“This is going to hurt,” he warned. Whatever I had imagined my captor’s voice would sound like, this wasn’t it. I had expected it to be gruff, annoyed, even mean. This man’s voice was soft.
My brain screamed as he wiped the gash on my head. I sucked in my breath but refused to cry out.
“Sorry,” he whispered.
“Are you ready?” grumbled the other one from a little farther away. The second man’s voice was gruff.
“Yeah, almost done. You might want to wash those scratches on your face. That tairat did a good number on you.”
“Geez, Luke. It’s a couple of scratches. And I don’t know why you’re bothering with her. After what she did to Ream, Rainen is probably just going to kill her anyway.”
Luke grunted. “That may be what Rainen wants, but it’s Damian calling the shots. You want to be the one to explain to him why she died on the way?”
All he got in reply was a grunt.
“If I tie your hands in front of you, are you going to be good?”
I nodded. My shoulders screamed as they were freed to rotate. Before I even had time to think about maybe trying to escape my hands were being bound again, this time a little more comfortably, I noticed.
“Can you eat and ride?”
Again, I nodded, not sure if I could do it blindfolded, but liking the idea better than being fed.
Luke led me back to the horse and lifted me into the saddle.
The other one started talking as we got moving again. “Did you see the look on Jasper’s face when we rushed out of the bush!”
It was Luke’s turn to grunt.
His friend kept on going. “It’s kind of nice knowing he won’t be around anymore. He was quite the pain in the ass when it came to missions. In all my years I have never seen a cat, or dog for that matter, who was as good at his job. I wish I could have been the one to finish him off.”
Tears welled in my eyes and soaked my blindfold.
Luke was quiet behind me. I tried to keep the sobs in.
He put a hand on my shoulder and I jumped.
The pain in my chest got heavier and heavier as I tried to control my crying. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. Everything went dark.
*****
“I don’t know what happened. I think she passed out.” Luke must have been bent over me. I pretended not to hear him.
“Well, wake her up! We have to get moving.”
“Ryland, relax. We’ve got to be a good three days ahead of them. And that’s if they found Jasper right away.”
“Fine. But if she’s not awake in a half hour we move anyway.”
“Fine.”
Ryland marched away. “I’m going hunting. I’m sick of eating bread.”
Luke simply sat beside me. Every once in a while he would fidget and peek under my blindfold.
“I guess I could go fill up the water so that’s done.” I heard him get up and walk away.
I lay on the grass, unable to even contemplate the thought of escaping. What was the point? I had no idea where I was, and if I ever made it back to Tara’s Jasper wasn’t going to be there. My plan became to simply go to the Majs and hope that Rainen got to me before Damian did.
Someone came and sat beside me. “Just one lousy rabbit,” grumbled Ryland. “So I wonder where Luke wandered off to.” He shifted his position. I tried not to panic as he ran a finger along my jaw line.
“I bet I can find a way to wake you up.” He straddled me, pulling my tunic out of my pants. He leaned forward and licked my ear.
Ryland screamed as I turned and bit his cheek.
“You stupid-“Whatever he called me was lost under the sound of his fist connecting with my face.
Darkness threatened to close in. I fought it off, struggling to get to my feet. My blindfold was starting to loosen and was slipping so that I could see. The light hurt my eyes after so many days of darkness.
Ryland grabbed my hair while I tried to crawl away.
I screamed.
He pushed me to my stomach and kneeled on me as he worked at getting my pants off.
I felt a rock digging painfully into my wrists, my arms trapped under me. I tried uselessly to roll.
“Ryland!”
I looked up at Luke who stood frozen, watching.
“Hey, come hold her for me. She’s a fighter!” He laughed.
“Ryland, get off of her.”
Ryland stopped, but didn’t get off. “What’s up? Our orders were to get her there alive. Not that we couldn’t have fun with her.”
My one eye was swelling shut and the other was pressed into the ground so that I wasn’t able to see what Luke was doing. I heard him walk over and my heart sank as he kneeled in front of me.
“Ryland, let her go.”
“Last time I checked, you didn’t outrank me, Luke. Man, all you fated guys are the same. If you don’t want your turn that’s fine. Just get lost for a few minutes.”
Luke stood up and walked away a few steps. I turned my head a bit so I could see him. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair, his brown eyes undecided. He started to walk back.
“See, I knew you would come to your-“ Ryland’s comment cut off as Luke’s fist found his jaw.
“I said get off of her.”
“What’s your problem?”
“I just think we should get going.” He didn’t sound so sure.
I lay on my stomach, frozen. One of them took a step. I heard them collide and gasped. Luke landed on his back beside me, a coyote going for his throat. Luke put out his arm and jammed it sideways into the coyote’s mouth as hard as he could.
Ryland bit down but only managed to inflict minimum damage with Luke’s arm keeping his mouth open.
Luke managed to push him off and jumped to his feet, shifting into a large grey wolf.
The two of them circled each other, looking for an opening. Ryland jumped in and out of the circle while Luke bid his time. The coyote made a lunge at the wolf. Luke seemed ready for it and dodged, grabbing Ryland by the throat.
After a quick undecided moment he finished the job, clamping down as hard as he could. The coyote twitched and lay still.
I stared at the wolf, unable to move, wondering if I was next.
Luke shifted back and sat down, his chin on his knees, looking at me.
“Are you alright?”
I nodded slowly and twisted around so that I was sitting.
“Can you still ride?”
“Yes.”
He got up and grabbed the horse.
“Wait,” he said as I tried to get on. I looked at him, unsure of what was coming.
“It will be easier without these.” He undid the blindfold which was now around my neck and untied my hands.
I went to swing on but stopped. “You’re bleeding.”
Luke looked at his arm and shrugged.
“Let me see.” I reached over and held his arm up so I could see it better. There were puncture wounds on the top and bottom on his forearm.
“It’s nothing. Really.”
I remembered a conversation very similar to this one with Jasper when he had gotten cut with a dagger on one of my first days here. A lump started to form in my throat. I swallowed hard to get rid of it.
Luke pulled his arm away.
“Wait. I can fix it. I’m a healer.”
He simply stared at me.
“Give me your arm.” I held out my hand and waited.
“I just kidnapped you. Why in the world would you help me?”
“Because you’re hurt.”
He frowned.
“I don’t see why you’re confused.” I was getting a little impatient.
He shrugged. “Alright, then.” He placed his arm in my hand and I pulled a safe green wave over it. It was healed within seconds.
“Thank you.” Luke kept his arm in my hand until I let go of it.
It was my turn to shrug. Luke looked down at the coyote for a minute, quiet. I took that tim
e to swing up onto the horse and waited to see what he would do.
“Come on.” He turned and started back in the direction we had just come from.
*****
It was almost dark when he stopped.
I swung off the horse and started to lead him around so he could cool down.
Luke glanced at me. “Are you hungry?”
“A bit.”
I watched him warily while he moved about.
He pulled some bread from his bag and handed it to me. He stared intently at me while I chewed.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m just trying to decide who will be the nicest when they kill me. Your friends because I took you, or Rainen because I disobeyed orders.”
“Oh.”
He continued to stare. “Sorry about Ryland,” he muttered.
“I’m sorry you did what you did.” I couldn’t help myself. I started crying. “I hate it here! Everyone killing everyone else over me!”
His jaw dropped.
“It’s absolutely useless! And for what? It’s not worth it! Were you on the ridge? So many of them died! Cats, dogs. And why? For me?”
“You actually care that some of ours died.”
“Of course! It’s so needless. I refuse to fight for anybody. I don’t care who decides to lock me away as their secret weapon. I would rather die than be a part of this!” I wiped my eyes with my arm and tried to get a hold of myself. I swung back onto my horse and took a deep breath. “So decide where we’re going and let’s get there.”
He laughed. “I can see why Jasper might have been getting attached to you. You’re quite the character.”
My composure threatened to crumble at the mention of his name.
Luke nodded. “Ok. Let’s go then. Your friends will probably just shoot and get it over with. Rainen will make me suffer.” He started walking towards the Wedelven woods.
We went along at a walk all night and most of the next day. When we stopped for lunch exhaustion took over and I fell asleep.
It was starting to get dark when a chirping noise woke me up. I glanced around and saw Luke still sleeping.
The chirp came again.
I started crying with relief as a little blue bird landed on my leg.
“Tell them I’m ok. Tell them I’m on my way back,” I whispered to her.
She chirped and flew away.
“You can talk to birds?” Luke’s eyes were half open, his voice still half asleep.
“She can understand me. I can’t understand her.”
“Hmmm. Ok then. Are you ready to go?”
I nodded.
We started trotting.
“So why did you stop him?” I glanced sideways at him.
“I’m not sure. I mean, I’m fated to my mate. So it never occurs to me to do that with anyone other than her, but I’ve never interfered when someone else was doing it.” He shrugged. “Just felt wrong.”
“Are wolves and other dogs born to obey Damian just like the cats are born to serve Melana?”
He nodded. “That’s another thing that doesn’t make sense. There is no way I should be moving in this direction.”
“You broke your bond to the Majs,” I whispered, amazed.
“What do you mean?”
“The cats. The ones that fought on the ridge. They were ordered by the queen to return to the keep. Some of them left. But the ones that stayed broke their bonds to her and stayed to fight with Jasper.”
“That’s impossible!”
“And yet it keeps happening.”
We continued in silence after that.
After three more days of traveling it seemed like we would never get back. My poor horse was half dead and I led him most of the way now.
Luke was helping me down a steep hill when he fell back, an arrow in his shoulder.
I jumped on top of him, covering him the best I could.
“Hayden, get off of him so I can get rid of the dog!” Tara was up in a tree, her second arrow ready.
“No!”
Zane walked over, a growl escaping his panther throat.
Luke tried to get up but I threw myself on him harder.
“Stay down! He’ll kill you!”
Zane glanced at me then back at Luke as my kidnapper/savior let out a hard laugh from under me. “That was the plan, remember? No suffering! But you’re not helping!” He tried to push me off.
“You aren’t going to die.” I looked at Zane. “You don’t touch a hair on his head!”
The panther’s eyes widened in surprise. He shifted back so he could talk. “And why not! After what he did to Jasper and then stealing you! And look at you!” He turned on Luke. “Was it necessary to beat her?” He bared his teeth.
“That wasn’t him. It was the other one. He was trying to...to take advantage of the fact that we were alone...” I took a deep breath as the memory came back. “I bit his face and he punched me. But Luke stopped him.” I was explaining to the whole group as they came out of the woods. “Luke killed him.” I let it sink in. “He brought me back.”
Shanus asked the obvious question. “Why?”
Luke shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Brice laughed quietly. “Don’t we all know that feeling well enough.” Out of all the Namaels that had stayed to fight on the ridge, he had been the only one who had completely broken his bond and stayed.
Ben seemed the most shocked. “But a dog? What does that mean?”
They all looked at me. “I don’t know. I just moved here, remember?”
I got off of Luke. “Let’s see your shoulder.”
Tara came to stand beside us. “Sorry about that.”
Luke grunted. He turned white and hissed through his teeth while Ben and Zane worked the arrow out.
“Ok, stand still.”
“Hayden, you can’t. You’re too weak still.” Tara put a hand on my shoulder.
“I don’t care.” I pulled a safe green wave and placed it on his shoulder. I was amazed at how quickly it healed.
I stumbled and Zane caught me. “Which one did you use?” he asked.
“The one Fillian uses,” I mumbled. “I’m just tired, that’s all.”
A soft nose touched my face and made me smile. “Hey, buddy.”
Dodge snorted.
“He wants to know if you’re strong enough to ride or if you want to have a rest,” Zane translated.
“I want to get home.” My voice caught in my throat. “Maybe if you rode behind me, Zane?”
He nodded and helped me up. He turned to Luke before getting on behind me. “You may as well come along. It seems you’re meant to be with her as well.”
I was sleeping when we made it back to the house. I felt myself being lifted then carried and set in my bed. I sank into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 6
When I woke up, the sun was shining through the window. I felt something furry move against my arm.
“Tiny.” I smiled. “You’re ok.” I reached over and pulled her onto my chest so I could pet her. “Such a brave girl,” I mumbled to her. She squeaked at me and licked the end of my nose.
I sat up and looked at myself in the mirror. My reflection cringed as I gingerly touched the swollen, blue side of my face.
“Well, Hayden, you look just how you feel.”
I made my way to the bath room and settled into a hot tub. I thought about my options while I lay in the water. It occurred to me that going back to my parents was something I hadn’t thought of. Nothing was stopping me from going back. Right?
If anything, that was probably the best option for everyone involved. If I wasn’t here, then there was no reason for my friends to fight. And without Jasper here, was there even a reason to stay?
I would have to find a way to make up the final exams I had missed at school, but was sure there was a way to do that. My parents must have given my teachers some sort of explanation for my absence.
But then again, was I even allowed to leav
e now that I was here?
After soaking some of the soreness away I wrapped myself in a towel and headed back to my room to do some more thinking.
If I went back to my old life, was it actually possible to get back to normal? After everything I had seen and experienced here, would I be able to live where I couldn’t play with color waves, or lay in the sun with big cats. And what about everyone here? Tara, Ben? Phlann and Zane? They were all like family now. We had fought together, bled together. Other than my parents, I didn’t have anyone like that over there.
Tiny sat on my back as I lay on my bed, my head in my arms and let the tears come. Every memory I had of Jasper flashed through my head. “This is my fault,” I whispered to myself. “I should have finished healing him.”
I didn’t realize anyone had come into the room until I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I kept my head in my arms, a bit embarrassed. “I’m ok. Just give me a minute and I’ll come down.”
Tiny jumped off of my back onto whoever was beside the bed. I waited to hear a cry of pain from her next target. It didn’t come.
“I was hoping we could just stay up here. I brought you some food.”
“What?” I didn’t think I had heard right. I looked up, my heart in my throat. I shook my head. “So much for being awake.”
“What part of this seems like a dream?” Jasper whispered as he rubbed my back. Tiny sat on his shoulder, enjoying a piece of fruit.
I smiled. This was replaying like the scene in the clearing when we had just met. “All of it. Especially the part where Tiny likes you.”
He placed Tiny in her nest on the chair and lay in the bed beside me.
My smile disappeared. “You’re dead,” I whispered into my arms.
“Though it felt like it when you were gone and I couldn’t come after you, I can assure you, Shlova, I am very much alive.” He reached around and pulled me to him, careful of my face.
“But Luke and Ryland said…” A sob stopped me.
“No. That good for nothing coyote thought that I was. Luke merely rebroke my ribs and knocked me out.”
“Merely,” I repeated. I thought back to the conversation those two had had. Luke had never admitted to killing Jasper.
“So you’re alive?” I looked up at him, wanting this to be real. Pleading with him to say it was.
Crossover 'The Chosen One Trilogy: Book One' Page 14
