Chapter 24
When nobody moves, I stab the guy’s leg.
He yells in pain and throws me forward. I whirl away from the other guy that called me sweetheart, holding my knife in front of me.
I wish it was my dagger in my boot; I like that one better.
But it’s better than nothing. “Don’t touch me,” I warn him.
The first guy comes at me, and I evade him, slicing his arm in the process.
He curses and grabs my arm. “I told you not to touch me.” Somebody grabs me from behind, but I felt them coming.
I’m not about to let them take me unawares a second time.
I whirl around and kick out, catching him in the stomach and sending him backwards.
Before I realize what’s happening, a blow from my left snaps my head to the side.
I see stars and can’t tell up from down for a moment.
I blink heavily, trying to get my eyes to focus.
Something wet drips into my eyes, and I blink trying to clear them.
One of them grabs my arm, and I yank it away; but they grab it again and pull it behind me painfully and get the knife from my hand.
I'm pulled to my feet. “That’s enough from you, you spy.” He jerks me hard, and I stumble and try to get my feet under me again.
I jerk my body hard trying to get free, but he doesn’t release his iron grip on my arm, and it only further pulls on my arm.
But with the adrenaline coursing through me, I don’t feel anything. “You’re coming with us.”
“No, I’m. Not.” I fight him every step of the way.
Redara is suddenly in my head. What’s happening? I can feel your panic. I don’t get a chance to respond.
Somebody yanks my arms behind my back, and I fight back but they do something to bind my wrists behind me.
With my arms restrained it’s almost impossible to do anything to fight back.
But I don’t let that stop me. “You really have to have two of you to restrain a single female?” I ask the guys on either side of me.
“Move,” the one says, shaking me harshly.
I’m coming to you, Redara sends through our link.
No, I send back quickly. I’m fine. Don’t risk coming. I don’t want the guys I’m with to see you.
What guys? She demands. And why not?
I don’t know who they are and—I stumble forward.
Are you hurt? She demands.
I’m fine. Stay there.
Not going to happen.
Just wait, I tell her.
“Move,” my captor shouts and pushes me forward. “If you keep slowing down, I will—”
The grip on my arm tightens painfully, and they suddenly go very still.
Two men step out from the trees. I go still as well; I know danger when I see it.
The men I was just dealing with are nothing compared to these newcomers.
Their faces are covered in black paint with three strips of white on their cheeks.
They’re wearing dark furs, and they look ominous.
Nobody moves for a moment, and I hardly dare to breathe.
And the newcomers move. They simultaneously throw axes, cutting down the men around me.
Before I realize what they’re doing, they do the same to the guard from the Dragon Kingdom.
I don’t dare look down at the bodies around me.
I can’t breathe. I’ve known fear in my life, but it’s nothing compared to the fear that’s coursing through me right now.
My hands are tied behind my back, and there is literally nothing I can do to defend myself.
Suddenly, both of their heads jerk up; and my stomach plummets.
No! Redara! One of them looks over at me, and I feel exposed.
He knows. Somehow, he knows she’s mine. Suddenly, they lift their weapons, and I stumble backwards.
And then Rauk and Thorne appear out of nowhere.
I stumble again, trying to get out of their way.
It's a brutal fight, but I can’t bring myself to look away.
Rauk’s an unstoppable force, spinning his long halberd as he fights.
When he skewers the man, I look away. Thorne’s man is down as well.
I swallow hard and force the contents of my stomach down.
These aren't the first harsh deaths I’ve seen, and they surely won’t be the last. I compartmentalize my feelings and push them deep into the box that contains the other dark, painful things in my life.
Are you okay? Red asks. I don’t really even know how to answer that.
“Harper!” I turn to see Rauk striding towards me.
I do everything except meet Rauk’s eyes.
I simply stare at somewhere around the vicinity of his stomach; it seems the safest place to look right now.
“Why are you here?” I finally lift my head and turn towards him, meeting his gaze.
I notice the moment he sees what I’m sure is blood on my face.
He goes still, and his gaze drops to scan the rest of me.
I sort of just feel numb to the whole thing.
He strides closer, and I hold my ground, not looking away from him. “What happened?” he demands.
“Rauk,” I hear Thorne say in a quiet voice. Rauk scowls and then walks over to Thorne. He kneels next to his guard and checks for a pulse. I force myself to watch. When Rauk stands to his feet, he walks back over to me. There’s anger in his eyes, and I tense.
“It wasn’t me,” I manage to get out. He's still staring at me, and I don’t know why. “I didn’t do it.”
He takes a step towards me, and I lift my chin.
My hands are still restrained, so I can’t fight against him.
But I won’t be his whipping post. He pulls out a knife and shows me.
“I’m just going to cut your restraints.” His voice is much more subdued than it was a moment ago.
He takes another slow step towards me. “Okay?” I realize he’s waiting for me.
I finally manage to nod. He takes the few remaining steps between us before he steps behind me.
The binding tightens for a moment before he cuts it free.
The moment my wrists are free, I let them drop and shake them out.
I look up and realize he’s watching me. The look unnerves me, and I take a step back.
“What happened?” he asks again. I rub at my wrists and decide to just get this over with.
It’s not going to end well. Everything that happened out here is my fault.
I know he’s aware that Nox and Red are flying overhead, unable to land in this thick part of the forest. This is bad, really bad.
I should have just had those men with black paint end me, because Rauk’s going to soon anyway.
“I came looking for you,” I start. “The first guys are the ones that actually knocked your guard out and gave me the restraints.” I pause and take a breath because here it gets pretty rough. “Then those two men with the black paint showed up and killed everybody.”
“Except you,” Rauk says in a low voice.
“Yes, except me.” I don’t want to tell him the next part, but I know I have to. “Red came to my aid.” I take a deep breath. “They saw her.”
“I know. That's why they’re dead,” he bites out. “Why would you leave the city? We protect the secret of our dragons.”
“I know. I,” I pause, knowing there is nothing I can say to make this right. “I messed up. I’m sorry.”
“You need to get back to the castle.” Rauk doesn’t look at me as he says the words. I stand there a moment longer before I walk over to Redara.
Will you take me back? She finally managed to find a place to land not too far from us.
Of course. I’m on her back moments later.
“Make sure Elowen gets you stitched up.” Rauk’s words aren’t loud, but I hear them anyway.
I look down at his back. He’s walking through the bodies on the ground.
“I really am sorry.” He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t turn around.
Let’s go, Red. We’re in the air moments later.
I turn around and look over my shoulder, but both Rauk and Thorne are just tiny specks after a few moments.
Noxlyn joins us in the sky, and we fly back to the city walls and soar over them.
It’s a silent ride back to the castle. When we get there, Red lands on the landing area, and Nox lands right next to us.
Thank you, I tell her before climbing off her.
Will you be okay?
Yeah. I open the door and head inside. When I turn back, I watch the two of them fly away.
Something tugs at my insides, but I ignore it.
I walk to my room and push open the door.
Closing the door, I lean my head against it and give myself this moment to be weak.
I squeeze my eyes shut as I think of the bodies, of the guy that lost his life because he was trying to help me by accompanying me.
I stay in my room for an hour or two, but the quiet eventually drives me to the kitchen. I’m not really hungry, but I need the distraction. I push open the door and walk in but halt at the expression on Elowen’s face. “Harper!” she gasps and then walks towards me. “What happened?”
I curse myself for forgetting about the blood on my forehead.
“Nothing. I just—” I can’t think of anything fast enough.
It doesn’t matter anyway because I can tell she doesn’t believe me.
She puts her hands on my shoulders, even though I’m taller than she is, and directs me over to a chair at the table.
“Sit while I get you cleaned up.”
“You don’t need to—”
“Sit,” she orders, cutting me off. I obey, and she grabs a cloth and wets it.
“Let’s get this cleaned up first.” She dabs at the cut on my face, and I wince.
“Nothing, huh?” I don’t say anything. She works on my face for a little bit and then tips it this way and that.
“I don’t think it needs to be stitched up.
” She drops the now bloodied cloth into a bowl and then sits back against her chair. “Now. What happened?”