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A clatter happens in the trees off to our left, drawing everyone’s gaze.
“What was that?”
More noise sounds in the distance.Is something being thrown against the trees?
“Damnation,” one of the men says. “It’s some kind of ambush.”
At the same moment a small hand reaches over the lip of the wagon bed and quietly leaves first a bow and then a quiver of arrows. Oh, dear Mother. It’s Rionnon. Kata and I quickly cover the weapon with our skirts.
The guards have all drawn their swords, searching the trees for the source of the noise. “Show yourselves!” one of them yells while my mind is torn between forming some kind of plan and terror for Rionnon –
“Why should we?!” echoes through the trees.
Rionnon is not alone.
“It’s a child,” scoffs the driver. “Go see if you can flush them out. I’ll move the mule. We need to be long gone before they realize the woman is missing.”
Kata gives me a discreet nod as the men on horseback move into the trees and the driver gets down from his perch and passes a lost-looking Dulat. I take hold of the bow and push up onto my knees. Kata passes me an arrow and I nock it.
I’ve never killed a man before and maybe if only my life was at stake, I would hesitate. But Luka and my new family mean everything to me. I won’t allow this to happen. I loose the arrow and it sinks into the driver’s back. He goes down with a cry and Dulat turns, shocked as I nock another one.
“Ha!” he yells, spurring his horse into the trees. I let my shot fly, but I only manage to pierce his hip. He howls like a banshee, but it doesn’t stop him from fleeing.
Thwack. Kata slaps my upper arm with another arrow and gestures to our left. Having heard the cry, one of the guards is charging back our way. Grasping the proffered arrow, I clumsily nock it and shoot. It goes wide. Shit! Taking a deep breath, I accept another and this time get my bearings.
The impact at such close range knocks the man from his horse. I don’t dwell on it, I simply nock the next arrow and scan the trees. I see nothing, but I can hear the boys still taunting the two remaining men, and under that, a low rumbling. Hooves. It’s the thumping of hooves. “From which direction do the horses come, Kata?” I whisper desperately. “North or south?” The strain of keeping the arrow nocked has my arms trembling, but I don’t dare let up. The approaching riders will either be our salvation or our demise.
I glance at the guard I shot off his horse. He’s not moving. The man in the road is still twitching about, but he’s in no shape to be a threat to us.
A child’s scream comes from the trees and my heart freezes. I get to my feet, scanning frantically. “Rionnon!”
No answer. My sweaty grip starts to falter. I lower the bow and shake out my muscles. Kata waves to the north and I think I almost pass out from the relief. Through the forest, three men appear on horseback, two of them in the brown leather vests of the Range. The other is shirtless and as they draw nearer, the light glints off of the golden torque at his bicep. Luka.
Another scream and I tear my eyes from my husband to search again for Rionnon. There. I raise the bow once again, but there’s no way I’d risk the shot, considering the scene before me. It’s not Yvette’s son the guard has in his grip, but one of his friends, a girl. The child is held against the man’s front, his sword tip resting against her fragile chest.
“Put down the bow,” the guard yells to me as Luka, Noé, and Ion rein in their horses. Luka slides from the saddle, his own sword gripped in his hand. “Back off,” the man screams. “All of you!”
The girl squeals as the blade begins to pierce her skin.
“Okay, okay,” I plead, slowly lowering the bow to the bed of the wagon, keeping my hands where he can see them. “Just don’t hurt her.”
“You too,” he bellows to Luka. “Throw down the sword.”
“You and I both know,” Luka says, the authority in his voice echoing around us, “that the only way you come away from this alive is if you let the child go.”
The guard’s eyes dart every which way until finally coming back to Luka. “I only did what was ordered of me. Kharon is not a forgiving man.”
“Kharon is the least of your worries right now. Let the child go and I’ll –”
Luka breaks off as a spear slices straight through the man’s chest with a great squelching thud right above the child’s head. For a moment, nothing happens. It’s as if the entire known world holds its breath until his grip on the girl falters and he topples backwards.
Shock almost bringing me to my knees, I turn and find Noé with his hands on his hips, surveying his handiwork.
“Nice shot,” Luka congratulates as the children who were hiding in the trees come running. I want to go to the girl. She must need comfort after such an ordeal and I yank at my chain. “You okay, my love?” Luka asks. He’s right there, looking over the edge of the cart, and the visceral feeling of déjà vu washes over me, leaving me slightly light-headed. Except this time, there’s no scorn in his expression only love and concern.
A deep breath has me feeling steadier and I tug at the shackle again. “I’m fine, but there’s another guard somewhere. And I only wounded Dulat. Get the key from that one.” I throw my arm in the direction of the man in the middle of the road.
Luka raises a brow at me.
