Chapter 4 #2
She moved further away from the stream in search of a climbable tree. Ancient moss stained her clothes green as she pulled herself up into one of the trees. She perched on a thick branch, close to the trunk, high enough to be safely out of reach of any creatures prowling below.
Tendrils of ivy crept up the bark, and she pulled the vines around herself for cover and wrapped one arm around the trunk to keep from falling.
She didn’t let her thoughts take over. She was alive, and she intended to stay that way long enough to find her way back, or at least to Vesryn and the others.
They must be looking for her. The raven-haired fae had said he hadn’t killed them.
If they had intended to take her before their High King, surely she was important enough for them to search for.
Shouts in the forest jolted her awake.
A man screamed.
The bloodcurdling sound caused Amelia’s body to shake. She stayed still, listening, scanning the trees and the floor below. A man ran by, not too far from her tree. He wore dark leather armour.
A blur moved at the edge of her vision.
A gigantic, fanged beast charged towards the man, passing close enough for Amelia to see each of its dark, coarse bristles.
He saw it too late. It pounced, pinning the man to the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut against the horrifying screams as the beast devoured him. The leaves around her rustled as she fought to remain still and make no noise to alert the beast to her presence.
A whistle cut through the air. She opened her eyes as an arrow struck the beast in the flank. It roared in pain. The noise shook her tree, and it charged off towards where the arrow had come from.
A hand clamped over her mouth, stifling her scream. The raven-haired fae slid onto her branch, putting one finger to his lips. In that moment, relief that the beast hadn’t found her overwhelmed every other emotion.
He leaned closer and whispered.
“Come with me now, or I’ll feed you to that.” He gestured towards the forest with his head.
She nodded mutely.
They climbed down the tree, Amelia following closely behind.
He waited at the bottom and grabbed her by the waist, lifting her down. He seized her arm and ran, dragging her along with him. When she struggled to keep up, he lifted her over his shoulder, carrying her as he ran. She was too tired to protest.
They burst from the trees out onto a sandy beach, where a blond fae waited with four horses. He ran towards them.
“Where’s Ruven?” the blond fae asked, scanning the forest behind them.
“He’s still in there. He distracted the Feltooth so we could get out.”
The man ran into the forest, leaving Amelia alone with the raven-haired man. He placed her down on the sand.
“Why the hell did you go into the forest?” he yelled. “Now one of my men is dead and the others are at risk too. You’d better be worth it.”
He muttered the last part.
The exhaustion muted her fear of him. What did he mean, she’d better be worth it?
The blond man emerged from the forest with another fae, who had short brown hair and mischievous green eyes. The newcomer carried an enormous bow like those she had seen the others use. The blond man ignored her, but the newcomer winked. The raven-haired fae’s expression silenced him.
Mounting the horse after Amelia, the dark-haired fae settled into the saddle behind her.
She tensed as his arms slid past her waist, holding the reins.
They galloped along the beach for hours.
She kept nodding off in the saddle despite the discomfort.
She’d been on horseback before, but she wasn’t an experienced rider.
Women back home usually travelled in carriages or carts pulled by donkeys.
The fortress loomed in the distance. She sagged forward. Her attempt at escaping had failed.
The fortress gates groaned open at their approach.
The priests’ holy town had been a place of intricately carved white buildings, green grass and tranquil streams running beneath delicate bridges. The fortress was its opposite: dull stone blending into the grey sky above the rough sea.
The dark-haired fae carried her from the horse inside. She was too tired to protest, aware of every ache in her body.
This was the first time she’d seen the inside of the fortress, apart from her cell.
They marched through dimly lit halls whose cold stone walls were bare.
They stopped outside a room. It was small but contained a comfortable-looking bed, several pillows, and a wooden table and chair.
It was an improvement on her last prison, although there was no window.
She clearly couldn’t be trusted with one.
That made her smile.
He placed her on the bed, ordered the guards to remain outside and left. The door locked behind him.
She sank into a deep, feverish sleep. Through her fever, she glimpsed a woman with long ears and bright eyes standing over her bed. Hands tapped her face and pulled at her hair as she tossed, turned and tried to bat them away.
She heard voices in the distance. “She’s burning up. Send for the healer.”
Flames engulfed her. She choked on the smoke. She was so thirsty.
She awoke, her hair plastered to her head and face.
The dark-haired fae entered her room. He had changed his clothes and washed away the dirt and blood. He crossed the room to the table, picked up the chair and positioned it next to the bed.
She sat up to face him.
“Here, drink.” He passed her a goblet of brown liquid.
She smelt it and cautiously put it to her lips. It tasted sweet.
“What is it?” she croaked.
“Honey water.”
She gulped it down, not caring if it was poisoned.
He looked tired. “The wound on your leg was infected.”
She examined the place where the rocks had gashed her leg. Only smooth, pale pink skin remained.
“The healer saved you,” he said, noticing her confusion.
“What do you want with me?” she asked. She was tired of not knowing. Whatever it was, she wished they’d just get on with it.
“Come,” he said, standing, expecting her to follow.