Hunter looked incredulous. “Shadow!” he snorted. “I might not know exactly what you saw, but I can guarantee that whoever it was, wasn’t Shadow. I doubt he’s ever done anything good or honourable in his entire life.”
“It sounded an awful lot like him,” Nessa reasoned.
“Sounded? So you didn’t actually see him then?”
“No,” Nessa admitted after a slight pause. “His helmet covered his face.”
Hunter nodded. “And I bet that it muffled his voice a little as well, making you think that he sounded like Shadow.”
“You’re probably right.” Nessa let the subject go, giving him a small smile of reassurance.
Hunter nudged his shoulder against hers. “Don’t dwell on it too much. You’ll give yourself a headache worrying about things that you can’t do anything about.”
“Again, words of wisdom from you. I don’t know how you do it.”
“You mock me,” Hunter said with false hurt. “I’m wounded, truly.”
Nessa found herself chuckling, albeit somewhat weakly. The more she thought about Hunter’s reasoning, the more it made sense to her. To tell the truth, beneath all the sneering, the man in black armour had sounded rather like Shadow too.
“Anyway,” Hunter was saying. “If it’s still troubling you, you can always ask Orm about it when we find him. He’ll be more likely to know. He always did pay more attention to our tutors than I ever did.”
“Is that so?”
“Oh yes,” Hunter said with a reminiscent smile. “He did love his studies, which everyone at the time found rather strange.”
“And you?”
“I’m just not academically inclined.”
“What a pity.”
“Mmm, my tutors didn’t think so.” He laughed. “At least not by the end.”
“What did you do?”
“Let’s just say that they didn’t have an appreciation for a bored mind and an endless array of pranks aimed in their general direction.”
“I bet they didn’t,” Nessa murmured, easily envisioning all the mischief Hunter could have got up to.
“They weren’t very fond of me,” Hunter added.
Nessa laughed. “I can’t imagine why.”
“I’m sure Orm will love to regale you with the stories. He does like to do that.”
“Orm seems to be a font of knowledge,” Nessa said, her mood lightening.
Hunter nodded. “That he is. Although, you should be aware that some of the things he knows about are completely useless.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“We’ll be there soon, once this storm lets up, and you’ll be able to see for yourself.”
“You really think he’ll know of a way back home?”
“Possibly,” Hunter said. “But a greater question is, would you still want to return if he did?”
Nessa looked down at the dragon hatchling, so warm and small on her lap, and refused to meet Hunter’s gaze.
“I’m not so sure anymore.”
The storm continued without pause. Rain and hail fell in sheets and day turned to night without much difference between the two. Neither Nessa nor Hunter ventured outside, not willing to brave the weather. Not even Aoife showed the slightest inkling of moving away from the small fire.
Nessa yawned, eyelids heavy, finding that she was absolutely exhausted and that the cave was lulling and warm, even though the fire was beginning to burn low. They were starting to run out of dry firewood, but with the downpour outside, neither of them went to retrieve more. Not that there would be any wood dry enough to burn. With the warmth and the low ceiling, the cave had a den-like feel to it. Nessa found it to be rather cosy, and it had been an effort to keep her eyes open during their quick dinner.
As she nestled into her sleeping bag, she couldn’t help grinning as she spied Hunter doing the same, wincing a little as he did so. Before dinner he had insisted they have another self-defence class. It went slightly better than Nessa’s first one, and while she hadn’t been able to land a single punch, much to her frustration, she had at least been able to sneak in a surprise kick to his leg, to her delight and Hunter’s silent approval.
Nessa traced the red marks on her arm with a finger, oddly proud of the forming bruises on her fair skin. They were her evidence of her new found skill in blocking Hunter’s hits, in her ability of almost being able to predict where he was aiming. She turned on her side and used her arm as a pillow.
Hunter, it turned out, was one of those people who could fall asleep in a blink of an eye. Nessa, however, wasn’t, and she spent a good long while thinking and worrying about her waking dreams. Were those strange things trying to show her something? If so, what? In any event, no answers were forthcoming, and her sleep, when it eventually came, was dark and deep and without dreams of any kind, which was a blessing in disguise.
However, it wasn’t for long.
A few hours later, Nessa awoke with an ominous feeling. Keeping her eyes closed, she feigned sleep, listening. All she could hear was Hunter’s steady breathing and the wild noise of the storm outside. Slowly, she opened her eyes and peered into the darkness. The fire had burned down to embers, which produced a small amount of ruddy light that did little to illuminate the cave.
Nessa sat up and gazed around at the shadows, which clung to the sides of the cave in an impenetrable cloak of sinister blackness. Cold air found its way to her without the sanctuary of her sleeping bag, making her shiver. Seeing as nothing stirred in the gloom, she rose, going over to the fire, intending to stoke it.
Drowsy, Nessa spent a few minutes coaxing it back to life. She crouched back on her heels and watched as the small flames slowly climbed over the handful of twigs she had just added, leisurely devouring them.
A whisper sounded behind her, muffled steps over the cave’s hard floor. Nessa stood, wiping the dirt from her hands, and turned, expecting it to be Hunter.
It wasn’t.
Hooded and cloaked, and swathed in shadows that seemed to fight against the fire’s light, the man stood between her and Hunter. Nessa froze as they stared at one another, weighing each other up. He was tall and had a threatening air about him, but other than that, Nessa couldn’t tell much more. He was a shadow in the shadows, and as she watched, they moved around him as if they were alive, curling over his shoulders.
Nessa’s eyes darted to Hunter, finding him solidly asleep. No help from him. Aoife was nowhere to be found.
The stranger flexed his hands.
Nessa reacted on instinct.
She made to run, aiming for the cave’s entrance, wanting to get far, far away.
Nessa only made it a few steps before he was upon her.
As swift as a striking snake, his arm reached out, hand grabbing at her, swinging her back. She stumbled and fell, landing hard on the ground. Stones dug painfully into her palms as she tried to push herself up, more than a little stunned.
There was no time to scream before footsteps came up behind her. Hunter’s words from just a few hours ago sounded loud and clear in her head: Should you ever find yourself down, fight tooth and nail to get back on your feet before they’re on you, otherwise it’s game over.
Nessa lashed out, kicking behind her, hoping to knock them off their feet. It didn’t work. They moved with inhuman speed, and her foot met with nothing but open air. Hands reached down, seizing her with bruising strength, and jerked her onto her back.
In a blink of an eye he was on her, straddling her hips, forcing down her legs, preventing her from kicking at him again. A hand ensnared her wrists, locking them together, and pinned her arms above her head.
Nessa squirmed and wriggled, feeling like a lamb laid out for slaughter.
Nessa’s assailant leaned over her, and the weak firelight caught the side of his face, giving her a small glimpse of the person hidden beneath the heavy hood.
Familiar sapphire-blue eyes stared down at her.
Shadow.
A scream
finally broke free.
A gloved hand clamped over her mouth, smothering the noise. Nessa struggled against him, but his grip was unyielding and his weight held her firmly down. She wasn’t given an inch of wriggle room.
“Hush,” he murmured, his voice low, rasping. “I can’t abide the sound of screaming girls. And it won’t do you any good. I’m the only soul around for miles. And your friend over there, he won’t be of any use to you either. He’s dead to the world.” Nessa, alarmed, struggled against Shadow, making muffled sounds of protest. His grip on her wrists became painful. “Stop it, girl,” he said calmly. “You’ll only tire yourself out. And in any event, you’d never be able to best me. It’s a pointless waste of energy.”
Nessa glared at him in the dimness, knowing that his words had a measure of truth to them, and stilled.
“Now,” Shadow said. “I’m going to let you up, and you’re not going to scream, try to run, or attack me. Understand?”
Nessa deliberated and then nodded, seeing that she didn’t really have a choice.
Shadow was slow in letting her go, almost reluctant. His blue eyes, which were the only things she could see clearly from under his hood, ran over her face. His hand loosened on her mouth, and only when Nessa kept her silence, did it withdraw completely.
“Remember, no running.”
Nessa gave a grudging nod. Shadow seemed to take that as confirmation of compliance and stood in one smooth movement. He stepped away and began pacing around the cave, not so much as glancing Nessa’s way as she picked herself up from the ground.
She dusted herself off, watching him with wary eyes.
Shadow prowled over to the sad little fire, his floor length overcoat slapping around his ankles with each long stride, shedding rain drops in his wake. He looked down at the pitiful flames, shaking his head, and reached out a hand, muttering a word. The fire hissed and spat, then blazed high with a mighty roar.
Instantly the cave was filled with light and warmth, more so than it naturally should be. Nessa stared at the flames wide eyed, noticing that they were tinged blue. Shadow stood over them, warming himself for a moment, and then tugged at the hooded scarf that was wrapped around his shoulders and pulled tight over the lower half of his face, loosening it.
Nessa sidled closer to Hunter and prodded him with a toe. He didn’t so much as snort. She frowned, glancing between him and the man by the fire, who was busy taking off his coat and hooded scarf to dry.
“What have you done to Hunter?” she demanded, voice trembling just a little bit.
Shadow looked at her with dark, assessing eyes. “Nothing permanent, I assure you. I’m merely keeping him from waking. That way he won’t interfere or cause me any more trouble.”
“And how are you doing that?”
“With the same means as I got the fire going.” With a few muttered words...
Nessa shifted, uncomfortable with the concept. “Magic?”
“Magic,” Shadow confirmed.
Nessa scowled, her mind screaming, What do I do…? What do I do…?
“How quickly fear turns to outrage,” Shadow said with a small, grim curl of his lips. “Margan once called you a wildcat. I find myself inclined to agree with him.”
Nessa bristled at the mention of Margan. “I guess that’s why you’re here,” she murmured, “to take me back to him.”
Shadow ran those sapphire blue eyes of his over her, taking in her uneasy countenance and balled up fists.
“I’m to bring you back to him, yes,” Shadow said after a loaded pause, making Nessa’s stomach drop with dread. “But not today, I think. I’ve yet to make up my mind about you. I’m not one to make hasty decisions, especially now, when so much weighs on them. But I do think, perhaps, that it is best to let you have your little run around for the time being, away from Margan. It does not suit me to have you under his thumb right now.”
Hope flared in Nessa’s chest. “So you’re letting me go?”
“For now.”
“Thank you,” she said tartly.
Shadow appeared faintly amused. “Don’t think I’m doing it for your benefit. I’m doing it because it suits me.”
“Oh, I’m not making that mistake. I distinctly recall that the last time we were face to face, you held a sword to my throat.”
“The last time?” he murmured. “Hmm, I suppose I did.”
Nessa didn’t see an ounce of regret or apology in his eyes. “Did you follow us all this way just to tell me that you weren’t taking me back to Ironguard,” she demanded, “or do you have another reason?”
“I have many reasons to follow the two of you. You mainly, I admit, although your Hunter has piqued my interest on several occasions.”
Nessa felt her temper flare at the knowledge that they had been so easily followed without them realising it, thinking themselves free from Ironguard and its master. “Is that why you haven’t killed him, just turned him into the male version of Sleeping Beauty?”
Shadow blinked, taken slightly aback. “You have your uses, and Hunter, I’m sure, will have his.”
“And Margan has his games, as do you,” Nessa boldly retorted.
Shadow inclined his head.
“So why are you here now? You can’t honestly think that I’ll help you.”
“Margan was foolish in thinking that he could simply manipulate and control you. I won’t be making the same mistakes as him. And anyway, I’m here to help you.”
Nessa was incredulous. “Help me?”
“Indeed, although I can see that you do not believe me. And since you are ignorant of our world, it is unlikely that you will feel like I did for some time. However, there will be a day where you will be thankful for what I’m about to do.”
His words sent a spike of fear through Nessa, and she took a step back, instincts telling her to run.
Shadow stalked forward slowly. “Remember,” he said, “no running. You promised.” His hand went to his waist, where a dagger was sheathed. He pulled it free, holding it with intention.
Nessa swallowed nervously and took another step back, eyeing the dagger. It was small, the blade only three or so inches in length, but the edges were wickedly sharp. The handle was ornate, aged gold encrusted with rubies. That dagger had a purpose, she knew as a tingle of warning went up her spine, a specific use.
Her eyes locked with Shadow’s. “To hell with that,” she snarled, having absolutely no intention of being knifed. “You really think I’m going to stand here and let you stab me?”
He stepped to the side, blocking her exit. Nessa tensed.
Shadow inched closer. “I mean you no lasting harm.”
“The sacrificial dagger suggests otherwise.”
Shadow looked down at it, distracted. Nessa took her chance, dashing for the cave’s entrance. In a blink of an eye, he was in front of her, barring the way. Nessa skidded to a stop, realising that she was well and truly screwed.
“Can’t blame a girl for trying, can you?” Nessa said, vying for time.
Shadow smiled. “It was a predictable move.” He prowled closer. “I understand that this might seem frightening, but we must do this. It’s a part of who and what we are.”
“That still doesn’t sound particularly reassuring.”
“A dragon hatched for you, and that means the bonding must be completed before it’s too late.”
“Bonding?”
“The egg hatching was only the start,” Shadow murmured, backing her up against the cave’s wall. “Now the bond must be written in flesh.”
“Written in flesh? So stabbing me is off the table in favour of a simple maiming. Excellent.”
“A crude way of putting it, but we’ll go with that.”
“Is there a better way of putting it?”
“Now is not the time for me to teach you about the bonding ritual between Rider and their dragon.” Shadow came closer, boxing her into a nook, trapping her.
Nessa feigned to the right. Shadow mirrored the move.
“So you’re just going to cut me?”
“Pretty much,” Shadow said bluntly.
“Look, I know things are different here,” Nessa told him. “But where I’m from, it’s considered rude to attack someone. Illegal actually.”
“Oh, attacking someone is widely considered against the law here too.”
Nessa was bewildered. “And you’re still going to do this?”
“Yes.”
“Huh.”
Shadow edged a step closer. “If you don’t resist, this will go a lot faster.”
“And if I resist?”
Another step closer. “It will have the same outcome.”
“Hmm.”
Shadow grinned. “Come now. The bonding must be completed, for everyone’s sake.”
“Bollocks to them,” Nessa snarled. “And bollocks to you as well.”
Shadow shifted his grip on the dagger, and Nessa abandoned all sense of self preservation. She ran, or at least tried to. Shadow, damn him and his cat-like reflexes, caught the back of her top, pulling her up short. He wasn’t gentle as he flung her to the ground, and the air was forced out of her lungs on impact.
Nessa lay on the ground, breathless and stunned, vision swimming. Shadow climbed on top of her, pinning her down just like before, using his weight to hold her immobile. He fumbled with her right sleeve, yanking it to her elbow, exposing the soft skin of her inner forearm. She blinked away tears and coughed, finally able to get a small amount of air into her burning lungs, and felt the cold kiss of steel against the inside of her arm. Clarity came to her in a terrible rush.
“Don’t you bloody dare,” she growled.
The pressure of the blade lightened for a second. “It must be done. If not by me, then by one of the others. And believe me, I am the lesser evil.”
“You know what? I don’t believe you. Not one bit.”
“It’s like you want to do everything in the most difficult way possible,” Shadow pondered aloud. “I mean, this is the second time you’ve been on your back with me on top of you. Is this a regular occurrence, or am I just lucky?”
Nessa sputtered, “Bastard.”
House of Fear and Freedom (The Wyrd Sequence Book 1) Page 21
