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Slowly, I blinked open my eyes.
A huge, black face loomed over me, filling my vision.
I screamed, frantically scrambling backward, slipping in the loose straw.
Out of nowhere, a hand flew to my mouth, muffling my cry.
“Skies, are you trying to alert all of Malengard?”
My eyes darted to the source of the voice. Kneeling beside me was a guy who looked about my age, with an aggravated expression knitting his brows together. He was dressed like a guard, but the tattoos that wrapped around his tan forearms appeared Kovakian, like the girl in the mine. Plus, the large bear that paced irritably behind him sealed my suspicion he wasn’t a Rathalan.
I shook my head violently and managed to pry his hand from my mouth. “Get off of me!” I snapped in a harsh whisper.
His eyes bored into mine, wordlessly demanding that I stay silent. He seemed to be listening to see if anyone heard the commotion.
The air was quiet and still. From what I could tell, we were in a stall of a barn or stable. Dawn was approaching outside, its pale gray light seeping through the wooden wall slats and waking the horses in the adjacent stalls. I could hear their snorts and swishing tails.
It took me a moment to realize I was seeing actualdaylight. For so long, I’d wondered if I’d ever see the sun again after countless days in the mines. My eyes stung, though I didn’t know if I felt like laughing or crying.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” the guy said, snapping me back to reality.
“What’s going on? Who are you?” Just as I asked the question, the ring of gold of his eyes ignited a spark of recognition in my memory. I’d seen those eyes before, and the unwavering confidence that resided behind them.
He was the Rathalan guard who’d pulled Meat off me in the mines. The guard who almost whipped us on the platform. Except, now he looked different. Not just the tattoos on his skin. His thick hair was a richer, darker brown, and the front of it was mussy, just long enough to fall into his eyes. He seemed leaner, the angles of his face more defined, and his body even moremuscular, if that was possible. Like someone had plucked the ugly brute out of him and left the boy behind.An attractive boy, I noted.
“My name’s Jeddak,” he answered, speaking quickly. “I’ve been—” The bear behind him grunted. “Oh, and this is Kah.” Kah filled half the stall with his furry bulk. He was inky black with silver markings painted across his fur like an ancient star chart. His claws were longer than my fingers. His small black eyes were watching me.
The cold glare I offered the bear told him to stay back. They might not be Rathalans, but they were armed with knives, teeth, and claws, and I had no reason to trust them. The last time I saw this guy, he was hovering over me with a whip in his hand.
“I came to Malengard from Askeland, home of the Kovakian Bear King,” he continued. “I bought a spell from a Magi to temporarily transform my appearance into a Rathalan guard and hide Kah in my necklace, so I could sneak into this city unnoticed. That’s when I met you in the malarite mine. Unfortunately, getting out of the city is proving to be a bit more difficult. The area was swarming with guards last night while you were unconscious, so I had no choice but to find a place for us to hide. Then the spell wore off at first light. So … there are three of us now.”
The bear snorted, still pacing in the cramped stall.
I studied Jeddak, looking for signs he was lying. How did I know he was a Kovak disguised as a Rathalan instead of the other way around? Or some Magi playing a trick on me?
“What’s your name?” he asked when I didn’t say anything.
“Raven,” I answered cautiously, distrust still burning in my eyes.
“Raven, look, I’m here to rescue you, but I need your help if we’re going to get out of Malengard alive, k’da?”
“I don’t need you to rescue me,” I said hotly as an unexpected wave of anger shot through me. The time Ineededrescuing was in the mine when we were tied to the post. Then maybe Hen would still be alive. A part of me knew it wasn’t his fault, but I didn’t care. For the moment, it felt good to have someone to blame.
His eyebrows rose, like he was waiting for me to realize the falsity of my claim. “No? Because it doesn’t seem like you’ve made much progress escaping Malengard on your own.”
I looked away as I got to my feet, hating that he was right. I’d had a plan to escape—I think. For some reason, my head felt too fuzzy to remember. Before I could ask what happened to me, a cold draft swept through the stables, and I shivered violently, making me look down at what I was wearing underneath my cloak. Skies, I was dressed in my undergarments! “What the blazenhell happened to my clothes?” I exclaimed, wrapping the large cloak tighter around me.
“Shh! Keep your voice down!” he said in a harsh whisper. “I had to ditch the dress. It was going to draw too much attention.”
“And having a giant bear on your heelsisn’t?”
Jeddak smirked. “I’m guessing you’re feeling better, then. I hope that means you’re not still desperately in love withBain.” His tone was mocking.
In love with Bain?What did that mean?
Just then, disjointed memories began popping in my head one by one. Sable bringing tea. The emerald dress. Krish brushing my hair. Extravagant food. Drinking tea. Voices in the dark.
What happened to me?
