27. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The curved blade of a Rasennan dagger glinted in the early sunlight.
Alena remained frozen, eyes wide. The stranger towered above her, gripping her arm and holding the weapon at her throat. A black fur coat engulfed his bulky frame, giving him the appearance of a bear. His weathered face was half-hidden behind dark, shaggy hair and a thick beard. His deep-set, tawny eyes, however, shone unnaturally bright. Silver lines depicting a bow and arrow encircled the left one, spreading from his forehead to his temple and cheek.
The Mark of the Huntress.
Alena’s pulse raced, her entire body tensing. Leukos hadn’t been lying. The Rasennan tracker looked every inch the ruthless killer that he’d described.
“Who are you?” Her hands shook, and she buried them in Leukos’ woollen cloak that still covered her legs. “What do you want?”
“They call me the Blood Wolf,” he answered in fluent Koine, his voice deep and gruff. “I can smell the fear rolling off you in waves. Answer my questions, and I may let you live.”
His words did nothing to soothe her nerves. It was unlikely that he’d spare her life. She searched among the snarling grey wolves surrounding the camp, but there was no sign of Leukos.
“He’s not here,” the tracker said, as if reading her mind.
She sucked in a sharp breath, fear threatening to swallow her whole.
No. Leukos couldn’t have abandoned her.
Stars be damned, where was he?
The cool metal of her father’s Megarian dagger brushed against her leg, hidden inside her boot, but she knew better than to reach for it. The chances of her winning against a Gifted Rasennan tracker were slim to none. Even if she managed to injure him somehow, his wolves would tear her apart.
For a moment the Blood Wolf studied her, then stood, tugging her with him. Leukos’ cloak pooled at her feet.
“Let’s go.” He shoved her forward. “He’s waiting for you.”
The wolves flanked them, and a chilling sense of foreboding filled Alena’s heart. She forced her feet to move, her mind clamouring with questions. Where was Leukos? What had the Blood Wolf done with him? Had he killed him already? Was she next?
They walked in silence, her heart thumping in her ears with each step. The dense forest canopy rustled in the breeze, accompanied by an eerie lack of bird sounds. A few paces further, the wolves halted by a gnarled oak tree. A figure, covered in blood from head to toe, was held upright and immobile against the tree, arms tied to the branch above.
Alena wasn’t sure what she was staring at until she recognised the muscled frame with tousled black hair.
Leukos.
A scream climbed up her throat, and she fought against every instinct telling her to run from the violence and insanity that was the Blood Wolf. Her knees quaked, and she pressed both hands to her mouth.
Then, Leukos stirred, and she gasped, relief flooding her veins.
He wasn’t dead.
He wasn’t dead!
But he would be, and soon, if she didn’t find a way to save him. She owed him too much not to try. She might not be able to win in a fight against the Rasennan tracker, but there had to be another way.
Perhaps she could trade herself for Leukos’ life. Or trick the Blood Wolf… somehow.
An idea came to mind.
“Scylas!” She rushed forward. “By the Moon, what have you done to him? What have you done to my brother?”
She breathed the lie with ease, hoping Leukos hadn’t already given anything away. His bruised face glanced up at the sound of her voice, a soiled gag stuffed in his mouth.
The Blood Wolf grasped Alena’s arm, tugging her back. “Your brother?”
“Cut him down!” She turned her tearful gaze on him. “He doesn’t deserve this. He’s not the Megarian you’re looking for. That’s who you’re tracking, isn’t it?”
The tracker’s large hand closed around her neck. “What in Laran’s name are you talking about, girl? Explain now if you want to live.”
His tone was a warning growl, more animal than human, and her skin crawled.
“My brother changed clothes,” she blurted. Across from her, Leukos’ bloodied face didn’t betray a single emotion. “A few days back, we met a man on the road, from Megara, and he asked to exchange clothes with my brother. We knew he was probably in hiding or being tracked, but he paid us well, and his tunic and cloak were fine cloth, so we accepted.”
The Blood Wolf’s grasp tightened around her neck, cutting her off. Black dots flitted at the corners of her vision until he abruptly released her. She fell to her knees, gasping for breath.
“Prove it,” the Rasennan snarled. His leather boots crushed the forest’s new green shoots without care—as he would crush her life if she didn’t answer his questions. “You say he is your brother, yet you look nothing alike.”
“His family… took me in…” She panted, coughing up spit and bile. Her mind spun, and she dug her fingers deep into the forest ground, waiting for the nausea to pass.
“Let us see what your brother has to say about that.” He stalked over to Leukos and tugged off the gag.
The Megarian flinched, his legs straining to keep him up. His torn tunic shifted against his thigh, and beneath the spattering of blood, a faint blue pattern gleamed in the morning light.
A Mark.
Alena blinked.
By the Moon, he was Gifted!
Leukos watched her with furious intensity. “She’s telling the truth.”
His voice came out as a raspy breath, and he appeared to be on the verge of losing consciousness, but nothing could quell the sting of the sudden revelation that he was Gifted.
Alena glared back at him. “Of course, I’m telling the truth. I told you it was a bad idea to accept that man’s deal and see where it got you!”
The Blood Wolf pinned her with a sharp stare. “Where were you headed?”
“Bruna. Our sister was taken captive by slavers, and we’re going to get her back.”
“Is that so?”
The tracker circled closer. Fear caught her breath, freezing the air in her lungs. He was toying with her. She was a meaningless prey caught in his merciless hands.
“And where did you come from?”
She failed to steady her voice. “Our homeland lies east from here. A village beyond the Roxolani Kingdom. A fisherman’s village.”
The Blood Wolf stopped—a giant wall of fur and muscle blocking everything out. Alena was aware of nothing beyond her racing heart and the dangerous glint in his eyes.
“Beyond the Roxolani Kingdom? Try me.”
Her mouth ran dry. “The Deep River.”
In the next beat, he snatched her face, and the tip of his blade pricked the corner of her eye.
“No!” Leukos’ shout rang out.
The Blood Wolf’s gaze drank in the terror that shook Alena’s body, and his lips lifted into a chilling smile. “I’ve travelled far and wide across the Empire and beyond. I’ve visited the villages of the Deep River on several occasions, and none of those fishermen could speak Koine.”
The blade broke her skin and searing pain bloomed across her cheekbone. Alena screamed. Blood mixed with tears trickled down her cheek.
Leukos’ raw shouts echoed in the forest, but she couldn’t focus on anything beyond the biting touch of the tracker’s blade.
“You wouldn’t be lying to me, girl, would you?”
He released his hold, and she dropped to her knees, the hard ground digging into her skin. Grabbing a fistful of her hair instead, the Blood Wolf forced her head back, bringing his blade to her throat.
“Now, let us see who will break first.” He turned her head to face the gnarled oak tree. “You, as I slice your pretty face, or your brother as he watches you bleed to death.”
Choking back her tears, Alena locked eyes with Leukos. Black strands of hair, mixed with blood and grime, plastered the sides of his face.
“Alena, stop,” he pleaded, his voice hoarse. “Don’t tell him anything else.”
His gaze betrayed the conflict raging within him. He was going to break, choosing to reveal his true identity rather than watch her die. It seemed Leukos, son of a Silver Shield, was honourable after all.
A sob broke free and fresh tears coursed down her cheeks.
First Katell, and now Leukos. How many more would sacrifice themselves for her? Leukos might have been ready to throw his life away, but she wasn’t ready to lose him yet.
“There’s no need for violence.” Sniffling, she tilted her head back and caught the Blood Wolf’s attention behind her. “You’re right, I lied. We’re not from the Deep River, but from the steppe that stretches east.”
The grip on her hair loosened. “You mean the Freefolk camps?”
Her heart stilled. “You know of the Freefolk?”
“I travelled there a long time ago. I never believed the rumours of the godless tribes to be true. I roamed the steppe for days before I came across a group of hunters who chased me away.”
His gaze shifted between Leukos and her, the sharp dagger twirling in his hand. Leukos was still, his expression unreadable.
“I thought it was forbidden for your kind to cross the Deep River.”
“It is,” she confirmed, “but once our father died, a Mark appeared on my brother. It wasn’t long before the elders found out, and we were exiled. With our father’s Megarian dagger as our only clue, we headed west to find some answers. Unfortunately, we ran into slavers, and they took our sister.”
“Your brother’s Mark doesn’t belong to the Sea God.”
“Oh.” Alena’s mind churned as she tried to make sense of his words.
The Sea God was Megara’s patron god. If Leukos’ Mark didn’t belong to him, then who had Gifted him? Another from the Achaean Twelve?
The tracker left her side to peer at Leukos once more.
Without warning, he punched the Megarian in the gut. Leukos grunted and curled in on himself.
“Let’s see that Mark one more time.” The Blood Wolf pulled back the ripped tunic with the point of his dagger, revealing an iridescent light blue swirl on the outside of Leukos’ thigh.
“Never seen anything like it,” he muttered. “Vanth be damned!” He threw Alena a dark glare. “I knew something was off when you reached your brother. You swore by the Moon.”
She gulped, unsure how to respond.
“Earlier, you mentioned the moon.” He continued to circle Leukos like a predator. “Mortals always call out to their gods and beliefs when in danger. It’s our human nature. I’ve tracked and killed enough people throughout the Empire to know which ones pray to the moon—the Freefolk and the Amazon whores.”
He pivoted, striking Leukos beneath the ribs. Alena’s heart lurched at the impact of the blow. Her companion grimaced in pain, then lost consciousness, blood leaking from his mouth and splattering his tattered tunic.
The tracker laughed—a deep feral growl mixed with mirth. “I knew the second I jumped your brother that he wasn’t who I was searching for. Pale-skinned maggot barely put up a fight.”
Her chest tightened as Leukos’ body hung limp from the branch.
“Please.” The words tumbled from her lips. “Please, stop.”
“Don’t worry, girl, I’ve wasted more than enough time listening to your jabbering.” He scratched his thick beard, and his tawny eyes locked on hers. “I’m just searching for something worth my time, and then I’ll be off.”
A wolf trotted up to him, carrying a rag in its jaw. Alena caught a glimpse of felt cloth before the tracker hooked it through his leather belt and gave a loud whistle.
“I wouldn’t dawdle if I were you.” He strode away, the wolves flocking to him. “My wolves are hungry, and with all that blood in the air, they won’t be able to stop themselves from taking a bite.”
With a mocking wave, he disappeared through the woods, the pack of wolves following at his heels.
All except for two.
They stood on the outskirts of the small clearing, licking their chops, their attention focused on Leukos.
Alena’s heart seized, and she sprang to her feet. “Scylas!”
Keeping up the pretence, she grasped the dagger stashed in her boot and went to work on his restraints. She sawed through the ropes as fast as she could. When his whole weight toppled over, she staggered.
“Scylas, wake up!”
Her arms ached as she pushed him off her, shaking him none-too-gently. He gave a faint groan. His chest was slick with blood from various cuts along his ribs. She had no choice but to tend to his wounds first. Propping him against the tree’s rough bark, her breath caught in her throat at the mottled black and blue bruises marring his skin. “By the Moon, what did he do to you?”
She worked quickly, using discarded pieces of his tunic to wrap around his chest.
“Keep pressing down on the side wound, we need to stop the bleeding.” She grabbed his hand, holding it against the deepest cut before she wrapped his other arm around her shoulders and helped him to his feet.
When she glanced up, the wolves were nowhere to be seen. She scoured the clearing, and a chill ran down her spine. No doubt, they would be back soon.
Leukos grunted against her, shuffling his feet forward. Her fingers dug into his hip and she led him away, staying vigilant for the two beasts. She wasn’t sure how they managed to get away with Leukos half-conscious, but little by little, they did. Deep growls followed at a distance, but she didn’t dare turn around for fear of crumbling beneath Leukos’ weight.
When they reached their campfire, Alena found her satchel emptied across the mossy ground. Leukos slumped against a tree, sweat tracing his temples and nostrils flared, while she grabbed her bag and stuffed as many herbs and belongings as she could find. With unsteady hands, she snatched his woollen cloak and wrapped it around his shoulders. Once she got him to his feet again, the two wolves reappeared ahead.
“The caves…” Leukos wheezed, stumbling against her.
She nodded, remembering the rocky hills that bordered the forest. The threat of bears and other wild creatures had deterred them from camping in one of the caves the previous night, but now it was their best chance of escape.
“We can make it,” she whispered both to herself and him. “Just a little further. Once we reach the caves, I’m certain we can lose them.”
The snarls came closer, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose. Peeking over her shoulder, she glimpsed the two predators stalking them through the bushes.
Her breath hitched, and Leukos cursed under his breath.
Running away wasn’t an option any longer.
They stopped beside an uprooted tree, and Leukos leaned against its peeling trunk, clutching his side, his features twisted in pain. Alena faced the wolves, dagger in hand. She searched the forest ground for anything to help fight them off. Her father’s teachings rang through her head, reminding her that maintaining eye contact was the smartest move.
Standing in front of Leukos, she brandished her weapon. “Stay back!”
The wolves prowled closer, and the blade shook in her hand. Were they under the Blood Wolf’s control? The thought made her hesitate to harm them. Katell would have killed them without a second thought, but Alena wasn’t so callous. She cursed the Blood Wolf for sending animals to do his bidding without any care of whether they lived or died.
“Alena,” Leukos rasped behind her.
She spotted a gnarled branch hidden in the ferns by her feet and knelt to grab it, keeping her focus on the two beasts. “I’m a little busy right now.”
“I can help. I can use my magic.”
She whirled around. “Don’t! You’re in no condition to—”
Her moment of inattention was all the wolves needed to attack. They jumped, fur and claws slamming into her. She fell to the ground. The tree branch shielded her throat as they lunged in tandem, teeth sinking into the bark.
In a moment of courage, she plunged the dagger into one wolf’s neck. The blade cut through fur and flesh, and she shuddered at the pitiful whine the beast gave before its life slipped through her fingers.
Wolves should only be killed to survive the winter cold, her father’s voice reverberated in her mind. Killing them for any other reason is wasteful.
She pulled the dagger from the warm corpse, and her stomach reeled. The second wolf tugged the branch from her hands, then circled out of reach with a deep growl.
“Alena!” Leukos staggered to his feet.
“I’m fine.” She crawled away, shaking all over. “I’ll be fine.”
The grey wolf snarled, ready to pounce again, and she tensed.
Something rustled in the bushes behind, and a flash of orange shot out, launching itself at the wolf.
A fox!
Alena blinked at her unexpected rescuer before scuttling away.
The fox’s attack resulted in a cacophony of snarls and screeches. Too lithe and fast for the wolf, the red creature attacked its legs and throat relentlessly, its fiery fur bristling as it gave a series of high-pitched cries.
Dagger still in hand, Alena turned to Leukos. Unable to comprehend where the fox with the white paw had come from or why it was helping her, she grabbed her injured companion once more, refusing to waste a moment.
“What’s happening?” Leukos asked, his breathing fast and shallow. Blood had already seeped through the ripped tunic pressed to his side.
“I don’t know.” His arm was heavy around her shoulders, but she clenched her teeth and pushed on. “Let’s get out of here while we can.”
They stumbled away, the fox’s piercing cries weakening the further they walked. A moment later, the rocky hills jutted through the thinning canopy.
“Just a little further.”
Leukos’ skin was ashen and slick with sweat. They needed to find a cave where she could treat him, and soon, or she feared he wouldn’t make it.
“You can do it.” Despite her muscles screaming with each step, her voice remained soft. “Stay with me. We’re almost there.”