by Vicky Savage
“Sorry to disappoint you, old girl. IUGA is not omniscient. All we can do is work with the information we have, and try to keep things on track. In any event, the more pressing issue is getting you to Unicoi and back safely, so you can be returned home on schedule.”
“Oh, yeah, and thanks for smoothing the way with Mother,” I say. “She’s happy I’ll be gone when the Noirs arrive. The only problem is she’s sending Drew and a bunch of guards with us. Not negotiable.”
“Actually, that is probably a good development. We can use a little additional protection, with all this uncertainty.”
I frown. “There is the small matter of what I’m going to tell Drew when it’s time to leave for Unicoi. He’ll have a fit. He’ll try to stop me.”
“Telling him the truth may be the wisest tactic. He might be curious enough to want to go to Unicoi with you. In the event he decides to tattle on you, you will already be in Unicoi by the time word reaches your mother. She won’t be able to do much at that point, without creating an international incident.”
“You don’t think she would do that, do you?”
“No, I don’t. Not with things so unsettled politically right now. She’d most likely attempt to keep it quiet until she can get you home and personally wring your neck.”
I wince at the visual. Of course she’s going to be furious with me. For a nano-second, I consider telling her what I’m really up to, but I just as quickly discard that idea. She’d probably chain me to my bed. I’ll just have to find a way to make her forgive me later.
Ralston says he’ll send word to Ryder, via Lorelei, that we’ll be traveling to the Enclave on Wednesday and on to Unicoi by the end of the week.
With all the arrangements in the works, I’m starting to get excited about the trip. I’ve missed my dad more than I thought I would, and I’m looking forward to seeing the Enclave. But, most of all, it’s the promise of seeing Ryder again that burns inside me. Only a few more days and the ever present longing will end—temporarily, at least.
The need to be with Ryder is with me constantly now. His presence is the only way to ease the hollow aching that afflicts me whenever we’re apart. At first I cursed myself for not being strong enough to resist the desire. Lately, though, I’ve just accepted it and released myself to the sweet misery of my all-consuming need for him.
I touch the necklace that lies just above my heart. “Soon Ryder, soon,” I whisper.
THIRTY-ONE
Our little group is in high spirits as we set out for the Enclave early Wednesday morning. Drew and his men are all nervous excitement and chatter. Ralston seems exhilarated to be embarking on a new adventure. He whistles merrily as he tools along in the wagon. I’m thrilled to be out on the open road with Gabriel, and looking forward to the next few days. Even the crisp morning air and the vividly colored countryside foreshadow a pleasant journey.
As the day wears on, though, the road turns dry and dusty. Endless stretches of flowering meadow, cultivated farmland, and spectacular tree orchards become monotonous. The chatter dies down, and our party settles into a mild boredom. Occasionally, a deer or raccoon crosses our path, causing a bit of a stir, but then more of the same. By afternoon, I’m caked with dust, tired of being in the saddle, and ready to reach our destination.
Drew and I ride silently at the lead. Ralston and the guards follow closely behind. I’m beginning to wonder whether it’s actually possible to fall asleep in the saddle, when I’m startled out of my reverie by the sight of a figure stepping into the roadway a short distance ahead.
“Who’s that?” I gasp.
Two guards automatically line up at our flanks. As we draw nearer, the man raises his hands to show he is unarmed. I recognize a familiarity in the movement.
“It’s Ryder!” I cry.
“That filthy scum, Blackthorn,” Drew says. “We’ll take care of him. You stay here, Jade.” He draws his sword and the guards do likewise.
“No! Drew, stop. “He’s here at my invitation.”
“What!” He turns on me, his face contorted in fury. “Are you mad, Jade? That cave-dweller kidnapped you.”
“I know, but things are different now.”
“Different? How? Jade, you haven’t done anything stupid, have you?”
“I’m asking you to give him a chance, that’s all. He’s come alone and unarmed. What harm is there in allowing him to accompany us to the Enclave?”
“Have you gone completely round the bend? Father will have his head if we take him to the Enclave. He comes as a prisoner, if he comes at all.” Drew signals the guards, “Follow me.”
“Stop,” I shout, holding up my hand. “Sheathe your weapons.” The guards hesitate a moment. “I command it,” I say loudly. The men immediately put away their swords, and Drew glares at me. As the heir to the throne of Domerica, I outrank him.
“Young Chief Blackthorn will be joining us as our guest,” I tell them. “Wait here.” I climb off my horse and walk toward Ryder. Drew is at my side immediately.
“I may have to let him ride with us, but I do not have to trust him,” he growls through clenched teeth. “You’re still my little sister, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Just lighten up, Drew.”
When we reach Ryder, I can barely contain myself. The relief is exquisite. I hold out my hand, and he kisses my palm.
“Oh, Jade, no!” Drew groans, understanding a lot more than I give him credit for. “Please tell me you’re not in love with him.”
“Shut up Drew, you don’t know anything about it.”
“I know he’s a kidnapper and a rogue,” he says.
“I can only beg your pardon for my previous bad conduct, Prince Andrew,” Ryder interrupts. “I assure you my motives were good. I understand now that my methods were wrong.”
Drew ignores him. “Jade, why are you doing this? You know he can’t be trusted.”
“I know him, Drew. You don’t. He’s coming with us to the Enclave.”
“But why Blackthorn of all people?”
“Because he’s taking me to Unicoi after our visit with Father.”
“What! No, Jade. You can’t be serious.” Drew takes hold of my arm. “This is some kind of trick. He’s going to hold you hostage again. He’s trying to use you in his scheme to save Unicoi. I’m taking you back to the palace right now.”
I shake off his hand. “I’m going to Unicoi to see things for myself. I need to see if Mother’s beliefs are true, or if half a million people are about to be obliterated from the earth for no reason other than they have nowhere else to go.”
My eyes search Drew’s. “Admit it, you’ve wondered too. You’ve heard the stories. You’ve heard Ralston’s accounts of what is going on in Unicoi. Don’t you want to see first-hand? Come with me. You can bring your men.”
“Your men,” he sneers.
“Look, you don’t have to like it right now, just let Ryder accompany us to the Enclave peaceably. Talk to Father before you make up your mind.”
“Father knows about this wild plan?”
“Yes. He’s known Ryder for years. He’s sympathetic to the Unicoi.”
“I don’t believe this,” Drew says.
“Prince Andrew,” Ryder says, “Princess Jaden has found it in her heart to forgive me. She has decided to see with her own eyes whether my claims about Unicoi are true. I am here only to protect her and ensure her safe passage.”
“I’m here to protect her,” Drew jeers. “You’re here only because Jade commands it. You’d better watch yourself Blackthorn. One misstep and you’re dead. Dead, understand me? I don’t care what Jade or my father thinks, the queen will thank me for it.”
“Fair enough,” Ryder says. He whistles for his horse.
Once Ryder is mounted, Drew says, “I’ll take that sword and your knife. Father can decide whether or not you may have them back.”
Ryder wordlessly unhooks the scabbard from his saddle and passes his sword and knife to Drew, who th
en assumes the lead of our party. Ryder and I drop back and ride abreast so we can talk. Waves of tension roll off Drew’s back, but we ignore him. Nothing can throw ice on our happy reunion.
Ryder’s mood is buoyant. He says Chief Blackthorn is pleased about my visit, although Catherine is beside herself making all the arrangements for a royal reception on such short notice. My spirits soar just having him near again.
Occasionally Drew casts an angry glance our way, but I just pretend not to notice. I’m pretty sure he’ll thaw toward Ryder once we get to the Enclave. He’ll see Ryder’s not the villain Mother makes him out to be.
Ryder congratulates me on my choice of Gabriel, saying he has rarely seen a finer horse. We talk about everything and nothing. We’re so completely engrossed in each other’s company that we’re utterly taken by surprise when the attack takes place.
They come at us from above, dropping out of the trees. At first I think they’re monkeys, but I quickly realize they’re men—filthy, smelly, ragged men. One of them lands on my back, toppling me from my horse. We fall, wrestling to the ground. The stinky little man pushes my face into the hard-packed dirt, trying desperately to reach my sword with his bony fingers. After years of martial arts training, my reflexes automatically kick-in. The principles of hosinsul, or self-defense, help me control my fear.
I ram my elbow into the man’s throat, and he momentarily loosens his grip on me. I scramble to my feet and face him. He agilely leaps to his feet, flashing a nearly toothless grin. I assume a fighting stance, shift my weight to my back foot, and ready myself for his attack. He pulls a shiny knife from his belt and makes a run at me. I hold my position until he’s within a few feet, then I kick out quickly, thumping him squarely in the face. His nose cracks and blood spurts everywhere. He howls in pain, but he’s still standing. Damn!
I intended to knock him unconscious, but my aim was off, so I take another shot at it. I swing my leg around, smashing my foot into the side of his head. He crumples to the ground, his face a bloody mess. One down.
I reach for my sword. It’s still in my scabbard, but I remember Ryder is unarmed. I glance to my right. Drew and a tree man are fighting with swords. Drew clearly has the advantage. To my left, Ralston and a guard are defending the wagon against four tree men. Ralston is standing in the wagon bed, swinging his sword mightily. Anyone who gets in his way is likely to be decapitated.
I spin around and glimpse Ryder defending himself with a small tree branch against two knife-wielding opponents. I unfasten my sword and shout Ryder’s name as I toss it to him. He looks up and catches it, unsheathing it with one smooth motion. My sword is smaller than the one he’s used to, but he skillfully takes care of his two scraggly opponents in no time. Unfortunately, a dozen others are waiting for their turn.
A voice behind me cries, “Get the girl!” Three tree men immediately surround me. One man grabs me in a strangle hold from the rear.
“I’ve got ‘er, I’ve got ‘er,” he squeals.
I hold onto the arms clamped around my neck, rear back and snap-kick the guy in front of me, making solid contact with his groin area. He yowls pitifully, grabbing his privates, before falling to his knees.
I smash my right elbow backward into the thorax of the guy trying to choke me. It knocks the air out of his lungs, and he releases his hold, giving me time to go on the offensive. I jump and spin my body clockwise, ramming a hard hook kick into his head. He sprawls face first onto the forest floor and slides about five feet before coming to rest against the trunk of a tree. Two more down.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see another tree man advancing from my right. This guy is bigger than the others, so I need to use a little more force. He lunges for me and I leap, swinging my leg and planting my right heel firmly into his temple. He falls to the ground with a heavy thud. I’m afraid I may have kicked him too hard. In tournaments we always spar barefoot or with foam footgear. After a second, though, I see his chest rise and fall and I know he’s alive. Good.
To my left, I spot Ryder still battling three men. He’s out maneuvering them, and seems to be enjoying the three-on-one fight. I consider joining the fray when out of nowhere another tree man charges me with a knife.
“Bloody witch!” he screams, murder in his eyes.
I spin in the air, using my own version of the 540 kick—a kick delivered while jumping and spinning the body 540 degrees, or thereabouts. My boot catches him cleanly under his right ear. The knife flies from his grip, and he’s out cold before he hits the ground.
Two other tree men witness this scene and quickly scramble into the woods. One of them bellows out a signal that sounds like a shrieking bird call. The remainder of their accomplices retreat into the thicket, dragging their wounded companions with them.
“Is anyone injured?” Drew shouts, as we take stock of ourselves and our group. Other than some minor cuts and bruises, no one in our party is seriously hurt.
As I hurry toward the wagon, Ryder catches up with me. He’s out of breath and smeared with dirt and blood, which thankfully is not his.
“What was that?” he asks in open astonishment.
“It must have been a band of thieves,” I reply. “Mother says they’re all over these woods.”
He places his hands on my shoulders forcing me to stop. “Not the men, Jade. Where did you learn to fight like that?”
“Oh. It’s a martial art. Uh, Ralston taught me.”
“Ralston does not know how to do that.”
“Yes he does. Ask him. Hey Ralston,” I call. “Tell Ryder about how you taught me Tae Kwon Do.”
We walk to the wagon and Drew joins us, red-faced and juiced on adrenaline. “What in the name of Lucifer’s hairy ass did you do to those men, Jade? I nearly wet my britches just watching. You were amazing! Is that what you and old Rals have been practicing in that abandoned barn?” He claps Ralston on the back, “You’ve got to teach me how to do that, man.”
Ralston’s saved from having to respond by the arrival of one of the guards who announces, “They got away with two of our horses.”
I quickly scan the area and catch sight of Gabriel. Whew!
“Damn, that means we’ll have to double up, or—” Drew says.
“I’ll go with Ryder,” I quickly offer. “Someone can ride Gabriel.”
“All right. One of the men can ride your horse, the other can go in the wagon,” Drew says. “Did we lose anything else?”
“The wagon is still intact,” Ralston tells him. “It appears the horses are the only loss.”
“All right, we’d better get going,” Drew says. “Father will be waiting, and it will be raining soon.”
I’m glad to be in the saddle with Ryder as we continue our journey. I’m still shaken by the sudden attack, and it’s reassuring to be near him. Even though I’m a little proud of myself for putting my Tae Kwon Do skills to good use, I feel weird—guilty actually—about inflicting so much injury. In all my exhibitions, even the sparring competitions, I’ve never really harmed anyone. It’s not a good feeling.
Ryder slides a comforting arm around my waist, as if sensing my troubled thoughts.
Drew’s still totally hyper from the fight. He replays his every move, and everyone else’s, over and over, like the rest of us hadn’t been right in the thick of it. His incessant chattering is beginning to get on my nerves. Ryder remains quiet while Drew prattles on, but I know sooner or later we’ll have to discuss my little performance.
At three o’clock it begins to rain softly. Father will be worried about us. I’m sorry for that, but I don’t mind the gentle shower. It has the effect of quieting Drew’s diatribe, and I feel warm and safe next to Ryder.
He puts his mouth near my ear and says, “Jade, you astonished me. I didn’t know you were such an accomplished fighter.”
“Well, they weren’t very tough opponents,” I say. “They looked half-starved.”
“Yet, I had the impression that you were holding back—that you could have k
illed them if you had wanted to?” He’s not going to let me off the hook that easily.
“In Tae Kwon Do it’s all about control,” I say, trying to appease him. “What matters is where you strike your opponent and how much force is exerted.”
“Then, you could have killed them.” It’s not a question.
“I didn’t want to kill them Ryder. I only wanted to stop them from attacking us.”
He’s silent, and I have no idea what he’s thinking. I wish I could see his face. I know some guys feel threatened or think it’s unladylike that I train in Tae Kwon Do. I don’t believe Ryder’s one of those small-minded types, but I can’t be sure.
After a few seconds, he says, “Jade, I wonder, do you think a man of my size could learn to fight like that?”
