by Wagner, Raye
Rünê growled, and I spun my glare on him.
“Drink every drop,” he said, nudging the cup closer.
I sipped at the tepid fluid and grimaced. I hated coconut water. I hated coconut everything. I wanted milk and cheese—or yogurt. Maybe with nuts and green mango. I dreamed about my favorite foods while I sat playing with my taro and sipping on the vile liquid.
“No,” Bîcav said suddenly, drawing my attention. “There’s too much suspicion, and they know too much. That won’t work here.”
He frowned at Rünê and paused, the silence between them stretching. Bîcav’s expression darkened as if he were listening to bad news.
“My limitation is not a failure,” Bîcav muttered, clenching his hands. He leaned over the table and continued in a low voice, “At least we have an answer so we don’t do anything foolish.”
I tilted my head back as I finally understood. While Rünê was silent, Bîcav was pulling the questions out of the Panthera-magî’s mind. But Rünê lacked telepathic power, so Bîcav had to answer out loud. I was hearing one side of the conversation, leaving me to wonder what Rünê’s questions were.
“You could take one or two here and then go to the next outpost and see. It all depends.” Another pause, and then Bîcav shrugged. “I can’t know until we’re there.”
Rünê clenched his teeth, and his nostrils flared. “We’re running out of time.”
“Even so, we need to get at least one. If you’re not careful, you’ll make more mistakes, and then we’ll all be dead.”
I raised my cup, gulping at the fluid to prevent my own foolish actions as the moon slid past a dark swath of clouds. The people of Terit remained in the clearing, the torches’ flames heightening as the darkness deepened, and people moved in and out of the shadows as they worked. The orange glow bathed the common area in contrasts, and I glanced at the members of this outpost, wondering why they didn’t band together to fight against the small group of Serîk. Surely, with powers combined, the citizens could do something.
I drained the last of my mug. The warm liquid might have been good for me, but it didn’t taste good. Setting the cup on the worn wooden table, I asked, “Now, may I be excused? Or would you rather I relieve myself in your presence again?”
Rünê looked at Bîcav who nodded. Yeah, he so wasn’t staying out of my head.
“You have five minutes to be back,” Rünê said without looking at me. “Or Bîcav will come in and get you.”
“What if I’m blocked up?” I asked, wiping a lock of dark hair away from my face. The retort escaped before I had time to think it through, but as soon as it was out, I realized I didn’t care. I doubled down and glared at him.
Rünê mashed the cheese into his scrambled eggs, pulverizing the mixture into a pale-yellow paste. “Then he’ll have to smell your excrement. I reckon he’ll find his own way to make that even with you.”
Bîcav grimaced and shook his head.
“You’ve got four minutes”—Rünê dropped his fork and looked up—“and forty-five seconds, Taja. Better go.”
Hate wasn’t a strong enough word.
Chapter 2
I slid from the wooden bench and then ran toward the privy hall, wishing there was a way to keep running. I’d only wanted a few minutes to myself, a moment to gather my thoughts.
I stepped into the building and froze. It didn’t even smell like a privy. How did the citizens of Terit manage that? And they had torches lighting the space from inside the building, but they didn’t smoke or flicker like normal fire. I used the facilities in record time and stepped out of the stall to see a young woman standing in the otherwise unoccupied room, just staring at me. Even with amnesia, I knew it was bad manners to watch someone else pee, bad manners to follow someone into the privy, really. So, then, why did she follow me?
The redhead frowned as she studied me.
I could feel her questions like I could feel the dried sweat on my skin, like I could feel my own questions. The air pressed on me, thick with desperation, and when she opened her mouth, I rushed forward with mine. “Do I know you?” I asked. A stupid question because I didn’t. “Do you know me?”
Her non-answer was almost confirmation, and I stepped forward.
“Is it very bad?” I asked. When she shook her head, eyes wide, I crossed the space between us and whispered, “Can you help me?”
She was younger than me, no more than fifteen, with fiery-red hair and vibrant-green eyes.
“Who are you? What kind of magîk do you have?” she asked. “Why do the Serîk want you for the kirinî so bad?”
“Wh—what do you mean?” I shut my eyes and swallowed down the bile and nasty coconut water burning the back of my throat. Fetid rot. That’s why they were taking us to Yândarî? The magî who participated in the kirinî died. Panic crawled through me, but I shoved back the fear for the future and pressed forward with the opportunity of now. “If I know you, I can’t remember. Please, if you know something, anything, tell me. Please.”
Time was ticking, and I glanced at the doorway. I definitely didn’t want Bîcav to come in here, but I was desperate to figure out more.
“Who are you?” she asked again. “Myrix said she recognized you, that she changed you… to help you hide.”
“Changed me?” Shock nearly stole my breath, but I sucked in a greedy lungful of air, desperate for more knowledge. “What are you talking about? Hide me from whom?”
A shout outside indicated Bîcav had stolen my thoughts again. I needed to do something… They really were taking me to the kirinî… I needed to escape… Without giving my captors any more time to rally, I ignored the poor girl’s stuttering and raced forward. I stepped up on the toilet seat and then launched myself out into the jungle.
A branch scraped across my cheek with a hot zing, and I crashed through the vines and brush to the ground beneath and then rolled to my feet. I stood and then darted into the dense growth. My heart thundered against my chest, roaring to escape. The smell of damp earth and lush vegetation surrounded me, and the density of plants combined with their height blocked most of the light from the night sky. With no sense of direction, I charged forward and immediately tripped over the raised roots of mangrove trees near the edge of a small stream. The muck clung to my hands and knees, so I stepped more carefully. But darkness enveloped the jungle, causing me to stumble over and over again. Time blurred, and my adrenaline waned. Exhaustion crept in, weighing down every step, but even then I pressed on. Eventually, my legs wobbled, threatening to give out, and I leaned over my knees, gasping to catch my breath.
Comfort sang to me in the throaty croaks of the nocturnal frogs and the chirping of crickets. As I exhaled and straightened, the forest stilled. Shock stabbed me right in the middle of my chest as I found myself staring into the crystalline eyes of Ruin.
The great cat crouched and disappeared into the night, all of him except his tail, twitching in the faint moonlight.
Panic ripped through me, my shriek lodged in my throat as I rose up on the balls of my feet. I managed one step before the animal’s staggering weight crashed into me, throwing me to the ground. The air whooshed from my lungs with a muffled cry, and I writhed, trying to get back to my feet. He struck me with his paw, making stars burst behind my eyelids, and pressed down, grinding my face into the decomposing foliage of the forest floor as he pinned me.
“Get off.” I gagged and spit mud and leaves as I twisted my head to the side, my tongue pushing the earthy muck out of my mouth. “Get—”
A low growl reverberated from his chest, accompanied by a waning of pressure, enough to allow me to roll onto my back. I sucked in a breath, and his paw landed on my chest, pinning me. The tips of his claws bit through my tunic and into my skin—not fully extended or I’d be shredded. But I stilled.
He snarled, exposing his vicious teeth, and lowered his head.
Whimpering, I closed my eyes. Somehow I’d believed he was Ruin, and Ruin wouldn’t hurt me, but…<
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“Please,” I gasped, the word incoherent even to my own ears. I brought my hands to him, burying my fingers in his fur. “Pleas—”
He released me, stepping back, and then sat on his haunches and watched. One moment, a black panthera the color of night, and the next, the perfect physique of a man crouched in front of me, one hand on his leather-clad thigh, the other resting on the ground.
“If you ever lie to me again—”
“I didn’t lie,” I said, waving away whatever his threat was going to be as I sat up. Glancing down at my torn and filthy tunic, I winced and then pulled it away from my chest before brushing loose leaves and mud off.
“You said you would do anything,” he said, his eyes flashing blue-green-blue. He was suddenly in front of me, stooped low. Rünê grabbed my chin, forcing my head up to meet his gaze. “You said anything I asked.”
His grip tightened, and I clawed at his hand, trying to pry his fingers off. I sucked in a deep breath, pulling my knees up to my tender chest.
He read my intention a moment too late, and I kicked him squarely in the stomach. His fingers and short nails dragged across my skin, scraping it raw on the left side as he tumbled back. I sucked in a breath at the new pain, making the deeper lesions on my chest burn, and screamed.
He lunged forward and covered my mouth with his filthy hand, and in return I tried to bite him.
“Stop this,” he hissed in my ear, pulling me closer until I was flush with his chest. In one fluid movement he stood, bringing me upright with him. “How many more would you condemn by your ignorance? Stop this selfishness.”
My body slid down his, toward the ground, and as soon as I was close enough, I tried to stomp on his foot. He released my mouth and, grabbing me by the arms, lifted me into the air to look him in the eye.
“Why won’t you trust me?” he growled.
A kookaburra laughed and I joined in, the demented nature of it adding to the eerie sound.
“Even Zîyanâ knew I wouldn’t hurt her,” he added, his voice laced with bitterness.
I kicked him in the thigh and snapped, “I’m not Zîyanâ.”
He sucked in a ragged breath, and his eyes widened. “Dîsa—”
The hope in his voice plucked at my heartstrings, just enough that I almost felt bad. Shaking my head, I said, “I’m not her either.”
His expression hardened. “Fine. Maybe you don’t remember—yet.”
“You wanting me to be someone I’m not isn’t going to make it so,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“The thing is,” he whispered, holding my gaze, his anger evaporating. “You don’t know who you are.”
The scent of sandalwood and ylang-ylang wafted over me, and my gaze dropped to his mouth. I swallowed hard, remembering. I’d kissed those lips; he’d held me close as our tongues tangled, and he’d tasted… sweet. The air around us charged, and my breath quickened. His grip loosened and became tender, his thumbs caressing my skin.
He leaned forward, and I tilted my head up, closing my eyes with anticipation. But instead of kissing me, he traced his nose up my neck, making me gasp. Desire blossomed low in my abdomen, and I swayed.
“You stink,” he muttered, pulling back with a frown.
His words slapped sense back into me and made me stiffen. “I’m sure it doesn’t help that you just ground me into the mud. Ass.”
“It doesn’t matter. You need to stop this foolishness.”
I nodded because he was right about that. There was no point in fleeing or fighting uselessly. Forcing my body to relax, I resolved to find another way to defy Rünê. This wasn’t over. “Okay.”
“And you won’t try and flee again? I have your word?”
I considered my words carefully.
But Rünê was already ahead of me. “Promise me, Taja. Say ‘On my magîk and my soul, I won’t run away from Rünê ever again.’”
“On my life—”
“No. On your magîk and your soul,” he growled.
I bit my tongue, refusing. He demanded a vow that would last as long as my existence.
“Say it,” he growled. His features rippled, and his jaw widened.
I stepped back, fighting the urge to run, knowing he would not only give chase but ultimately catch me. “Please don’t make me,” I begged. “Please don’t bind me to you like that.”
Fur sprouted as his mouth opened, as his canines thickened and lengthened. Still holding me, he spun and pulled me on top of him as he fell to the ground. A low growl rumbled through his chest and through me as he changed to the apex predator. I rolled off the large cat, but before I could even sit up, he was there, standing over me. He brought his mouth to my neck and closed his jaws until his powerful canines rested against my skin.
***
Preorder Illusions HERE.
About the Author
RAYE WAGNER hates writing bios. She’d much rather tell you a story. She’s partial to fantasy, with dragons or magic or something so she can lie and not feel guilty.
When she isn’t writing, dreaming, or lying, Raye is with her family… preferably at the beach.
You can sign up for Raye’s newsletter, HERE to be notified of new releases and to get exclusive sneak peeks.
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Also by Raye Wagner
Magî Rising
Betrayed
Stolen
Illusions
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The Sphinx Series
Origin of the Sphinx: A Sphinx Prequel Story
Cursed by the Gods
Demigods and Monsters
Son of War: A Sphinx Companion Story
Myths of Immortality
Daughter of Darkness: A Sphinx Companion Story
Fates and Furies
Sphinx Coloring Book, Vol. 1
Threads and Legends (Phaidra’s story)
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The Darkest Drae (Trilogy) Co-written with Kelly St. Clare
Blood Oath
Shadow Wings
Black Crown
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Curse of the Ctyri Co-written with Rita Stradling
Magic of Fire and Shadows
Magic of Talisman and Blood
Magic of Deceit and Beauty (tbd)
