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“Where is William?” I asked again, doing my best to tap down the mounting panic.
“Captain Rekker took him.” I felt the chasm yawn at my feet once more. “Einri let him.”
The air in the room was suddenly an unbearable weight. I turned my stricken, furious eyes to Little John. “Einri let him?” Even I could hear the deadly tenor of my voice as hate flooded my body.
“I did.”
My eyes found the massive man and watched as he ducked into the cave, and the hole where my heart used to be skipped a beat as I looked at his eyes. Those silver eyes. I remembered them from the night before, glowing in the darkness, and then again as they loomed over me. I held back a gasp as I stared at him. Realization that he was the man-version of the silver eyed wolf shook me to my core.
We stared at each other. Something unspoken yet all-consuming passed between us. The air pulsed with anger, tangling with a fiery passion to protect. I felt my lip curl with distrust. Let the absence of it feed my anger, feeling it bolster me with strength I knew I would need while in the presence of this predator. I rose to the silent challenge in his eyes, lifting my chin and staring back, determined to stand my ground.
“You gave my cousin to the enemy?” I put all my anger and hate into the accusation, hoping my words cut him as badly as he’d cut me.
"Your cousin is not mine to claim. I have hundreds in my care, with rules I must follow. My hands were tied. I couldn’t risk my people for one spoiled brat." His growl reverberated inside the cave as his eyes flashed, reminding me of his beast as if they both looked at me through his eyes. It was intimidating, but my anger steeled my spine.
"How dare you call him a spoiled brat!" I was shaking with fury, and realized that sometime while he’d been shouting, I’d risen to my feet. He loomed over me trying to scare me with his size, but I’d faced men and beasts like him before. We stood toe to toe, neither one giving an inch.
"Is he not? A boy who needs a woman to save him sounds like a spoiled brat to me.” He lowered his voice and he successfully managed to get under my skin.
“Let me out of these chains and I’ll show you exactly what this woman can do.” I smiled relishing the chance to put the bastard in his place.
The infuriating man laughed, making me want to scream.
“Ah, Lady Arrow, I see you have finally met our fearless leader.” The smooth tones slipped into the cave, followed by the lanky body of Tuck. I angled my body to keep Einri in my line of sight as I watched the newcomer saunter in, my fury turning my vision red.
Einri growled at Tuck, an actual growl.
“It’s good to know you still have an extensive vocabulary, Einri. Now, I know you intended on having a civil conversation with our guest here, so I’ve brought us all some mead.” He passed goblets to each of us. I couldn’t grab it because of my manacled hands, so Tuck set it beside me as he eyed my hands with a frown. “To the incompetence of our enemies.” He toasted, and then took a swig.
“Oi, how can you stomach this syrup drink?” Little John spluttered, droplets of spittle flying as he coughed.
“You wound me, sir! Mead is the drink of gentlemen.” Tuck responded with a smirk.
“Tuck, I thought I gave you a job?” Einri pointedly asked.
“You did!” Tuck cheerily replied. “Alan is doing it. In fact, he’s just about finished.”
“Does no one care that my cousin has been dragged off, for only the Maiden knows what reason?” My furious words bounced around the cave.
“I know you’re worried for your cousin,” Tuck began softly before anyone else had the chance to respond. “I have only known you a short time, but even with that, the love you two share is obvious.”
I nodded, a sudden influx of emotion filling my throat and I didn’t trust my voice at that moment.
“I can assure you that when the time is right, you can go after your cousin.”
I looked him straight in the eyes, searching for any hint that he was lying. I turned to Einri because he was the one truly in charge. “I don’t care about my own safety. I accept the risks. I need to go after my cousin now.”
“No.”
The one-word response stoked the coals of my anger into a fiery blaze. How dare this man dictate what I can or cannot do? “I am not one of your men. Let me out of these chains!”
“I refuse to put my people at risk for your foolish endeavor!”
“What he means by that,” Tuck interjected, physically putting himself between Einri and me. “Is that the Greenwood has become more than its original intention. I told you about the Greenwood yesterday, remember? Einri created a haven for those infected by the witch’s potion.” He waited for me to nod, and I begrudgingly listened to him as he continued. “But it no longer houses just those that are infected, now it also is home to the families of those that are infected, including women and children. If Rekker found his way here, it would be the end of this safe place, a slaughter even. Einri has done everything to ensure that will never happen, including moving the location of the Greenwood.”
“I would never give away the location. I don’t even know where ‘here’ is.” I argued, eyes flicking to Einri.
Even silent I could feel his presence and the distrust simmering between us. I must admit that Tuck’s words were helping me to see reason. That is, until the clanking of my cuffs reminded me of all the reasons I shouldn’t let my guard down. I knew leadership, had been groomed from a young age to lead and protect. That didn’t mean I liked deferring to another. Something inside bristled at the thought.
