Chapter 24 Tamsyn #2
“Oh. Yes. Of course.” I nodded as though that made sense.
As though any of this made sense. “I’ll climb down there.
” As though descending a couple hundred feet into the earth was not a frightening prospect.
But really, what did it compare to being flogged nearly to death? After that, what couldn’t I endure?
For Fell, I could do this.
Kerstin nodded like this was an excellent notion. “I’m certain once the lid is open and he feels the air and light on his skin … and sees you …” Her voice faded away.
She was conjecturing, but her logic tempted me to hope. He merely needed to awaken—to realize he was free, and then he would be back, fully returned to himself. Fully returned to me.
I eyed the crack in the ground, assessing the crumbling edges and how best to proceed. It turned out I didn’t need to worry about that, though.
They attacked us in a volley of shouts, surging over the horizon, the ground shuddering from the crash of sudden hooves.
Kerstin grabbed for me.
We clung to each other and looked wildly around as warriors on horseback descended on us from every side. My stomach sloshed and soured.
They’d found us.
Tracked us.
This wild thought mingled with the dread. The fear. The realization that I was this close to Fell and I still could do nothing to help him. I didn’t even know if I could help myself.
The din was overwhelming. They swarmed us, weapons drawn, wielded over their heads in triumph as their voices congested the air.
I blinked rapidly, taking them all in with a sweeping glance, realizing …
They did not belong to the skelm.
Not dragons at all.
I would have realized it at once if I had not been so shocked, so caught off guard, all my thoughts and energies focused on Fell at the bottom of that hole.
The winged helmets on their heads gave them away.
They were warriors from Veturland. Perhaps they were raiding, or perhaps scouting for the army that followed behind them.
It didn’t matter. Whatever the case, they were here in some cruel twist of fate or happenstance.
Two dozen of them at least, venturing south when they usually remained holed up at home during the high winter months.
I read death in their eyes, a hunger for bloodshed on their wind-chapped, ruddy features.
“Humans,” Kerstin hissed as they circled us with thundering hooves and gleeful shouts, calling out among themselves in voices thick with an accent I’d never heard before, but I didn’t need to know their words to comprehend the threat they represented. The gleam in their eyes said it all.
We appeared human to them, two lone females, vulnerable … prey. It was in our favor that this was what they saw when they looked at us. It was our greatest defense. Kerstin and I exchanged meaningful looks. She gave a single nod, and I knew we were in accord.
We knew what we had to do.
A few of the raiders dismounted, launching from their saddles with practiced ease.
As rough hands seized and yanked us between them like buoys tossing at sea, I braced myself, wondering the best way to dispatch them.
We would have to call on our dragons, of course, but even then, could we eliminate such a large group of warriors?
There could be no survivors. No witnesses. We had to make sure of that.
I heard Vetr’s voice then. You’re a fire-breather. Use your power.
Their attitude was jovial and relaxed. They weren’t that concerned with us. We presented no threat—only a diversion for them. Several of them pointed, looking in curious bewilderment at the huge crack in the earth.
Kerstin was lifted away from me then, torn from my side, kicking and screaming, “Tamsyn!”
I fought to reach her, balling up a hand and striking one of the men restraining me, careful not to hit the metal of his helmet.
Blood spurted beneath my knuckles. I knew how to make every blow count, how to strike an opponent. I’d been training for this.
He growled and flung me from him with a punishing curse, his hand flying to the lip I’d split straight down the middle.
I landed hard on the ground with a grunt.
He spit a bloody tooth out in the snow and turned murderous eyes on me. Several of his comrades erupted in laughter, some bending at the waist, others holding their midsections as delight overcame them. The sight of the glaring gap where his tooth had once been brought tears of mirth to their eyes.
“Can’t handle one woman, Clyde?”
That only enraged him further.
Clyde came at me again where I huddled on the ground.
He pulled back his boot to deliver several kicks.
Others joined in, enjoying themselves. The toes of heavy boots rained down on me.
The blows came in quick succession, a violent barrage.
I curled into a ball to shelter myself, crying out as one kick caught my not-fullyhealed rib.
Wrapping my arms around my head, I felt the familiar heat within me snap, catching flame along every nerve and fiber, building into an inferno.
From between my arms, I caught a glimpse of Kerstin as she struggled against her captors, trying to reach me.
Her gaze locked on me, her bronze eyes glowing like coins in the sunlight.
She dipped her head in a quick nod of encouragement.
She was ready. She’d been preparing for this very thing since she could walk.
The gleam in her eyes told me she might even be looking forward to it.
My core seethed, boiling over.
I gave her a nod back, my message clear. Go ahead. Show them what you are.
I opened my mouth with a scream that thundered over the air, straining my voice, cracking my shifting vocal cords as fire built and gathered in my throat, ready to rush free.
Ready to burn it all down.