“Whatcha gonna do about it?” he taunted, between the fits of laughter.
“Oh, I am so going to drown you,” she snapped. Having finally adjusted to the drastic temperature drop, she took off in his direction. Dirik, still laughing, scurried away as fast as the knee-deep water would allow him.
They continued on that way for quite a while, taking turns drenching one another, until they were both too exhausted and cold to continue on anymore.
“Well I think that played out fairly close to how it went the first time.” He sighed, collapsing on the rocky bank next to her. Glancing his direction as she worked to wring some of the water out of her skirt, Citera laughed half-heartedly, “Yeah, now you just need to disappear into the woods to pee so K can knock you out and come talk to me.”
Dirik scowled, “No way. That was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me… and I have lived through some pretty scary stuff.”
They both remained silent for a few moments, neither of them certain they wanted to drudge up the unpleasantness of that fateful day. “Will you tell me what happened.” Citera finally asked, pausing as he turned to meet her gaze. “Maybe if I hear it, it will help me remember something.”
“Not much to tell really.” Dirik sighed, leaning back on his hands behind him. “One minute I am strolling through the woods, minding my own business, the next I wake up in the dark, with no idea what happened. I stumbled around the forest for what felt like forever, but luckily I found my way back to the valley. Except when I did, you were gone and there were signs of a struggle.” Dirik paused, inhaling deeply as he struggled with the painful memories. “Blood was everywhere Citera.”
Citera shuttered at the thought. “I just don’t understand why I can’t remember what happened.”
“You can’t remember anything at all?”
“Just what occurred up until the moment I feel asleep.”
“Well start there.” Dirik encouraged.
Unsure why he would want to hear the same story she had already recanted to them all dozens of times during the last weeks, Citera sighed. “It’s like I said before. After you left, she appeared. At first I was frightened when I saw her, because she didn’t look like herself.”
“How do you mean,” Dirik asked, sounding genuinely interested. “Had she changed her appearance?”
Citera shook her head, “No, her hair color and general apperance were the same. But she had a strange, wild look to her eyes and her voice… it was different somehow.” Sneaking a glance over her shoulder, Citera saw Dirik watching her intently. Appreciative that he was taking this whole thing seriously, she turned back to face the river and continued with her story. “However, once I finally got my own fear under control, K was able to explain that she needed the block Jaron had given me. That was when we sat down here and I let her take it from me. I can even remember how cold I felt when she took it out of my body and placed it into hers.” Shivering, Citera paused, until she felt Dirik’s arm drape over her shoulders like a comforting blanket. Smiling to herself, she took a moment to appreciate his closeness. “We were just lying here, watching the sun begin to ease its way out of the sky. K was better, the block had worked, but the process had made me tired. So K told me to sleep, and when I awakened, we would all go back to camp together.”
“Rest, and when you wake up everything will be back as it was.”
“That was the last thing she said to me.” Citera released a ragged breath. Opening her eyes, she leaned into Dirik’s comforting hold. “Except, it wasn’t, was it? Instead I woke up five days later, bruised, alone, and scared, with no memory of where I had been or what had happened to me during that time.”
Citera sniffed, struggling to hold back the threatening tears. Because if she had to admit it to herself, that missing section of her life was what struck more fear inside her than any of the other things that had happened. Just the knowledge that she had lived for five days, possibly being held captive against her will, and not knowing what it was they had done to her, simply terrified her. Deciding not to chase that rabbit down its hole yet again, only to cause her and K more pain, Citera shook herself free of the memories and tightened her grip on Dirik’s arm.
They remained that way for quite a while before Dirik finally spoke. “I am so sorry, Citera.”
“Dirik, it’s not your place to apologize, you did nothing wrong.”
“Didn’t I?” he asked, with more than a hint of venom in his tone. “I should have been here. I should have stayed by your side. But instead I left you here alone… defenseless.”
Pulling back slightly, Citera found herself merely inches from Dirik’s intense gaze. “Dirik…”
“No!” Dirik snapped. Pulling his arm from her grasp, he placed both hands on the sides of her face, and forced her to face him. “Don’t make excuses for me. I should have been here with you, to protect you.” Citera gasped, stunned by the passion with which he spoke and touched her. But even that intensity failed in comparison to that of the almost predatory glare that held her in place and rendered her helpless in his grasp. “But that is a mistake I will never make again.” Leaning forward until his lips were only a breath away from hers, he lowered his voice to almost a whisper. “This I swear.”
Shocked and confused, Citera’s heart pounded as her mind and body warred over the morality of what was happening. Dirik was family. Granted, they didn’t have the same blood running through their veins, but for the last several years the two of them had lived and worked together as family. They had laughed and ate meals together at the same table. Not to mention they slept under the same roof even now.
But for every excuse Citera’s mind could conjure as to why this was so wrong, memories of all the instances in her life when she had needed someone and he had been there for her, pulled her back in. It had been Dirik’s shoulder she cried on when her mother died and her father sank into a crippling depression. It was Dirik who remained at her side, making sure she ate and rested, when she feared her father was dying. And as she stared into those enduring brown eyes, pleading with her not to reject him, Citera’s decision was instantly made for her. After all, no one, not even her own father, had ever been there for her as much as this boy, and the more she thought back, the more she realized just how important he had become to her.
A smile curved the edges of her lips, garnering a questioning look from Dirik, and before either of them had a chance to change their mind, she closed the gap between them and pressed her lips softly against his. But instead of returning her kiss, Dirik’s entire body immediately went rigid. Ashamed and worried she might have misread what was happening, Citera quickly pulled away, dropping her gaze to hide her flushing cheeks.
“Dirik, I’m sorry.” she breathed, trying unsuccessfully to control the shaking of her voice. “I thought…”
A hand wrapping around the back of her neck cut her off before she could finish. Surprised, she looked up and was greeted by Dirik’s lips crashing onto hers. Stunned by the aggressiveness of the embrace, it was Citera who hesitated this time. However, unlike her, Dirik didn’t give up on his kiss so easily. Instead he remained persistent and after a few awkward moments she slowly began to move her lips in harmony with his. And within seconds, they fell into a comfortable rhythm, each matching the movement of the other as if they had kissed a thousand times before.
Taking their time and savoring each other’s taste, they remained entwined until the sound of some birds flittering in the distance broke their concentration. It was Dirik who pulled away first, much to Citera’s disappointment. His cheeks were flushed and he was breathing heavily, as he stared at her with a questioning gaze. Citera, still reeling and short of breath herself, could do little more than manage a nervous giggle.
He must have taken that as a good sign, because that wide boyish grin she had grown to love over the years lit up his entire face. “You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that.” He chuckled.
“Then why did you wait?” she
teased, unable to control the flush that brightened her cheeks.
“I wasn’t sure how you would react.” He answered, seriousness creeping back into his tone. “And I didn’t want to run the risk of losing you as a friend.”
Raising her eyebrows, Citera studied him closely, “And now you’re okay with losing me as a friend?”
“No, of course not,” he backtracked quickly. “It’s just… Well… I don’t know…”
Citera remained silent, allowing him to stumble over his words. She knew she was sort of torturing him, but couldn’t help it. Because as her pulse and breathing slowly began to level out, confusion was beginning to creep back in as one by one the concerns that had held her back before began to resurface. And it sure didn’t help matters that he sounded just as confused as she felt.
But she needed answers. She needed to know what had driven him to kiss her. Was it merely a case of needing to fulfill his curiosity and now that he had, everything would return back to normal? Or, as she secretly hoped, did he really have feelings for her that extended beyond the realm of the friendship they had built over the years?
“I guess…” He began, interrupting her thoughts and drawing her attention back to him, “… with everything that has been happening lately… I guess I was afraid that if I didn’t at least try I would one day regret it.” He sighed heavily, running a hand through his shaggy damp hair. “I care for you more than you can imagine Citera.” He continued, barely speaking above a whisper. “And I feel like it’s more than friendship. I-I have this deep-rooted need to be around you… to protect you. But I also don’t want to do anything to jeopardize what we already have. Just the thought of you not being in my life in one way or another is simply terrifying. So as much as I want more than a simple friendship with you, I will settle for being only friends if that is what you want.”
Citera listened quietly, struggling to keep her face stoic as Dirik’s heart felt words threatened to bring tears to her eyes. Inside her entire body warmed with the happiness his words brought her, and for the first time since K’s disappearance, the feeling of impending doom was finally gone. K, I sure hope you can feel this too, she thought as she returned her gaze to Dirik’s. His big brown eyes nervously watched her, waiting for some sort of reaction.
“Dirik, I…” She began, but hesitated when a movement in the tree line snagged her attention. Furrowing her brow, she squinted trying to locate the source of the disturbance.
Dirik, puzzled, turned and followed her gaze. “What is it?”
“I saw something move.” She answered rising to her feet for a better perspective. “It looked like a person.”
“It’s probably just someone from camp coming to take a dip in the stream like us.”
“Maybe.” She muttered, wanting desperately to believe him. Unfortunately, a nagging voice in the back of her mind was screaming that something was wrong. “But why would someone from the camp be hiding from us?” As the words escaped her lips an overwhelming sense of alarm tightened her chest causing her to grimace. Rubbing the offending area, she hurriedly scanned her surroundings. “Dirik, something is really wrong.” She said quickly, not even trying to conceal the panic in her voice.
In a flash Dirik was on his feet by her side. “Are you hurting? Has something happened to K?”
“No, it’s not K.” She paused, “Well, it sort of is… I think. But this feels different from anything else I have experienced.” Scanning the trees once more she searched for a way to put into words what she was feeling. “It is kind of like that gut feeling you get right before something bad is about to happen, only ten times worse.” Furrowing her brow, she turned her attention back to Dirik. “I know this sounds crazy, but I think K is trying to warn me about something.”
Dirik appeared puzzled for a moment, before a look of purpose smoothed his features. Grabbing her by the wrist, he took off in the direction of the trail, dragging her behind him. “Dirik,” Citera protested, “We are heading right for the spot where…” Her words cut off as she slammed to a stop against Dirik’s back. “Ouch.”
Rubbing her bruised shoulder, she raised her head about to give him a piece of her mind when she spotted him. Standing at the edge of the forest blocking the trail back to the village, stood a man neither of them had ever seen before. He was tall, with a narrow but muscular build, and dark hair. Dressed in a solid black uniform, he casually stood, staring at the two of them with a long sword loosely gripped by his side. Without pause, Dirik threw his hand out in front of her, bravely placing himself between her and the armed stranger.
Smiling widely, he slung his sword over his shoulder. “Do you really think you can protect her boy?” He chuckled lowly.
Ignoring his taunting, Citera wrapped her hands around Dirik’s arm. “Dirik,” she whispered, eyeing the black uniform the stranger wore. Leaning in close, she tried to keep her voice as low as possible, though she doubted it would help. Even from this distance it was clear the soldier was a Full-blood, and would most likely hear everything she said anyway. “He is a member of the Shadows’ Black Guard.”
“I know,” he responded lowly, his eyes darting from one end of the field to the other. “We need to get out of here.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t try that if I was you.” The man chuckled loudly, leaving no doubt about whether or not he could hear them. “You see, while the two of you were… shall we say… preoccupied? My men and I took the opportunity to get you surrounded.” With a smug look on his face, the soldier raised his free hand, gesturing to the surrounding field. Reluctantly, Citera and Dirik both followed the movement and watched horrified as five more members of the Black Guard casually strolled their way into the valley.
“Dirik.” Her voice barely above a whisper, trembled with fear. As if reading her mind, Dirik pulled her into him and wrapped his arms protectively around her. He knew, just as she did, that their chances of surviving this were improbable. Two unarmed Terrians, barely stood a fighting chance against one Full-blood; whose speed and strength was ten times that of their own. And against six, all armed with swords, any hopes they had had of escaping, were now beyond futile.
And with fear came pain, wave after wave of excruciating pain, that surged through her body and gripped her core. K had told her not long before she disappeared that fear was one of the worst emotions for her to experience with their link. That not only did it cause them both to suffer a nearly unbearable level of agony, but it also awakened the darker side of K. But despite knowing she was causing them both to suffer, Citera could not halt her traitorous mind as it reeled with thoughts of what these vile servants of the Shadows’ had in store for them.
Struggling to fight back the tears caused by both her pain and fear, Citera closed her eyes and rested her forehead against Dirik’s bare chest. She had no desire to continue watching the smug expressions of the men as they took their time closing in on them, their ill intentions dancing beneath their dark gazes. All she wanted to do was savor these last few moments with Dirik, remembering their kiss and the feel of his lips against hers.
Beneath her embrace, Dirik’s body became rigid, ready to fight a battle he stood no chance of winning in order to keep her protected. “Be ready to run when I tell you.” He whispered, verbally making his intentions clear.
He would do whatever he had to do, no matter the risk, to give her a fighting chance at escaping. Raising her gaze, she could clearly see the resolve set in his narrowed eyes and clenched jaw. He was willing to sacrifice himself for her, a thought that both warmed her heart and crushed it at the same time. The thought of losing him, so soon after finding out how he really felt about her tore her heart in two, and sent the worst pain she had ever experienced surging through her already miserable body. No longer able to support her own weight beneath the waves of misery coursing through her, Citera’s knees gave way and sent her crashing to the ground.
“Citera!” Dirik exclaimed, dropping to her side.
She could hear the panic in
his voice, and though she longed to comfort him, the stabbing pain within her robbed her of air, making it impossible for her to respond. With her head lowered, she cradled her chest, rocking back and forth in attempt to alleviate some of the discomfort as she listened to the sound of their footsteps continue to draw near. The leader, now much nearer to them than the others, taunted as he stood over their crouched forms.
“Aren’t the two of you just so sweet,” he teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Honestly though, I had hoped members of such an elusive resistance would have put up a better fight than this. This…” Scowling he placed the tip of his sword beneath Citera’s chin and forced her tear streaked face to meet with his. “This is just pitiful.”
“Leave her alone!”
Leaping to his feet, Dirik charged at the leader in a fit of unbridled rage. The leader however, merely side stepped his attack and laughed hysterically as Dirik tumbled to the ground. Infuriated and embarrassed, Dirik rose back to his feet and charged the leader yet again. Only to be once again easily dismissed.
“Come on boy, surely you can do better than that.”
The leader, now joined by the rest of his men, encircled Dirik as he slowly crawled back to his feet and beat the grass off his clothes. The second he had himself back in order, one of the soldiers shoved him back to ground. Immediately he climbed back to his feet, only to be shoved once again, this time into the waiting arms of one of the men.
“Puny child.” The largest man of the group growled as Dirik struggled to free himself from his massive hands, “Where is the challenge in this?” And with that, he shoved Dirik into the arms of another officer. “I would much rather get my hands on one of their Full-bloods, these puny Terrians bore me.”
“Well these two will have to do for the time being. Hell, it was a miracle we even found them in this cursed forest.” The leader huffed, crossing his arms, he watched as his men continued to toss Dirik back and forth across the circle like he was nothing more than a rag doll. “I swear, when we get back to the Tower, I am recommending to the Shadows we just burn this whole damn forest to the ground.”
Forsaken (The Shadow Chronicles Book 3) Page 20
