“As many as I like.” His soft voice accented the sadistic smile that appeared as he stopped and pulled her against him in the darkness.
“It’s very cold, I’d like to sample that wine now. “ She whispered smiling seductively as her stomach turned into knots.
Without a word he led her back across the compound and into the lodge. As they reached his suite she turned to his pressing her body against his asking, “You enjoy watching them die, don’t you?”
“Does that shock you?” He answered looking down at her.
“It should, but it doesn’t.” She smiled and walked through the door into the living area.
Panic suddenly flared as she approached the long sofa and forced herself to remove the warm cape. Connor took it from her arms and draped it over the far end removing his dark gray coat and sitting beside her he poured two glasses of wine and offered her one.
She said, “It's been so long since I’ve had anything stronger than water to drink.” Lysette smiled taking the glass, “I’m afraid this will go straight to my head.”
“Perhaps if the night goes well I could arrange to have a bottle sent with your evening meals.” Connor raised his glass to his lips taking a long drink of the sparkling white wine.
Lysette took a deep breath to stay calm as his remark. She watched and waited for her one chance for freedom. Shifting her foot slightly to reassure herself once more that the syringe was still in its place inside her slipper, she took a sip. It warmed her instantly.
Sitting his now empty glass on the small table Connor pulled Lysette against him. Feeling the bile rise in her throat as he kissed her, Lysette thought only of escape. His hand grasped her breast roughly and gritted her teeth against the pain pretending to enjoy it. Pulling him closer she lay back on the sofa as he followed. Concentrating on the syringe in her slipper instead of his exploring hands Lysette slipped it off silently sliding it along the floor with her foot until it was within reach.
“You are a beautiful sensual woman, Lysette.” Connor whispered in her ear. “If you please me I may let you live.”
His words hardened her. His mouth tasted her neck and trailed down her throat as she reached for her weapon. He found the softness of her breasts and revealed them with one tearing jerk of her clothes as she shoved the needle deep into the side of his throat. He collapsed before the pain even registered and fell with his full weight on top of Lysette. Shoving him onto the floor, Lysette head back a sob of anger, fear and revulsion. She forced herself to her feet and pulled her torn clothes back together. Gasping in an effort to maintain control she looked down at Connors still form and recalled what Andru had said about the demon below her. How he had destroyed the minds of William and Elsebeth.
She almost wished she had brought enough medicine in the syringe to kill him. Forcing her eyes from him she searched the suite, finding several long bows on a shelf in the main closet. Taking the bow and two full quivers of arrows she headed back to where Connor lay. She searched his jacket, he must have a weapon. He wouldn’t have gone outside with a pistol or rifle. She found a small laser pistol in his pocket. Moving quickly to search his clothes for the key to the nursery the stuffed the pistol back inside and took the jacket. Gathering the weapons and her cape, she headed for the door.
The main corridor was silent as she moved cautiously toward the living area. She silently crossed the room and peered around the corner of the small hall that led to the nursery. The guard stood at the end of the hall facing her as he leaned against the wall beside the door half asleep. “Don’t think about it.’ She told herself as she notched the arrow on bow and pulled it back into place. Time seemed to stop as she raised the weapon, aimed and fired sending the arrow into the soldier's heart. She wasn’t certain if the scream she had heard was only her head or had actually come out of her as she ran down the hall to free Andru.
No one came as she unlocked the door in the silence of the corridor. Not looking at the dead soldiers face, she stepped over him and opened the door. Andru stood at the door his face pale as he held Arbus wrapped in a series of blankets. He looked down into the dead soldiers' blank eyes in shock.
“What did you think I was going to do? Seduce him too?” Lysette snapped at him, pushing the horror out of her mind. “Don’t look at him . . . it helps.” Her voice softened and she offered him the jacket and pistol. Lysette took Arbus from Andru and he pulled the jacket on as they headed down the hall. Finding the kitchen Andru took Arbus back and Lysette stuffed the pillow-case he had brought with him with bread, cheese and a small piece of cooked meat she found in the cooler.
“Are you alright?” Andru whispered as they moved across the living area and headed for the entrance way.
“There’s a guard outside the entrance. I’ll get his attention and you silence him.” Lysette ordered, not able to look at him. It was too hard, she was afraid that if she let go of her anger and hatred now she wouldn’t be able to do what she knew she must.
The soldier stood in the small sheltered area in front of the glass doors outside the entrance seeking shelter from the cold wind. Hearing a muffled cry from behind him, he turned to see Lysette huddled against the wall inside. Opening the door he moved slowly toward her, not seeing the hard that reached out and touched the back of his head. He felt a slight pressure then darkness took him.
Lysette looked up curiously at Andru as she rose from the floor, he said, “He’ll sleep for about two days.” Andru shrugged, “I got a little carried away.”
“Stay here until I signal for you.” Lysette ordered stepping over the sleeping soldier and moving through the doors.
Crouching next to the entrance, she brought the bow sights up on the guard at the stable entrance. ‘Don’t think about it’ the voice came again and she pulled the trigger release as the wind ceased for only a moment. Once again the arrow sunk deep into the guard’s heart and Lysette sank back deeper into the shadows waiting for a shout of alarm as he sank to the ground. None came.
Turning her attention to the guard on his perch across the compound she realized the distance was nearly two hundred meters instead of the one hundred and eighty meters she had thought before. Taking a deep breath she aimed high knowing the arrow would fall fast at that distance. She saw the guard turn and look directly at her as she released the arrow. It struck him in the throat and he fell from the platform in silence.
Andru appeared at her side, saying, “Someone’s coming.” His whisper was urgent and he grabbed her arm to pull her toward the stables as the sounds of alarm rang from the guards inside as the soldiers' bodies were found. Throwing open the stable doors Lysette threw saddles on the two nearest horses and they mounted and sped out into the darkness. The moon was still hidden behind the dark layer of clouds above them. As the pure darkness of the night enveloped them they dove into the woods in the direction that Andru could only hope was north. The sounds of the compound grew silent behind them as they urged the horses on through the thick trees and brush.
Minutes seemed like hours as they fought the wind and stumbled down into ravines and back out again. Suddenly Andru disappeared from directly in front of Lysette in the darkness. She heard the horse scream as it fell into a deep ravine. Andru dove off the horse falling into a ball in a desperate attempt to protect Arbus who was strapped to his chest inside his jacket. Jumping from her horse Lysette searched the night or Andru. There was only silence from below as she descended slowly feeling her way to the bottom.
“Andru!” Her frightened voice called softly as she searched, “Please answer me!”
“Here, Lysette.” He called from the blackness surrounding her. Moving forward she found him leaving over the dead horse. Andru’s head was bleeding from a large gash in his temple, Arbus whimpered from the sling inside his jacket. “Arbus is fine, the horse broke his neck.” Andru whispered.
“We’ve got to keep moving.” Lysette answered as she helped them back up the steep slope. “Are you alright?”
“I’m
ok, but we’ve got to slow the pace.” He answered struggling to pull himself over the edge of the ridge.
Reaching the top Lysette searched for the horse and found it huddled in the shelter of some trees not too far off. Climbing on the horse they headed slowly around the ravine as a thrashing sound came from below.
“Sraeb!” Andru’s whisper was full of fear. “It heard the horses scream.” He urged their nervous horse to move quickly as they fought to open the gap between them and the hungry beast.
Searching the immediate area the soldiers found no sign of Lysette or Andru other than the path of brush which they had trampled on their way into the trees. After discovering Commander Connor it took nearly an hour to revive him. He growled orders for pursuit to his reluctant soldiers whose fear of the sraeb was nearly as great as for their commander. Suddenly a shout came of intruders emerging from the trees on the west side.
Scattering the soldiers attended to their stations and prepared for battle as Connor grabbed his laser rifle and headed for the trees where Lysette and Andru disappeared. He vowed Lysette would not escape his wrath, not now. She would die before dawn and the empathy with her. Connor emerged to find his soldiers losing ground to the slightly larger force that surged from the forest. Seeing Katar heading an assault on the cabin, Connor smiled and disappeared into the trees. He only wished he could see the mountain Princes face when he found his lover gone.
Katar burst through the entrance expecting another defensive assault. Instead he found a soldier asleep at his post and another dead at the nursery door. Finding only Rey inside he turned the child over to Joah as he entered behind him asking, “Can you tell if they are close?”
“No, “Joah answered grimly, “They are not in the building, but I have a great sense of danger. Andru and Lysette must have been taken as we attacked. But where is the other child?”
“There was only one.” Katar answered rushing out to search for Connors suite.
Cap appeared as Katar found the other larger corridor and followed it to Connor’s suite, Cap followed saying, “There’s two more soldiers outside with a long bow arrow in their chests.”
“Who was carrying a long bow?” Katar asked stopping at a locked door and motioning for him to stand back.
“Lysette.” Sean’s voice came from behind Cap. “I just had a very interesting talk with one of our prisoners. He said Lysette and Andru escaped taking one of the infants with them, just before we arrived.”
Katar turned to look at him for a moment, then with one swift movement turned and kicked the suite door from its hinges. After a quick glance into the room he moved past them back toward the living area. “Get someone in here to clean that up Cap.” He ordered still moving. “Sean, I want to talk to that soldier.”
Peeking around the corner into the room Sean and Cap found William and Elsebeth both lying on the floor in a pool of blood, their throats slit. Cursing under his breath Sean followed Katar determined that the same would not happen to Lysette. Sean reached Katar as he headed back outside asking, “Any sign of Connor?”
“None,” Katar turned back to him. “Where is this prisoner?”
Sean pointed over to the stables the two moved across the clearing and inside the large open doors. Finding several soldiers who had surrendered without a struggle, Sean motioned for the young Captain to step forward saying, “This is Captain Marsh, he was recently promoted after Connor’s three best officers were killed by Sraeb.”
“Where is Commander Connor?” Katar’s voice snapped angrily at the young officer.
“I think he went after the prisoners.” The young officer answered wondering if his cooperation would save him from execution.
“Which direction?” Katar growled.
“Northeast as far as we could tell. No one wanted to follow because of the beasts.”
“Did you find their trail?” Katar turned to Sean, his concern for Lysette growing.
“Yes, they entered the forest just a few meters from the stable entrance.” Sean answered, “Looked like they were in a big hurry. The brush is trampled pretty well; it's going to be pretty easy for Connor to track them.” Sean finished as he followed Katar out of the stables and met Cap.
They strode over to the section of brush Sean had described. Katar turned back to Cap and nodded, saying “Get some of the men and head back toward the ocean through the trees. I’ll follow their path; if they start to head west maybe you can cut them off. It will be light soon, they’ll realize their mistake. I’ve got to catch up with Connor before he finds them or they haven’t got a prayer.”
“You’re not going in there alone.” Cap stepped in front of him taking his arm firmly, only to release it as Katar glared viciously at him. “At least take a horse.” Cap tried to reason with him calmly.
“I’ll go faster on foot and I don’t want Connor to hear me coming.” Katar said with such determination that Cap stepped aside and watched his friend disappear into the trees.
Cap turned and shouted to the soldiers that had gathered to witness the disagreement, “Move!” They quickly organized and disappeared back onto the trail then led them into the camp.
Sean watched until Cap and his men were out of sight and headed into the trees after Katar. Joah quickly followed after placing Rey in the hands of the nearest soldier.
Chapter Sixteen
The sky had darkened even further than Lysette thought possible. There was no longer even the faintest hint of the moon as it danced above the thick clouds. As the wind grew stronger their strength began to leave them. Moving slowly Andru tried to pick the easiest terrain, searching for even a slight resemblance of a trail. Instead they found themselves going deeper into a dense area of the thicket.
Lysette dismounted, insisting that Andru and Arbus remain on the horse. Andrus head was pounding so he gave no argument holding tightly onto Arbus to shelter him from the fierce winds. The night was silent there were no signs of pursuit. Hoping the soldiers were too frightened of the sraebs they continued on at their slow pace. Concerned that Andrus head wound was more severe than he had let on, Lysette prayed for the ocean to appear.
Forcing the suddenly reluctant horse forward Lysette tugged on the reins as Andru nodded off in the saddle still clinging to Arbus. As Lysette continued to struggle with the animal Andru’s head snapped up and he yelled, “Lysette!”
“I’m here Andru calm down, it's just the horse . . .” She whispered back to him.
“No! There is pain! Unbearable pain!” He screamed reaching wildly out for her.
Terrified that he was hallucinating she hurried to his side. The brush moved beside her as she heard Andru scream once more, “Sraeb!” He bolted from the saddle pushing her back into the bushes as the beast snatched the horse out from under him then disappeared once more.
As the horse screamed in horror Lysette felt Andru pulling her to her feet yelling, “Run! Don’t stop! Just keep running!” They were on their feet tearing through the trees and brush terrified as they heard the sound of bone crushing behind them. The sraeb sensed their departure and left his large meal confused by the pain of his wounds. A pain it had bared for too long. As the sounds of the sraeb grew closer Andru realized there was no escape. They reached a small clearing and he stopped at its far end turning to face the beast. He pulled the laser pistol from his belt and fired into the massive creature as it cleared the trees. Screaming in pain the animal flew into them confused further by the new onslaught of pain.
Lysette turned back just in time to see Andru, still carrying Arbus fall beneath the beast. As it flew over them Lysette brought up her bow and fired, praying she wouldn’t hit them. The beast screamed and kept coming. Lysette kept firing until the quiver was empty. The beast faltered and fell less than a meter from where she stood. Jumping over the beast Lysette ran to where Andru lay covered in blood. Turning to see the sraeb pull itself up to its full height, Lysette pulled the arrows from her last smaller quiver and fired until it was empty as well. She stood
and watched in numb silence as the creature finally fell dead a short way from where it had risen.
“Arbus,” Andru coughed and tried to rise.
Glancing around in the silence of the clearing she could hear the infants muffled cries. Searching she found him in a patch of dense underbrush where he had been thrown by the sraebs impact. Checking the baby she found he appeared to be unharmed and returned quickly to Andru as he once again struggled to pull himself to his feet. Laying Arbus on the ground beside Andru Lysette applied pressure to the deep wound in Andrus side. Reaching out to touch Arbus Andru sighed softly as his senses told him the baby was unharmed.
“He’s alright.” Andru smiled up at Lysette.
“Andru, help me!” Lysette cried as the tears welled in her eyes, “You’re dying, I can’t stop the blood!” She pulled off her cloak and ripped off the sleeve of her jumpsuit to press against the flow of blood.
“Take Arbus and go.” Andru urged quietly, “Listen, can’t you hear the water?”
Lysette stared at him in horror, “Andru, I’m not leaving you!”
Follow the stream.” Andru whispered. He reached out and touched the side of her face. Lysette could feel the calmness wash over her and she shoved his hand away.
“Stop it! Save your strength.” She scolded, “Can’t you do anything to heal yourself?”
“I'm too weak and the injury is too severe for me to do anything.” Andru shook his head sadly. “The strength isn’t met to be used to heal yourself, only others. Fast healing is just a . . . side effect.”
“Then tell me how to heal you!” Lysette pleaded in desperation. “You said my life force was strong, show me.”
Tempest Rise (Treborel) Page 28
