Temperance

by Ella Frank

  Ry’Ker fully faced the man beside him. “You left four women your father entrusted to you in the Taise Forest because one of them provoked you? Good job, sensualeer. Your father will be proud.”

  As his final sentence hung between them, Ry’Ker knew he’d gone too far.

  Si’Bastian’s eyes, the ones rumored to be capable of transfixing a body, darkened until they were black, while his mouth, which was said to be able to talk a person into shameless depravities such as giving their body over for his use, tightened into a thin line.

  “No, he won’t. But he never has been when it comes to me. But you… You’re a different story. Aren't you, soldier? Ry’Ker, head of the Imperial Guard. Loyal and righteous all the time. Tell me. Doesn’t it get tiresome?”

  “I—”

  “Go and be noble, Guard. Before I’m tempted to make you be otherwise.”

  Ry’Ker stormed away from Si’Bastian before he said something he would regret. He didn’t like the position Li’Am had placed him in, especially when he knew his aversion to Si’Bastian’s kind.

  He had good reason to dislike those marked sensualeer. And even if he hadn’t lived through what he had as a boy, trying to survive under Seraphine’s rule would have turned him against anyone born what she was.

  He marched over to where his men were gathered and could hear their hushed whispers as they talked amongst one another. When they parted to allow him closer, he was surprised by what greeted him.

  Their orders had been specific: capture the women and bring them safely back to L’Mere. But after years of no contact with the women of Arcania, he’d wondered if ‘safely’ was asking too much of his soldiers.

  It appeared, though, that he’d been worried for nothing.

  There, sitting in the center of his men on a larger boulder, were two frightened but safe women. One’s hair was as black as the night surrounding them, and the other’s was a light shade of brown.

  As he stepped into the center of the circle, he saw that they had their arms hooked and were sitting as close as they could to one another—a show of solidarity and also a sign of fear. Ry’Ker had no idea how they must be feeling. Being surrounded by a group of men with weapons drawn must’ve been terrifying.

  He walked around them and noticed the way they were attired. Both were in long pants of some sort and odd shirts made of very little material. It was strange to say the least. He was used to women dressed in long, billowing gowns, modestly covered from head to toe. Not women who wore pants.

  He stopped in front of them, and the one with the ink-colored hair looked up, causing Ry’Ker to lose his footing for a second. The woman staring back at him was almost an exact replica of her mother—Maeve, the lost Empress.

  No wonder there were such reverent whispers amongst his men.

  The Empress had been missing for years. It was her disappearance that had been the catalyst of all that had since occurred. So to be standing before a woman who was the very image of she whose portraits had been removed from all walls was somewhat disconcerting.

  Ry’Ker let his eyes slowly drift to her sister and noticed that she was watching him with caution. This one had been aware of his reaction and was obviously trying to judge his intentions.

  “Ladies,” he greeted and gave a swift nod of his head. “I trust you have been treated well.” When neither of them replied, he continued. “I’m Ry’Ker, head of the Imperial Guard. We’ve been sent to escort you to Castle L’Mere.”

  The brunette stood, and he noted how fragile she appeared as she tilted her chin and told him quite adamantly, “We’re not going anywhere without our sisters.”

  He admired the way she faced off with him, especially since she barely reached his shoulder. But of one thing he was certain. “You do not have a choice, madam. You will go where I tell you to go.”

  She looked scared, but he could tell she was trying her hardest to mask it.

  “Why? What do you want with us?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” he told her, and a look of disbelief crossed her features. “I want nothing from you except for your names.”

  She looked down to where her sister was still sitting and then turned back to him with her mouth closed. Apparently, she’d decided that silence was her friend.

  He hadn’t wanted to use intimidation, but he also wouldn’t stand around for two hours and wait until she trusted him. He reached beneath the heavy black cape Mala'Kai had supplied and drew his sword. The woman’s eyes widened when she saw the menacing-looking blade, and he almost felt guilty for resorting to such a low move. Almost.

  Resting it down by his side, he asked again, “What is your name?”

  He saw her swallow and wondered what she was thinking.

  “Fiona Brannigan.”

  He gave a quick nod of acknowledgment and then turned his eyes on the woman who remained silent where she sat. “And you are?”

  He wanted her to speak, this woman who resembled their lost Empress, but she didn’t. She just sat there staring at him.

  “Audra,” Fiona said, regaining his attention. “Her name is Audra.”

  “Good.” He tore his eyes away from that haunting face and instructed, “Stay here, and don't try to leave. My men will be watching you until we’ve located the other two.”

  He turned on his heel and was about to leave when he heard his name. Stopping, he looked back.

  “Yes?”

  Fiona glanced at the sword he still had in his hand and asked, “Are you going to hurt us?”

  Ry’Ker thought the question over and then told her as honestly as he could, “I do not wish to.”

  “But you will?”

  He looked between the two of them and stated bluntly, “If I have to.”

  Then he left to find the others.

  Naeve estimated that they’d been walking for around thirty minutes.

  Thirty minutes of absolute silence—and she hated the quiet.

  She much preferred to be surrounded by people. Often, she’d drag Siobhan down to the little café by their apartment and make her do her paperwork there so she could read and hear the soft chatter of people gossiping. So being hauled through the woods by a hulking man and not being allowed to talk was almost as bad as him threatening her life.

  She still wasn’t sure where she was, and that was truly disturbing.

  If she were to believe the stories Bastian and Kai had told her, she was now in a place called Arcania. And if they’re lying, what’s the alternative?

  She looked ahead at the man in front of her and studied the huge bow that was slung over his shoulder. Beside it, strapped to his back, was a long, cylindrical bag, and poking out the top were several feathers.

  Arrows.

  He was carrying a bow and arrows. Not to mention the sharp knife he’d held at her throat. And they all looked real enough to her.

  He’d drawn the hood of his cape back over his head, and the material swirled around his ankles with every step he took. She found herself fascinated by the way he moved. That someone so large could be so unnaturally quiet. It made her…curious about him.

  She was about to open her mouth and speak when he stopped and directed her beside him.

  “Over there,” he stated, pointing to a wide, grassy patch between two large trees. “Is that—”

  “Siobhan!” she gasped as she pulled her arm away and started running to her sister.

  She could see Siobhan’s flame-colored hair and made a beeline towards her where she lay on the ground. She’d pretty much forgotten that Kai told her not to run from him. All she knew was that she needed to reach her sister and make sure she was all right.

  When Naeve got to her side, she fell to her knees and saw a swollen cut on her forehead as blood dripped down the side of her face.

  “Siobhan,” she whispered urgently, gently touching her shoulder. “God, what happened to you? Open your eyes, Siobhan.”

  As she knelt there waiting, she saw Kai’s boots stop beside her and th
en looked up at him.

  “Did your men do this?”

  He scanned the area they were standing in, and once he was satisfied they were alone, he brought his eyes back to hers. “It’s possible.”

  “She won’t wake up,” she said, turning away in disgust. Tears stung her eyes as she stroked Siobhan’s hair.

  “We need to keep moving. She will only slow us down.”

  Naeve’s mouth fell open, outraged by his lack of compassion. If he thought she was going to leave, he had another thing coming.

  She stood and pointed at Siobhan. “I’m not going anywhere without her. You asked me where my other sister was. Well, here she is.”

  His eyes turned to slits as he glared at her, and then he took the bow from his shoulder and thrust it at her. “Here. Hold this.”

  Naeve looked at the unfamiliar weapon and gingerly took it from him.

  “You need to move out of the way.”

  She stepped aside as he crouched down beside Siobhan, unfastening the buckle on his left shoulder, which secured his coat.

  “Gods…” he muttered under his breath as he reached for Siobhan's chin and moved it to the side.

  That was when Naeve noticed a dark line extending up her sister's neck almost as though it were following an artery.

  “What is that? Why would your men do this to her?”

  He brought her head back to the center so he could lean down and tilt his ear over her mouth to see if she was still breathing.

  “Is she…” Naeve trailed off, unable to finish her thought.

  “Alive?” he supplied, and she nodded quickly. “Yes. She’s breathing,” he told her as he straightened and looked past her shoulder, always alert. His mouth pulled into a taut, unrelenting line. “But we need to hurry and find the others.”

  “The others?”

  “Bastian, your sisters, and my—” He stopped abruptly.

  Naeve couldn’t help but ask, “Your?”

  Instead of continuing, he said, “The Imperial Guard.”

  He turned back to Siobhan, bent down, and, as easily as if he were carrying a bag of groceries, scooped her up in his arms with the cape draped around her. Hefting her farther up his body, he held his left arm out and gestured to the bow.

  “Put it over my shoulder. Unless, of course, you plan to carry it for me.”

  Naeve studied the apparatus, which was taller than she was, and then looked to him. Stepping in close, she drew it over his arm and up to his shoulder, which she had to stand on tiptoes to reach and still had trouble. When it was in place, she licked her lips and moved away, finding that being close to this man affected her in ways she couldn’t begin to understand.

  Maybe it’s because he’s so different from everyone I know?

  From the way he spoke to the way he dressed.

  Or the fact that he carries around a bow and arrow for God’s sake.

  The guy wasn’t like anyone from Wilmington.

  * * *

  Kai looked down at the woman in his arms and then glanced at the blonde, who was valiantly trying to keep pace at his side. Ever since they’d started up again, she hadn’t taken her eyes off him. Or, more likely, her sister.

  He found himself continually checking to make sure she was okay beside him, and he was starting to wonder why he gave a damn. But as she trudged through the forest in those ridiculous-looking boots and minuscule shift, the little rabbit was proving her resilience.

  He thought that maybe he should try to explain to her who he was. But every time he ran the conversation over in his mind, it just seemed as though it would confuse her more. So, instead, he decided that it was time he asked some questions.

  Starting with the one he knew was the most important. One that would possibly give him more sense of her—if he received an answer.

  “Where are you from?”

  When she stopped, Kai knew she was looking at him and not her sister this time.

  “What do you mean?”

  He turned towards her, still cradling the unconscious woman in his arms, and asked again, “Where are you from?”

  Looking a little confused, she answered softly, “Wilmington, North Carolina.”

  Having never heard of it, Kai assumed she was lying and told her so. “Lies will get you nowhere. But if you want safe passage back to L’Mere, I advise you to start being honest. I’m the only thing protecting you out here.”

  “I’m not lying,” she insisted, placing her hands on her narrow hips.

  “I disagree. I know every village and castle in this place. None of which are Wilmington.”

  The woman glowered at him so hard that he almost smiled at her audacity. He had men who wouldn’t even look at him, yet she bravely tried to kill him with one glance.

  “Do I look like someone from around here?” she asked in a way that suggested he were dim-witted.

  He leisurely took his time inspecting her and noticed the way she shifted where she stood as his eyes traced from her boots, up her body, to her face.

  “You could pass as some, yes. But since the business of whoring died right around the time the men started to, I don’t suppose you are one of those.”

  Her mouth fell open as though she were about to say something, but instead, she clamped it shut and stomped her foot on the ground. It was such an unexpected move that he couldn’t hold his laughter this time.

  “What’s so funny?” she demanded. “That is the second time you’ve called me a whore.”

  “No, it is the first. And what’s funny is you. Stomping your foot on the ground like some petulant child.”

  “First, I’m a whore, and now, I’m a child? Didn’t your mother ever teach you any manners?”

  Kai quit laughing then, and the silence that remained was palpable. “My mother is dead.”

  Remorse immediately crossed her features, but he wasn’t in the mood for pity, and he sure as hell wasn’t in the mood to discuss it.

  “I’m sorry—”

  “Why?” he interrupted. “You didn’t kill her.” He paused, remembering exactly who had, and then looked at her shocked expression. “We must keep going if we are to reach the meeting point on the West side of the Falls.”

  Without another word, they started on their way.

  His first instinct had been right. Conversing with her had only confused matters.

  He just hadn’t expected to be the one left baffled.

  * * *

  Naeve followed closely beside her brooding companion and kept an eye on Siobhan. That’s what she told herself, anyway.

  If she was being honest, she was really keeping an eye on the both of them.

  Kai was starting to say more the longer they were together. She still didn't know much, but the one thing she was sure of was that she was no longer anywhere near Wilmington.

  When she’d mentioned her hometown and state, Kai had looked at her as though she were talking in another language. Then he’d accused her of being a whore because of the way she was dressed—and that seemed completely out of place.

  She was wearing a perfectly respectable sundress, but the way he’d inspected her had made her feel practically naked. It was as though he’d never seen a woman in anything other than head-to-toe coverings. Or maybe corsets and gowns.

  Naeve thought of Bastian and the image he’d shown her of her mother. She’d been dressed as someone from an era long forgotten, and as she stared at the man beside her, she realized he also resembled someone from another time.

  A hunter? Maybe.

  He was holding on to Siobhan as though it were an everyday thing for him to carry a woman in his arms. Then he continued to survey the terrain with wary eyes.

  At first, he’d scared her half to death in his hooded cape. But she understood now that it was camouflage. He’d merely been blending into the shadows. Either way, she was glad he was no longer wearing the hood and mask. She found him much less intimidating when she could see his entire face.

  Bastian had told th
em that this forest was darkened with death. So Naeve had to wonder what promises had been made to this man to persuade him to step inside.

  “This is where we cross.”

  His deep voice pulled her from her thoughts and had her glancing at the rushing water barreling between the two banks. She then looked up into the face she’d just been thinking of and shook her head.

  “Are you crazy?”

  “Trust me when I tell you that I like this plan much less than you.”

  “I highly doubt it.”

  He turned back to the water and then bent down to gently lay Siobhan on the ground. “Listen to me very carefully. See the water. Look at the surface.”

  She did as requested and noticed a heavy sheen on the top of it. “What is that?”

  He stood and walked down to the edge of the bank. Naeve didn’t take her eyes off him, noticing for the first time that his dark hair was tied in a small knot at the base of his neck.

  “Deadly. That’s what it is.”

  She looked down to where Siobhan lay and then stepped forward, clutching her hands in front of herself. “What do you mean it’s deadly? I don’t understand. I thought we had to cross here?”

  He turned and made his way back to her, a frown on his face. “We do.”

  She didn’t know what to say as he bent down to where his cape rested over Siobhan. He then removed a thick loop of rope and an ax and walked towards a large tree, where he raised that dangerous-looking weapon and thrust it into the trunk.

  Then he started to climb.

  She ran over to the base of the tree as he scaled it like it was second nature. Once he reached the branch above, he pulled an arrow from the case on his back and brought it around in front of himself before unraveling the rope he’d attached to his belt.

  Naeve couldn’t tear her eyes away as she remained rooted to the spot, witnessing the totally foreign action take place.

  Oh, God. There is no way I’m anywhere close to home. Not when a guy is using a bow and arrow.

  That was when he raised the bow with ease, lined the arrow up, and drew the string back. He released it with a soft whoosh, and the arrow spiraled out across the stream, with the rope attached, hitting its target—an enormous trunk on the opposite side of the water.