AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Love is not always what’s best for a people.”
I wince as Taxon lands a heavy blow to Luka’s shield. “And I suppose you feel that your puppet is what’s best?”
When he doesn’t answer, I turn to find his piercing eyes sizing me up. A cheer goes up, but I can’t seem to break away from his snake-like intensity. “I’m afraid, my dear, that it’s time for you to go.” He tilts his head to the side, indicating the drapes behind us.
Confused, I turn. My gasp is lost in the sudden deafening roar of the crowd. Through a gap in the fabric, I see Kata, a knife held to her throat by one of Kharon’s guards.
“Don’t make a fuss,” the deve says coolly. “Just get up and go with them or he’ll slit the worthless chit’s throat from ear to ear.”
“You’re insane,” I hiss. “Luka will end you for this.”
“Luka has his hands full at the moment. Now, do as you’re told.”
I turn back, unsure. Ion is engrossed in the battle and Lukadoeshave his hands full.
“Oh, look at that. She’s bleeding.”
Jerking around, I’m immediately on my feet at the sight of Kata’s blood and jumping down off the platform through the gap. The warrior holding Kata steps back from me, keeping the knife where it is. “Take off the cloak,” he orders.
“What?”
“Take it off now and give it to her.” He lifts his chin at someone behind me.
She’s small, like me. “Do it now or I sever her head.”
“Okay, okay,” I say, my trembling fingers undoing the tie at my neck and passing the woman the cloak, unable to unglue my gaze from the red rivulet trickling down into the neckline of Kata’s dress.
The woman is through the gap in a flash, and the warrior drags Kata back toward another who’s waiting with three horses. It doesn’t take long to get Kata mounted in front of her captor and me on my own horse before we’re galloping through the trees.
I can do nothing until Kata is free of that knife, so I follow them, wondering how they think this will ever work. We ride hard and the sounds of the crowd begin to fade into the background until it’s a dull buzz.
Well past the last homestead of the village we catch up to a group of men on the road. More of the First Deve’s men. “Please let Luka be all right,” I whisper in a prayer to the Mother. “And then let him come for us and cut every one of these bastards down.”
A wagon drawn by a team of horses is stopped momentarily and Kata is handed over. Once she’s chained in the bed by her ankle, I’m next, and again the wagon is moving with purpose.
“Well, well, well.” My skin crawls at the sound of that voice. “Amarinata D’heilar. Are you ready to head home?”
From horseback, Dulat directs an oily smirk at me. It’s exactly as I remember it. Despite all the horrible memories trying to scratch their way to the surface, I feel laughter slip past my lips. It’s not tinged with hysteria or fear or anything like that. It rings with glee. “You’re a dead man.”
His sneer slips a little. “You always were delusional.” He puts his heels to his horse and moves further up the road.
Bracing myself against the motion of the cart, I stand and cup my hands around my mouth to shout, “Whether it’s my husband or one of his warriors, you’re a dead man! Or me. I’m hoping it’s me! Do you hear me, Mattice Dulat?! Prepare yourself for the Abyss. It’s coming.”
“Sit down and shut up,” orders our driver as we go over a bump. Unable to keep my balance, I’m forced to do as he says, but not before I catch a glimpse of something in the trees.Is that . . . a boy?But it’s there one moment and gone the next.
I turn my attention to Kata, sitting across from me. Her braid has partially come loose and she’s paler than usual, making the blood smear on her neck stand out in sharp contrast. She’s shaken, but when I reach for her hand, her grip is sure. “You okay?” She touches the cut at her neck, but nods. It’s stopped bleeding mostly.
A gust of wind sends a shiver through me. It may be spring but it’s too cold to be out here without a cloak. “This is such bullshit,” I mutter, checking out our situation more carefully. There’s only the driver, two guards riding behind us and two in front – one of them being Dulat – but since we’re shackled, there may as well be fifty men surrounding us. I inspect the chain, but there’s no way out of it.
Gah!Luka is fighting for his life and I am here, chained in a cart, leaving the Mountain Lion Realm in the same way I came in. Childishly, I kick at the short chain in frustration.
“Woah!” sounds and my head snaps up. Ahead, tied to trees on either side of the road, stands a mule, blocking our way.
“What, in the name of the Father, is that?” asks Dulat, slowing to a stop.
The two guards following ride past us to join the others. “It’s a mule.”
“I can see that!” he snaps. “What is it doing there?”
