Chapter 17 #2
All three men eventually sat and passed around a loaf of bread, ignoring Darragh behind them. His wounds were not healing as a seraph’s should.
I moved closer to Darragh, step by step, sticking to the widest trees and only moving when all three of their backs were turned to me.
The silver dagger was clutched white-knuckled in my hand.
Darragh shook his head vigorously at me, eyes narrowing and unhappy with my presence.
He was in no position to tell me what to do.
I am trying to help you, ass!
Thirty minutes of slowly creeping to get behind Darragh, and I was able to make it to the tree he was tied to. It wouldn’t hide me completely, but placing myself behind his wide body would certainly make me hard to see.
I sliced at the ropes, slowly at first, making sure I didn’t make any noise. Darragh’s body tensed, and he grunted out a yell before I was thrown backward.
The thin seraph, E, towered over me. “Well, looky what we have here! A little mouse, nibbling at the ropes of our prisoner!”
Darragh thrashed against his bindings in vain.
E grabbed my ankle and dragged me along the forest floor on my back toward the fire.
The two other seraph men cheered as I kicked and screamed.
The stocky man waved his hand at Darragh, and more ropes appeared around his torso.
Darragh’s face was pure rage as he struggled against the tightening ropes.
Think, Rory!
The largest of the men walked up next to E. “Feisty little thing, ain’t she?”
As E slowly bent down toward me, I sat up and planted the silver dagger into his thigh.
I didn’t stop pushing until the blade hit his femur.
He screamed and dropped my ankle, falling to the forest floor.
The silver dagger had hit an artery, and blood spurted from his leg.
I scrambled to my feet and took off running through the woods, shocked that I just stabbed someone.
I planned to go as far and as fast as I could and then circle back to help Darragh.
There would be no helping him if I were dead.
I ran until I thought my lungs might burst, stopping only when I was safely hidden behind a large tree.
Heaving and trying to pull as much air into my body, I couldn’t fill my lungs.
I was so loud, I feared my gasps for air would lead them straight to me.
I looked at my shaking hands. I just stabbed a man.
The darkness thickened between the trees as the evening hour tolled on. If I didn’t get back to Darragh, I wouldn’t be able to find him again. I pulled in one more huge breath and peeked around my hiding spot to make sure I didn’t see anyone sneaking up on me.
Get back to him!
I stood and stepped out from behind the tree, colliding with a solid mass.
I fell to the ground on my ass. My eyes scanned the huge form and landed on chestnut brown eyes that had darkened and pierced me.
The earlier cuts and bruises on his face were almost completely healed.
“I told you not to leave the horses. You promised me you would stay put,” he growled out.
I pushed to my feet and blinked. “You’re here,” I sputtered. “I was about to come back for you.”
Darragh ignored me and strode in the direction of the horses. “Walk,” he ordered through gritted teeth. My heart quickened at the fury in his tone.
“Darragh, what happened? How did you get free?” I practically had to jog to keep pace with him while stumbling over roots and dodging brush.
His silence was so loud. I could feel the roil of his energy. Was I about to see the side of him that people feared?
After a mile of broody and uncomfortable silence, I had had enough.
The fire inside me warmed, and sparks flickered to life.
“Darragh!” I grabbed the sleeve of his tunic and tugged.
“Stop ignoring me! What in Dullahan's underworld is your problem?” Apparently, I matched tempers and had a death wish, but I did not take kindly to being treated like I was a problem. Like I didn’t just risk my life to help him.
He paused and pivoted toward me. “What’s my problem?” The calm of his voice teetered on an explosion. “You weren’t supposed to go wandering through the woods to find me and subsequently get caught by three dumb assholes who could have hurt you!” Puffs of breath misted with the dropping temperature.
“I think I handled myself well. Especially since you were the one tied to a tree, and I wasn’t,” I mocked. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
His eyes widened and flashed like a storm. “For. What?” he growled and lowered his face closer to mine.
I mocked a laugh and placed my hands on my hips. “Typical man. Can’t thank a woman for coming to their aid when they were clearly in over their head.” I looked him up and down and took a step toward him. “Get your ego in check! Or is it because I am human that you don’t see my worth?”
I shouldn’t have felt such satisfaction from the look on his face when I didn’t cower to his intimidation. We stared into each other’s eyes, neither wanting to be the first to break, tempers warring.
Darragh’s energy shifted. His eyes softened, his tense body slackened.
“My lady, I apologize. My anger should not have been directed toward you. You’re right.
Thank you for helping me. Had you not, I don’t know what would have happened.
I let my emotions linger from taking out those three seraphs after you fled. ”
I sucked in a soft breath and blinked. I was not expecting that. I had anticipated arguing and yelling at each other for a few more rounds. I had never once had a man genuinely apologize to me. Or thank me. Never in the same breath. Is this a trick?
Several breaths of silence passed. The words had tipped out of my brain.
Darragh inclined his head. “I am sorry for my temper, my lady.”
I swallowed and nodded. “Rory,” I whispered. “I—It’s alright. Emotions are high. I understand.”
He took a hesitant step toward me. “I should have asked before. Are you injured?”
“I’m fine.”
A twig snapped, and I jumped. Darragh took another step toward me, his hand on a dagger at his hip. He looked down at me. “Let’s get back to the horses and make camp. We are too exposed out here for my liking.”
“We are staying out here tonight?” Being away from Cora and her not knowing where I was would cause her to panic. It was causing me to panic.
“I wish we didn’t have to. It will take hours to get out of the forest, then several hours to ride to the castle. It will be pitch black soon, and it is dangerous, not only for the horses to navigate the terrain, but for us. Militia members often move at night.” He scanned the forest.
“But…Cora. She will undoubtedly worry that I abandoned her. Won’t the royals worry about what happened to us?”
“To you, yes.” His phrasing made my heart clench. “You needn’t worry, my lady. I will send Stolas with word of what happened to one of my lieutenants, and he will cover for both of us.”
“Stolas?”
“My raven. Now, let’s move quickly to the horses so I can secure us a place to rest for the night and get a message to the castle.”
Maybe he would rest all night, but I certainly wouldn’t be able to. Not only had I just begun to process everything that happened, but now, I had to stay all night in the forest filled with dryads, militia, and a six-foot-five-inch moody wall of muscle. Little sleep would be had.