From Out Of The Shadows

by Linda Mooney

  Out turned out to be a spiral stairwell heading upward. The tower was dark and narrow as she raced up the stone steps, afraid to look back, afraid of slipping and falling. Every few feet she passed a thin, vertical slit of a window. She heard yelling, but it was unclear what was being said, or whether it came from outside or behind her as it echoed up the rock walls.

  Residue from the baron’s festering essence continued to blister inside her. She tried to remember the tricks her mother had taught her to get rid of such sickness when she encountered it, but another presence was pushing at the back of her mind. A presence that immediately took precedence.

  Somewhere out there Croat was fueling his anger while also struggling to keep its full force from her. The anger was directed outward, toward those whom he was fighting. His rage seethed, and an instant later, it felt…muffled. He was learning to control how much emotion he sent her, consciously or unconsciously. He was trying to protect her. And even though he would never be able to hide all of what he felt from her, the fact that he was making the attempt warmed her. Croat understood how devastating it could be if either of them got the full brunt of any debilitating sensations being felt by the other. Especially from him, since he was inexperienced.

  Tora gasped as she continued to climb the stairs. Twice she stumbled, banging her knees and partially healed arm against the rough inner wall. Fighting the pain, she pushed herself onward.

  The steps led to an opening and bright sunlight as she finally burst onto a parapet ringing the tower. Immediately she heard the distant sounds of screaming and yelling, and the metallic ring of clashing weapons. But above it all, she could detect the roar and growls of animals. Of the Lupan. Croat was out there among them, leading them. Their connection was strong enough to give her a direction in which to look.

  Tora rushed around the tower to the other side where the parapet sloped down toward one of the outer walls of the castle. Now she could understand why there had been no guards to challenge her when she’d emerged. As she stared out at the battle, she went numb with shock.

  Lupan and villagers were flowing over the outer walls. A hundred Lupan. A hundred villagers. Men and women. The guards were so terrified of the onslaught and the sight of so many beasts, their resistance was almost nil. Still, they managed to fire into the crowd and do considerable damage.

  It had to stop.

  Which meant she had to try and do something about it.

  You’re a Beginner. You have the greatest power of any Sensitive.

  Closing her eyes, Tora gathered herself, breathing deeply, centering, focusing. A tiny question curled inside her mind. She ignored it for the moment. He would find out the answer soon enough.

  Tora opened her eyes and directed her concentrated efforts on the platoon of guards on the ground behind the wall. At the ones pointing their guns up at the top of the wall, waiting to pick off whoever came over it. As she grasped the edge of the parapet to steady herself, she narrowed her eyes and sent them…

  Fear.

  The men reacted instantly. As another handful of Lupan cleared the barrier, the guards all cried out in terror. Terror that magnified itself as the Lupan advanced closer. Two guards dropped their rifles and ran for safety. Many others remained where they are, frozen by the emotion strangling them. Tora watched as a dozen villagers easily plucked the guns from the guardsâ�� hands, or retrieved the discarded ones without being challenged.

  A warm cloud of thanks settled inside her. She scoured the scene below her, looking for him. He was somewhere directly beneath her, inside the main courtyard after having come over the wall.

  A sudden bang jerked her attention away. People were coming after her on the parapet. She could make out the baron’s voice yelling instructions. Frantic, Tora went in the opposite direction and prayed the walkway didn’t circle back around to the doorway.

  Her prayers were answered when she sighted a narrow ledge extending away from the tower, leading to another smaller keep almost a hundred yards away. The extension was barely wide enough for her to walk onâ��if it was ever intended for foot traffic, which she doubted. When the sound of pounding feet drew nearer, Tora started over the bridge, one arm held out for balance as the other trailed along the low wall for support. She was only a few yards beyond the tower when two guards rounded the keep and stopped to aim their rifles at her.

  “Stop!”

  “Halt! Now!”

  She couldn’t look back to see what they were doing. Neither could she stop. Not when the ground was so far down that people were the size of small dolls. Biting her lips, Tora continued moving, concentrating on placing one foot in front of the other without slipping, knowing that at any moment a bullet might drill into her back.

  “Stop!”

  “Hold!â�� another voice screamed. Without having to turn around, Tora recognized Agrino’s whine. â��Don’t kill her! Don’t kill her, you idiots! I want her alive! Go after her!”

  Go after her.

  Her eyes remained riveted on the ledge, and she focused on keeping her balance on the sloping edge. There was a rasping, scuffling sound behind her, and she suspected that one or more of the guards were trying to follow her. In their bulked-up padding and leather armor they would have more trouble staying on the narrow parapet.

  A shout coming from below jolted her concentration. Her eyes scanned the courtyard and she spotted a single figure staring up at her. Despite his Lupan appearance, the moment their eyes met, a river of warmth flowed between them.

  Croat shouted something up to her, but it was too far for her to understand what he was saying. A loud scraping behind her reminded her of the guardsâ�� intent. Holding Croat’s message of hope clutched inside her, Tora pressed forward toward the next tower and its wider balcony not too far away. If she could make it over there…

  There was more shouting behind her, more orders to stop. Tora ignored them until Agrino’s sneer penetrated the fog of fear hovering over her.

  “Listen to me and stop where you are, Tora! Did you forget I have Basil?”

  Basil!

  Grabbing the wall with both hands, she turned to look behind her. As she’d suspected, one of the guards was trying to catch up with her by following the narrow ledge, but it was clear he was making slower time because of his bigger size. Behind him she caught sight of the baron and a second guard, who had his rifle aimed at her.

  The baron had a knife at Basil’s neck.

  “Ah! Good! I was wondering what it would take for you to see reason.”

  Tora stared numbly at the baron and the way he had one arm thrown around her brother’s shoulders to keep him from struggling. Thank the gods Basil seemed either unaware or unconcerned about how much danger he was in. Agrino’s hand never wavered as the blade pressed against Basil’s neck. It was angled to where it wouldn’t accidentally cut him, but the man’s threat was perfectly clear.

  “Why are you doing this?â�� Tora called back to him. â��I thought Basil was important to you.”

  Agrino gave the young man a glance before he sneered. â��You’ve made a critical mistake if you think I have any sort of affection for your brother. The boy is part of my plan, yes, but you are much more important to me. If I have to sacrifice his genius in order to have you, I won’t hesitate. Not for a second. Now, do I have to take the next step and slit his throat to prove my point? Or will you be a good girl and come back this way?”

  There was another indiscernible shout from below. Tendrils of worry reached up to her. Tora risked a glance down where three Lupan were staring up at her. The fighting in the courtyard seemed to have lessened. In fact, she couldn’t see any more skirmishes, although she noticed several villagers and a few Lupan running back and forth between the buildings.

  “If you’re hoping your beast men will come up here in time to rescue you, think again.â�� Agrino chuckled at the situation. Clearly everything was in his favor, even though his castle was being overrun.

 
“What…what happens if I do? Will you let Basil live?”

  The baron gave the young man another disinterested glance then deliberately drew the tip of the knife across Basil’s neck. Bright red blood ran down over the white shirt as Basil cried out and struggled in vain. Although it was a shallow cut, it bled freely.

  “The boy will make interesting collateral against your cooperation.”

  “My cooperation?â�� Tora narrowed her eyes at the man. â��What kind of cooperation?”

  “To begin with, you’ll make the beast men leave my castle immediately.â�� The knife suddenly moved until the edge of the blade was parallel to the young man’s nose. Basil’s eyes locked on the shiny steel and widened with fear.

  Tora held out a hand. â��Please. Leave him alone. He’s done nothing to you!”

  Giving her a humorless grin, Agrino pretended to nuzzle the back of the young man’s head. â��I’m getting tired of this tug of war. Obviously, you need to be persuaded a bit more. Very well. I’m going to count to five. If you’re not back here by the timeâ��”

  Hot anger rushed through her. â��If you kill him, I will see to it the Lupan are given free reign to do whatever they want with your castle, and with you,â�� she warned him.

  The threat made him chuckle. â��Lupan? Is that what they’re called? Lupan? So I was right. You are in league with them.â�� He adjusted his hold on Basil, but the knife never wavered. â��One.”

  Tora gasped in surprise. â��I mean it, Baron! If you kill Basil, you’ll get nothing from me!”

  “Kill him?â�� Agrino blinked as if the thought had never crossed his mind. â��Kill him? Why would I kill him when he’s the perfect leverage? Oh, no, Tora. I would never kill him. Two.”

  The guard remained between her and the balcony where Agrino stood holding Basil, and the second guard, who still kept his weapon aimed at her.

  “Three.”

  The guard closest to her began backing up to let her return. Tora saw the knife’s honed edge pressed along the tip of Basil’s nose. It was then she knew the baron’s intent.

  Collateral. Basil would be the whipping boy whenever Tora didn’t follow directions. Agrino wouldn’t kill him, but that didn’t mean the baron wouldn’t be adverse to humiliating or hurting the young man in other ways. Including torture, if that’s what it took to ensure her cooperation. Croat had been right.

  “Four.”

  “Wait! Wait! I’m coming back!â�� Gritting her teeth, Tora started back toward the main tower, sliding along sideways as she held onto the wall with both hands. She was able to move faster that way, but the guard in front of her was blocking the way. In addition, he was having difficulty backing up.

  “Get out of the way, you idiot!â�� Agrino growled at the man.

  The guard tried to hurry, but he made the mistake of trying to walk backwards, instead of moving sideways. Not able to watch where he was going, one booted foot slipped. He cried out, tottering on the rim of the ledge, one arm flailing for balance or support. The man lurched forward, and his gloved hand snagged the sleeve of her blouse before she could jerk it away from his grasp. The thin, soft material shredded, but his tug on it was enough to upset her equilibrium.

  The guard screamed as he tumbled over the side, pulling Tora along with him.

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  Chapter 36

  Confrontation

  There was no time to scream. Tora flailed her arms, her hands scrabbling for anything to hold onto as the guard went over the side. His gloved hand caught her blouse and ripped it away from her body as he fell, pulling her down with him.

  Sharp agony jolted through her as her chest hit the rough edge, knocking the air from her lungs. Her fingers found a meager amount of purchase, and she clung to it with every ounce of strength she had left. But her legs dangled over the side, and she was quickly losing her grip.

  She was vaguely aware of the baron ordering the second guard to go out on the walkway and get her. Slowly, she found herself sliding further over the side, unable to stop her descent. A bullet ricocheted less than a foot away, sending bits of rock into her face. Tora quickly averted her eyes, but not before several chips stung her cheeks and forehead. Panic started to set in.

  Hope.

  The burst of faith glimmering inside her came from below. With her arms quivering from the strain of trying to hold onto the ledge, Tora managed to look below. Two Lupan stood directly below her with their arms reaching upward. They were braced for her.

  Hope.

  She could almost hear his plea. Croat would not let anything happen to her if he could help it. And he wouldn’t send her that emotional message unless he was positive he could help her. Giving him another quick glance, Tora let go of the walkway.

  The Lupan used their arms to make a flesh and blood net to catch her. As she dropped between them, the momentum from their catch swung her around until they deposited her on her feet. The next moment, they disappeared together into the shadows underneath the overhang.

  Once they were out of sight of the baron and his men, Tora threw her arms around Croat’s neck and buried her face against his chest. Dark Lupan arms enfolded her, and she could feel his relief flooding them both. But this was not the time to rejoice from being reunited.

  “Signal everyone to retreat, and have the main phalanx meet me at the dungeon,â�� Croat told the other Lupan. The man beast nodded curtly and hurried off.

  “Croat, the baron has Basil.â�� She peered up into the semi-darkness, into orange eyes that almost glowed. â��He’s threatened to hurt him if I don’t cooperate.”

  “Will he kill him?â�� Croat asked, placing a hand to the side of her face.

  She could sense him checking her over for any wounds or signs of abuse. He knew she would have tried to shield him from any mistreatment she might have been subject to, unless the pain was too great for her to contain. Other than the shredded clothing, most of her scrapes and cuts were minor. A clawed hand smeared with blood reached down and gently touched her bared breasts. Her skirt was not in much better shape, but it still managed to give her minimal coverage.

  “We have to free him,â�� Croat stated simply, yet she knew the sight of her body was playing havoc with his concentration. It didn’t help that she desperately wished he would kiss her, Lupan or no. She was starved for him.

  Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. â��How?”

  The simple question made him pause. She watched as Croat blinked away the rapidly growing sexual haze his animal self had been drifting into. He straightened and glanced out at the nearly barren courtyard. The sound of gunfire had become sporadic. A few yards away, the body of the fallen guard lay in a disjointed heap.

  “If we confront him straight on, chances are the baron might kill him outright.”

  “No!â�� Tora countered. â��He told me he plans to keep Basil alive in order to make me do what he wants. He wouldn’t kill him…would he?”

  Croat looked at her as he helped her to pull the remains of her blouse around her breasts. Until she could find another one, it would have to do. â��My guess is he’ll use Basil as a bargaining tool for as long as he can. But you know as well as I do, Tora, that Basil’s life means nothing to Agrino personally. It’s your life he wants. It’s you he wants, and your abilities.”

  An idea suddenly brightened like the moon coming from behind a bank of dark clouds. â��He wants me because I’m a Sensitive,â�� she restated. â��I touched him, and it felt like he was full of bile. It was so bad, I had to pass it back into him. He was taken completely by surprise.”

  “So he knows you’re a Beginner, too.”

  She paused to think. â��Maybe not. He knows I’m a Sensitive, and I’ve proven it to him. He may or may not know about Beginners. But even if he does, there’s no way he can be prepared for what I can do…or what I can do to him.”

  Croat peered closely a
t her. â��My beloved Tora, what are you thinking?”

  Suddenly her idea seemed foolhardy, if not wholly dangerous. But unless someone came up with a different idea, what else could she do to get Basil away from the baron?

  “First, we have to confront Agrino.”

  Nodding, Croat took her hand, and together they began weaving their way through the courtyard and market area, past carts and empty stalls, around sacks and crates of food and goods. The sellers and buyers who had been frequenting the area had run for cover, or were in hiding. One such young woman, hiding behind a huge barrel, stared back in wide-eyed terror at Tora as they ran by.

  There were no more guards and no more guns being fired. The courtyard had become eerily empty and quiet. Tora wondered where all of the baron’s men had gone.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when Croat pushed her into a narrow entryway, giving themselves a few seconds to catch their breath. â��Are you all right?”

  She nodded. â��Do you think he’ll keep Basil with him?”

  “I’ve no doubt he will. He knows you’re going to try and get Basil back, and he’s probably already guessed you’ll bring Lupan with you. We have to keep thinking one step ahead of the baron.â�� He glanced into the darkness past the entrance. â��On the other side of this building is a passageway. It leads into a foyer of the grand hall.”

  From the sound of his voice, Tora knew he meant for her to go alone. â��Where will you be?”

  “On the other side with the rest of my men. That same passageway exits outside the guardsâ�� station. We have lost the element of surprise with the baron, except in that aspect. He probably still believes his men are watching the dungeon cells. At least, let’s hope he does.”

  She stared at him. â��You’ve already defeated the guards in charge of the dungeon?”

  Her answer came with a wide smile. â��Beloved, we’re Lupan, not birds. Do you honestly think all of us were able to scale the walls?”