2. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Eldrake
The path snaked endlessly before me, a dark ribbon winding through the suffocating black of the night.
Rain lashed at my face, the cold seeping into my bones despite the heat simmering under my skin.
My horse’s hoofbeats clattered rhythmically against the slick cobblestones, steady and unrelenting.
Somewhere behind me, Fen and Felix’s horses echoed the rhythm, their sounds muted by the downpour.
Why did this woman have to live in the middle of fucking nowhere?
What if she refused to come with us?
The thought tightened my grip on the reins. Commander’s orders had been clear—she had to come to Riftreach. There was no room for negotiation. The Uprising’s survival depended on it.
I cursed under my breath, the memory of his words gnawing at my pride. “Use any tactic necessary, Captain. Charm her if you must.” As if I was nothing but a cock for hire. I’d sooner drag her back in chains than play the fool in her bed.
A growl rose unbidden from my throat, drowned out by the thunder rolling overhead. I cracked the reins, urging my horse faster. I was Captain of the Riftborn Uprising—a soldier, a leader, branded in fire and trained in war. Not some seducer.
I was here to save our people, to bring her back by whatever means necessary.
But not that. Never that.
I pushed the thought away, focusing on the steady rhythm of my horse’s gallop. The darkness ahead was unbroken, a void that seemed to stretch forever. Somewhere beyond it lay the woman who, unknowingly, held the fate of the Uprising in her hands.
She’d better be worth all this trouble.
Another crack of thunder split the sky, and my horse let out a snort of protest, its hooves slipping slightly on the uneven cobblestones. I steadied the reins, muttering a quiet apology to the beast. It wasn’t its fault we were out here, chasing shadows and hopes.
Somewhere in the distance, I heard Fen shout something to Felix; her voice lost to the storm. It didn’t matter. I knew what I had to do. Failure wasn’t an option. Not for me. Not for the Uprising.
The rain stung my face, sharp and cold, but my heightened temper made the feeling almost unnoticeable. I was tired. Bone-deep, soul-deep tired—the kind that doesn’t come from fighting—but from carrying everything. But there was no room for that anymore.
I didn’t care how far into the wilderness this mission took me or how stubborn this woman was. I would bring her back.
And I would do it on my terms.