ll follow this trail of blood. Based on the ogre map, we’re not far from the river, and there is a red circle here.”
Tian tapped his chin. So much stubble; something he’d never allowed before this journey began. He followed Thielas as they veered off onto the smaller path. The rangers pointed out drops of blood. The sounds of the river grew louder and louder. After half an hour, the path opened up into a clearing by the water.
An irrigated field. They pushed south through a narrow field of corn, its crop past ripe and now rotting on the stem.
On the other side, the princess covered her audible gasp.
Tian shifted on his feet. The red circle on the map marked death and destruction.
Dozens of simple wooden frames, charred by flame, were all that remained of lodges. With no evidence of doors or windows, there was no way of telling the orientation of the burnt-out structures, but it looked as if they circled outward from a huge fire pit. The soft rustling of the river interrupted the otherwise eerie silence.
Tian picked his way through the huts towards the center of the abandoned village. The place stank of death. Hairs stood on the back of his neck.
Heart pounding, Kaiya clasped and unclasped her hands as she followed Tian past the scorched huts and into the center of the village ruins.
With a sharp breath, he jerked to a halt. He turned around and put a hand over her eyes.
Too late.
Around the fire pit lay nearly two dozen bodies, their advanced stage of decomposition preventing identification of gender. Crushed skulls suggested the manner of their horrific death. Several smaller bodies could only belong to young children.
Kaiya’s stomach lurched into her throat. She seized hold of Tian’s arms so tightly that her knuckles went white. He drew her in close, pulling her head to his chest. His comforting warmth did little to melt the ice in her limbs. After a few seconds, she looked up at him.
Tears trickled down his cheeks as he looked past the gruesome scene. He hadn’t shown so much emotion since their reunion. “Dragonflies,” he whispered.
Dragonflies? Kaiya searched his eyes. He still remembered the old proverb she’d told him when they were children.
Allie came up beside them. “The ogres raid these villages for slaves, capturing healthy men and women, but taking savage delight in murdering the sick, old, and very young.”
Horror and grief gripped at Kaiya’s throat, choking her words. “But why? What do the ogres need slaves for?”
Allie tugged on her sleeves. “They sell slaves to the Teleri soldiers who have infested these woods.”
Teleri? They weren’t supposed to be in the Wilds. Kaiya shuddered. “How did the Teleri get here?”
Allie peered at her. “They spent years searching for the ancient roads from the Arkothi Empire into the Kanin Empire.”
Which led right to the East Gate of Hua. Throat dry, Kaiya swallowed. “Who thought up such a plan?”
“First Consul Geros.”
The First Consul. Kaiya’s blood froze. He had seized her, pressed himself up against her. She hugged herself now, as if that would protect her from the memory.
Allie nodded. “Which brings us back to the Kanin. Since Teleri soldiers are only good at war, they need hands for construction, food preparation, and other services. In their satellite states, it takes the form of fair trade contracts—if you consider the Mating a fair part of the deal. But here, where there is no centralized rule to enforce Teleri law, their goals can only be accomplished with slave labor.”
Kaiya’s heart ached. All the unfortunate tribal people, subjected to the cruelty of an evil empire. For too many years, Hua had enriched itself through trade with the Teleri, turning a blind eye to those it affected. Like Madura before. This needed to change. It would change, once she returned home.
From the distance, Keril called. “I think I’ve found your man.”
Kaiya and Tian hurried in the direction of Keril’s voice, on the eastern edge of the village, at the river’s edge. He was there, kneeling over a human, who lay face up.
Alive? She gritted her teeth and looked down.
It was Ma Jun, her last imperial guard. His eyes were closed, and blood flecked his lips. Complexion wan, he breathed in rapid, shallow pants.
Kaiya knelt over him and stroked his cheek. He couldn’t possibly survive.
Keril sighed. “He’s bleeding internally and has lost a lot of blood. He doesn’t have much longer. Unless Thielas can save him.”
Kaiya looked up from Ma Jun. “Is he a doctor?”
Keril shook his head. “He can channel the divine power of the gods.”
Like Cyrus, who’d given her energy when they fled the altivorcs. Kaiya nodded. She looked back toward the center of the village.
The elf knelt near the mass grave, head bowed in prayer.
She placed a hand on Tian’s arm. “Please, bring Thielas here.”
With a nod, he raced back toward the elf. She leaned over and brushed cold sweat from Ma Jun’s forehead.
Thielas appeared at her side, his handsome features twisted into a melancholy expression.
Kaiya bowed low. “It is my fault my guard is mortally injured. Keril says that you have the power to heal. Would you please try?”
Thielas smiled wryly. “Only the gods have the power to heal; I am just their conduit into the realm of mortals. We can see if the gods have use for him in this life, or if they are ready to recall him to their bosoms.” He closed his eyes, placed a hand on Ma Jun’s forehead, and sang a prayer in the musical language of the elves. His chanting voice sounded familiar.
Inspired, Kaiya hummed with him.
The color returned to Ma Jun’s face, and his breathing deepened.
Miraculous. Nothing Cyrus had done rivaled Thielas’ healing powers. Kaiya reverently bowed her head and pressed her palms together. “Thank you.”
Thielas smiled at her. “Thank Ayara, whom your people name Guanyin. Her compassion and grace restored him. He is safe now, but will require several weeks of rest in or
der to recover full strength.”
“We still need to rescue the other prisoners,” Kaiya said. “Will he be able to walk?”
“I am well enough to help, Dian-xia,” Ma Jun answered in a weak voice.
Too weak; but conscious, at least. She looked down.
His gaze met hers and he tried to sit up.
Showing a surprising gentle side, Tian placed a hand on his shoulder.
“He needs to rest for another two hours,” Thielas said. “Even then, he won’t be able to keep pace with the rangers.”
Tian lifted a water skin to Ma Jun’s lips. “What can you tell us about the other prisoners?”
Ma Jun nodded and licked his lips. “Around dawn, the ogres caught another man. Since they needed more room on the pole, they released me since I was slowing them down.”
“Was Doctor Fang all right?” Kaiya asked.
Ma Jun shook his head. “He struggled to help me, and the ogres beat him.”
Allie appeared behind them. “The bastards will want to sleep during the day, and they’ll be slowed by transporting the bound prisoners. It’s been three hours since dawn. They can’t be but so far ahead of us.” She pulled out the map and pointed. “Princess Kaiya, stay here with your countryman and make him rest for two hours; then both of you head back to the main trail and turn south. Once we’ve taken care of the ogres, some of us will come back for you.”
Could she do it? One girl, untrained in the ways of the wilderness, protecting an injured man?
Tian shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. The ogre camp could house forty, maybe fifty ogres. We only eliminated fifteen. Fifteen headed west at dusk. Another dozen are escorting prisoners. There might still be some around here.”
Memories of the leader’s gigantic hands sent a shiver down Kaiya’s spine.
Keril shook his head. “Ogres don’t like to venture out during the day. It should be safe until at least the late afternoon.”
