“What?” she asked, wondering how he’d come by that information and where his line of thinking was going.
“When we first met,” he said, “you were evasive.”
“Because I didn’t know you, and you were asking personal questions.” She readjusted the reins, needing to do something with her hands.
“I was testing you.”
“For what?”
“To determine if you would be a good fit.”
This was what she’d wanted to know. “A good fit for what?”
He smiled wryly. “I’m not at liberty to say.”
Of course he wasn’t. Him telling her what he wanted would have been far too easy. No, he apparently wanted her to stew over the many possibilities. She glared.
He chuckled. “Let’s just say I’m in charge of a special division of the army.”
She thought he’d said he wasn’t in the army. “I don’t understand.”
“As you know, women aren’t allowed to fight. You’re the first one I’ve seen wield a sword.”
“And?”
“And I need a woman who can be a part of my…unit. You’re small, and you can access places and situations most grown men can’t.” Before Reid could respond, Ackley nudged his horse forward. He went alongside Gordon, mumbled something, then veered his horse to the left, entering the forest. Another rider broke away from the group, joining him.
A minute later, Gordon slowed his horse until Reid caught up with him. “I hope my brother didn’t scare you,” he said as he rode next to her.
“He’s too evasive to frighten me.” She had trouble getting a read on Ackley. He was unlike anyone she’d ever met.
Gordon laughed, his smile reaching his eyes.
“How long do you think I’ll be away from my father?” She hoped his leg was healing, and Kamden was taking good care of him.
“I don’t know. However, I am aware you are eager to return home. I will make sure that happens as soon as possible.”
“Thank you.” They continued in companionable silence for several minutes. Gathering up her courage, Reid said, “Prince Ackley told me that if I cooperate, he will have the king issue a proclamation pardoning my father and deeding the Ellington land to any heir my father chooses—male or otherwise.” She needed someone else to be aware of the deal in case Ackley changed his mind or decided not to honor it.
“My brother can be a bit of a stickler.”
“Ackley?” She didn’t think that word described him.
“No, Eldon.”
Eldon. The king. She supposed that to rule a kingdom, one would have to be a stickler.
Gordon said, “I’ll be honest, my brother won’t want to deed the land differently for Duke Ellington. However, the duke was a good friend to our father, so perhaps he’ll make an exception.”
And Reid would be doing…something for the crown. Something to earn the pardon and deed. “What is the likelihood the king will agree?” Because if he didn’t, would they arrest Reid for treason? Would her father’s estate be seized?
Gordon rolled his shoulders. “He’ll do it if it’s in the kingdom’s best interest.”
Reid had a feeling he wanted to say more. When he didn’t, she asked, “What can I do to ensure it’s in the kingdom’s best interest?”
Smiling, Gordon glanced over at her. “I can see why Ackley wants you for the…well, I can see why he thinks you’ll be useful.” He scanned the forest on his left. “You’ll have to do whatever is asked of you, and you’ll have to do it well.”
That was vague. “Do you think it’s something I’m capable of?” And why not just tell her what it was? If it was something she couldn’t do, she could just say so and avoid all this trouble.
“Yes, I think you will do it exceedingly well.”
From what she gathered, she’d be joining a unit of the army Ackley controlled. What she didn’t know was if she’d be fighting. The only threat she was aware of was from Prince Henrick. Was Henrick going to make a move for the throne? Would he force a nasty civil war on the kingdom of Marsden?
Reid continued to cover terrain she’d never seen before. An ominous feeling spread within her. Her future was even more muddled than before.
Chapter Seven
Reid’s eyes flew open. A man was lying next to her, his large hand covering her mouth. Fear shot through her. She reached up and grabbed his arm, ready to dig her nails into his flesh.
“We’re about to be attacked,” Gordon whispered.
He was there to warn her, not hurt her. Relief flooded through Reid. When she nodded, he removed his hand. Gordon pressed a dagger to her palm. Her fingers curled around it, and he slid away.
Now that the shock of waking with a man next to her had passed, the realization they were under attack set in. Blood rushed through Reid’s ears as she remained there, not moving. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and she began to make out the trees surrounding her. They were in the middle of the forest, and two men were always supposed to be on watch. That left ten soldiers, two princes, and Reid to sleep. Had the watchmen seen something and come back to warn the group? Was the threat from humans or animals? She wished she knew more about their situation.
Slowly, she tilted her head to the right. About four feet away, a man sat on his bedroll, pulling his boots on. To her left, Gordon crouched next to a tree, peering around the trunk. He lifted his pointer finger, then waved it in a circle. Reid understood that to mean they were surrounded. Ackley stood not far away, a wicked dagger in hand.
Reid pushed her blankets off, then slowly slid the dagger under her belt. If there was going to be a fight, she needed her swords, which she’d strapped to her bag about a foot above her head. Rolling over, she reached up, feeling around until she found them. She untied the sheath and pulled her swords free, careful not to move too quickly or make a sound. Once her weapons were next to her body, she felt infinitely better.
This would be Reid’s first actual fight. Her hands began to shake. While she’d practiced hundreds of times, she’d never been in a life-and-death situation before. If she made a wrong move or didn’t block a strike fast enough, she could be injured or killed.
Who were the men surrounding them and what did they want? Were they thieves? Or did they know the princes were here?
Raising his arm, Ackley curled his fingers into a fist. The second he tilted it forward, everyone in their party yelled and attacked.
Scrambling to her feet, Reid tried to get her bearings. The clash of steel rang through the air along with the grunts of men as fighting ensued. Her group consisted of a dozen men and the princes. Surely they outnumbered whoever was out there.
Up ahead, a man with wild eyes rushed between two trees, heading straight for Reid. All thought escaped her as her body took over. Her legs went into a fighting stance and her arms lifted her swords. The man raised his pickaxe. Reid prepared to parry the blow. But then the man stumbled and fell forward, a dagger protruding from his back. Lifting her head, she spotted Ackley a few feet away, fighting with another man. He winked before returning his focus to his opponent.
Ackley had a small knife in his right hand. His arm moved so fast Reid could hardly follow it. His opponent collapsed to the ground, blood pooling from the dozen or so cuts across his chest and neck. With ease, Ackley whirled and took out two additional men.
A twig snapped. Someone was sneaking up behind Reid. Dropping to the ground, she spun around. A sword whizzed by a couple of inches above her head. She slashed her attacker’s thighs before jumping up. When he lunged, she twisted to the side, striking him across the chest.
It was strange to use real swords instead of practice ones. While the weight and feel were the same, hitting another person was hard to stomach. Logically, she knew if she didn’t defend herself, she would be killed, but her nerves were still twisted.
The man cursed and threw a punch toward Reid’s face, leaving his stomach unguarded. Letting go of her left sword, she clutched her right
one with both hands, ramming it into her attacker’s stomach just as his punch landed on her jaw. Her head flew back, pain exploding through her as she released the weapon and landed flat on her back on the ground. Blinking, she forced herself to sit up in case the man came at her again. Both his hands were on the hilt, trying to pull the sword free as blood gushed from the entry point. Within a minute, the man fell lifelessly to his side.
Once Reid stopped seeing stars across her vision, she moved her jaw. Thankfully, it worked.
“How many do you want left alive?” Gordon yelled.
“Two,” Ackley responded. “And I have them. You can dispatch the rest.”
“With pleasure.”
Reid rose in time to see Gordon stalk toward a man. She barely recognized Gordon—his face had lost its softness and been replaced by ruthless determination. The sword in his right hand hung at his side. He threw a vicious punch with his left fist, striking his opponent across the face. While the man was unguarded, Gordon grinned and plunged his sword into the man, forcing him to his knees as the life drained from his body. It was over in less than thirty seconds. However, the brutality of it stunned Reid. Where Ackley had been lethal grace and skill, Gordon was rage and power.
“Everyone call in,” Ackley demanded.
The men counted off. They were missing numbers eight and eleven.
Ackley swore. “Those two were on watch. You three, go find them. I want to know if they’ve been killed or captured.” Three men hurried away to do his bidding.
It surprised Reid that Ackley was the one taking charge. However, if she’d guessed correctly, these men were part of whatever special unit Ackley controlled.
Two men huddled on the ground, surrounded by a handful of Ackley’s men. Reid stood, trying to get a better look.
“You two,” Ackley said, addressing his men, “make sure everyone is dead. Pile the bodies up over there. Salvage whatever weapons you can.”
Two men quickly got to work.
“Tie these two up,” Ackley said. His men immediately pulled out rope, securing the two attackers to trees. Ackley rubbed his face, examining Reid. “You two, get Reid away from here. I’ll let you know when I’m done.”
The men approached Reid. One tilted his head to the side, indicating she should follow. They led her about fifty feet to the east.
“Think we’re far enough away?” the one on the right asked as they came to a stop.
“Until we know if there are any other threats out there, this is as far as I dare go. Besides, he’ll be quiet. Otherwise, it’ll be like a beacon if the men are screaming.”
“Is Ackley going to torture them?” Reid asked, horrified at the prospect of something so barbaric.
Instead of answering, one said, “So your name is Reid?”
She nodded. “What are your names?”
“He’s six, and I’m two,” the shorter one answered.
“When we’re on a mission, we don’t use names,” the taller one explained.
While she understood the necessity of not using names, the lack of identity also made these men seem expendable. She gingerly touched her jaw, which felt like it was on fire from the hit.
A few minutes later, Gordon approached. “We’re done.”
The two men headed back toward camp.
When Reid took a step to follow, Gordon reached out and grabbed her arm. “I need a second of your time.”
She swung toward him, wondering what he wanted.
“Are you all right?” he asked, releasing her arm.
“I’m fine.”
He took a step closer. “May I?” He pointed at her face.
Not knowing what to say, she nodded.
He gently tilted her head to the side. “Can you open and close your mouth?”
“Yes.” It was very painful, though.
“Did you lose any teeth?”
“No.” Thankfully. The thought made her shiver.
“You’re going to have a nasty bruise.”
“I know.” It was a small price to pay for her life.
“The guy was huge,” Gordon said, his hands falling to his sides. “I’m surprised you didn’t move out of the way fast enough.”
“Oh, I could have.” They started toward camp. “But if I’d moved, I wouldn’t have been able to deliver the killing blow. I figured the hit was worth it.”
Gordon snorted. “I guess pretending to be a man suits you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“If you were a woman, not only would you not know how to fight, but you also never would have taken a hit to the face on purpose.”
“But I am a woman.” It wasn’t like she cared what Gordon thought of her. Still, the idea of him only seeing her as a man nettled her. “Did Ackley discover who attacked us?”
“He did.”
Back at camp, over two dozen bodies were piled off to the side. Cold fear slid over Reid’s skin. They’d been outnumbered two to one, yet they’d managed to not only survive, but also to destroy the enemy. Was Ackley in charge of some sort of assassination unit? If so, that meant she was traveling with a group of killers. Any of them could eliminate her before she could even blink.
“We can’t stay here,” Ackley announced. “Gather your things.”
As everyone started packing, Reid counted the men. All twelve men, along with the two princes, were accounted for. That meant none of Ackley’s men had been killed in the attack.
“Why would Henrick send those men after us?” Gordon asked. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
Ackley put his arm around his brother’s shoulders, responding in a voice so soft Reid couldn’t hear what he said.
She knelt, then rolled up her blankets. Afterward, she secured her swords in her bag. She shouldered her supplies and rose, ready to leave even though it was the dead of night.
They traveled to the stream where they’d tied the horses to the trees. After attaching her supplies to her horse, Reid took hold of its reins, leading it along since it was too dark to ride in the forest. They walked single file, no one talking.
When the sun started to rise, Reid realized they’d been trekking north instead of east toward the castle.
Ackley held up a hand, and everyone stopped. “Eat. Rest. In thirty minutes, we ride.”
The men got to work. Some tended to the horses while others prepared food.
Gordon handed her some curly yellow leaves.
“Thanks?” She wasn’t sure what to do with them.
“That’s witch hazel. Boil the leaves in a small amount of water, then apply it to your face. It’ll help the bruising.” Without further explanation, he went back to his horse and started rummaging around in his saddlebag.
Reid stared at the leaves. If Harlan were here, he’d know what to do. She hoped her friends were okay. Not wanting to think about how hurt and furious they must be, she joined the men by the small campfire. The one on the right held out his hand so she gave him the witch hazel. Not knowing what else to do, she sat on a log not far away.
It was strange to be around a dozen men who barely spoke. She didn’t mind the silence, but it was odd not to know who she was traveling with. As she rested her head on her knees, her eyelids became heavy.
“Not time to sleep yet,” Ackley said, handing her a bowl of soup.
She took it, murmuring a thank you.
He sat next to her, then started eating from his own bowl. “How are you holding up?”
“Are we allowed to talk?” She thought perhaps there was a no-speaking order in place.
“As long as you’re not too loud. When we set out again, there’s definitely no talking so we can listen for threats.”
“How much longer until we reach the City of Buckley?”
“We’re going to head north a bit more before turning east. I want to make sure we don’t run into any more Axians.” He finished off his soup, placing his bowl on the ground.
“How do you know our attackers were from Axian?
”
He raised his eyebrows at her as if she was daft.
“Sorry.” She’d forgotten he’d tortured those men. They must have revealed where they were from and what their intentions were.
“My dear, sweet uncle sent them to kill Gordon and me.” He spoke pleasantly as if he were discussing a picnic and not an assassination.
“I’m sorry.” Because what else could she say? While she’d thought her own family situation was messed up, Ackley’s seemed to be worse. “Does he intend to go after King Eldon?”
“I assume so, but those men had no other instructions beyond killing Gordon and me and returning to Axian.”
Which probably meant Henrick was sending another group after the king, striking while the two princes were away.
Ackley picked up his bowl and stood, reaching for her empty one. She handed it to him. “Well, Reid, I must conclude my uncle is after the throne. Apparently, he plans to eliminate all contenders.”
It was strange to hear him call her by her name. The way he pronounced it, the way it rolled off his tongue, it felt like a woman’s name instead of a man’s for the first time in her life. And she found she liked it immensely. “So your sister is at risk as well?”
“Yes.” His eyes darkened. “We need to get moving. Once we’re home, I can finalize my plans for stopping my uncle.”
Gordon approached, handing Reid a small pot. “Here’s the salve.”
She reached in and took a handful, smearing it over her bruised face.
Ackley tilted his head to the side, staring at his brother as if he’d sprouted flowers out of his ears. “Ready?”
Gordon nodded.
After everyone mounted, their party set off, riding until it was too dark to continue. That night, they decided to split into two groups to separate the princes in case they were attacked again. They’d assigned Reid to Ackley’s group.
Ackley divided the watch into two-hour shifts with two men on duty. When Reid offered to help, he ignored her.
After unfurling her bedroll, she crawled under her blankets and fell fast asleep.
The following days passed in a mind-numbing blur. They woke early, met up with the other group, ate, and then rode all day. They usually only stopped once to water the horses and eat. As soon as it became too dark to travel on horseback, they split into two groups and slept. They never allowed Reid to cook or keep watch.
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