by Bianca Mckay
"Are you attracted to me?" Thame asked, continuing their game and shocking her.
Aribelle froze, looking into his expectant eyes as he waited patiently for an answer. An answer she wasn't sure she should give. If she told him the truth, would he use it against her? If she told him she longed to feel his lips against her own, would he lean in then stick a dagger in her heart? Her heart beat wildly against her ribs, butterflies taking flight inside her belly as she gazed at him. He stepped to her, his eyes never leaving hers as he leaned down. She could see the same feelings reflected in his eyes, scared but thrilled at the possibilities.
His nose rubbed along her own, and her eyes closed in contentment.
"Me too, Belle," He whispered earnestly.
Her lips tilted upward as she inhaled his delectable scent, willing him to wrap her in his arms and hold her tightly. What are you thinking? Her mind screamed at her. Snapping out of her haze, she took a tentative step backward, feeling foolish. She knew better than to trust this man, so why did she keep getting lost in his eyes?
"Don't run from me, Belle, please," Thame said, grabbing her arm gently.
His hand slid down to her hand, leaving gooseflesh in its wake. He tried to hold her hand, intertwining their fingers, but Aribelle pulled away.
"I'm not running. I need to hunt, or else we won’t be eating very much," She said softly.
It was like her mind was warring with her heart. She didn't want to leave him or run away from the intimacy they were sharing, but her mind was reminding her of all the reasons she shouldn't trust him. She had fallen in too deep with him already, falling any further would only cause both of them unnecessary pain. He was still her prisoner who refused to tell her the truth of his presence here. She was still the ruler of Jurot, the protector of her people. She could never risk falling into bed with an intruder, let alone allow them to steal her heart.
Thame's hand came up to her jaw, cupping the side of her face. Gently he guided her until she was looking at him again.
"Give me a chance," He said, resting his forehead against hers.
"How can I trust you when you will not even tell me why you are here?" She asked.
Thame's expression closed off, validating her point. Her spirits dropped, her hope for a reason to trust him dying a painful death as she swallowed down her disappointment. He stepped away from her, and fury erupted in her veins as her eyes turned bloody red. How dare he use her like this! She thought.
"You think that seducing me is the answer? What is it you want, Thame? If your reason for being here is so important that it must remain a secret, then I can only assume that you wish for me to trust you blindly. And do you know why people demand blind trust from others?" She asked, stalking towards him.
Thame backed up quickly as she advanced on him, his arms out in an effort to ward her off. She laughed cruelly, vanishing in a blur of preternatural movement. Her foot landed hard on his back as she knocked him to the ground from behind. Thame landed on his face in the dirt, and Aribelle jumped on him, straddling his prone form as he struggled beneath her. She grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled his head towards her leaving his throat exposed. Leaning down, she whispered harshly in his ear, even as she felt the anger ebb away slightly.
"Because if they are blind, they never see how crooked you are. Blind people cannot see the fangs extending and going for their throat. They cannot see the knife in your hand as you walk around them to reach their back. Blind followers are for crooks, liars, and thieves. Which are you, Thame?"
Thame's mouth moved, but all he did was gurgle on his own spit as he tried to talk. Aribelle slammed his face into the ground and let go, standing up and allowing him to speak. Her jaw clenched tightly as it felt like all the fury rushed back tenfold. Her claws sliced out from her fingertips, replacing the nails; fur sprouted across her arms, and a rumbling growl emanated from her chest.
"I do not want you to blindly trust me," Thame growled back, wiping the dirt from his face. "I just don't want you to hate me when I tell you why I'm here."
"I probably will, but you should tell me anyway," Aribelle snapped.
"You have to understand, I don't want to lose you," Thame said. "I'm already halfway--"
"Don't you dare say that to me!" Aribelle shouted. "Do not tell me you care for me to cushion the blow of whatever it is you are hiding. Such a cowardly thing to do, to try and use my emotions against me."
Aribelle turned her back on him, walking away from what was sure to be a flowery speech of love and devotion.
"Wait! I'm sorry. It would have been the truth, but you're right. I shouldn't try to pretty up my lies or soften you before the blow. I apologize." Thame said.
Aribelle continued walking, but Thame ran ahead of her and cut her off.
"Just hear me out," Thame pleaded.
She turned around and headed back in the direction she came from.
"I will tell you the truth, I swear it," Thame shouted as he cut her off again.
"It better be the whole fucking truth!" Aribelle shouted as she stopped.
She looked down at the ground as Thame stepped in front of her, not wanting to look him in the eye just yet. Thame grunted and staggered on his feet, and Aribelle chanced a glance up, hoping she wouldn't lose herself again without having the truth first.
"Goddess, no," She breathed as she looked upon Thame in horror.
An arrow protruded from his chest, the feathered tip poking out of his back. Blood ran in rivulets down his tunic, soaking the material and causing it to cling to his stomach. There was a roaring sound in her ears as the world seemed to spin a little around her. Her head felt light as her vision dimmed, her heart racing frantically. Thame fell to his knees before her, and suddenly everything came back into focus.
"Don't die, don't die, don't die," She repeated as she bent down and tossed his arm around her neck.
Aribelle tossed him over her shoulder, taking off as fast as she could through the forest.
"Wren!" She screamed. "Get a healer! Send for a healer!"
When no answer came, Aribelle howled for her assistant. A too-long minute passed by before she heard an answering howl, and Aribelle changed her direction slightly to the west. She screamed her command for Wren to find a healer again and again.
"On it!" Wren shouted back after the fourth repeated scream.
"Thame, stay alive, please," Aribelle said calmly, hiding the sorrow she felt as his skin paled before her eyes.
"Meant it," He croaked from over her shoulder.
A sob caught in her throat, and her eyes misted.
"I don't want to lose you, either," She whispered, terrified of what was to come.
Thirteen: Shot Down
“Momma, I cannot do this anymore. I don’t like hurting them.”
“Enough! You will do as I say, for your own good, Aribelle. You must kill or be killed by these people. Do you want to die?”
"Belle," Thame choked, a loud gurgling rattle sounding in his chest.
"You know what? I'm a little pissed at you, Thame," Aribelle huffed as she stomped through the forest, crashing through the trees and underbrush in her haste. "You're about to come clean with me, prove that you truly care about me...and then you die. The only man I've ever been interested in beyond a hot, sweaty, animalistic fuck and the Goddess wants you for her own."
"Didn't need to hear that," Thame wheezed.
"You cannot have him, Goddess, he is mine," Aribelle shouted at the sky, uncaring if the Goddess could hear her or not.
The smell of smoke was heavy in the air; Aribelle could hear the crackling of the fire coming from several yards away. She pumped her legs faster, gasping as hundreds of twigs and thorns snagged on her flesh. They were likely tearing apart Thame's handsome face, but she didn't care, her only thought was to get him to a healer quickly. At last, the camp was visible through the brush, but Aribelle didn't slow until she reached the fire.
"Put him here," Dru said frantically, pointing to a
pallet of blankets lying next to the fire.
Aribelle promptly dropped Thame, much harder than she wanted to, on his side upon the blankets, and began inspecting his wound.
"How did you know he was wounded?" Aribelle asked as she prodded the arrow sticking out of Thame's chest.
"I-I...uh," Dru stuttered. "Heard you screaming."
Aribelle hummed dismissively, fingering the feathers on the tip of the arrow.
"Are our arrows missing?" She asked Dru, recognizing the arrow as one of her own.
"W-What?" Dru asked, his face pale and sweaty.
"This arrow is one of my own. The red and gold feathers are the banner colors of Rynoch," Aribelle said.
"So, it was you who shot him!" Dru said dramatically, pointing an accusing finger in her face.
"Yes, of course. I shot him and then tossed him over my shoulder, ran through the woods in a desperate attempt to save his life after I just tried to kill him," Aribelle bit out sarcastically.
Aribelle snapped off the ends of the arrow so that Thame wouldn't roll over and skewer himself further if he moved in his unconscious state. His forehead was slick with sweat, his tunic covered in blood, and when his eyes opened, all Aribelle saw was white as his eyes kept rolling upwards. Her stomach felt queasy as her heart raced, but there was an unfamiliar feeling that weighed heavily on her shoulders: guilt. If she hadn't been arguing with him, and he hadn't been trying to get her to listen, that arrow may have hit her instead. If she hadn't been yelling at him, she might have heard the arrow's whistle as it flew towards them.
"Druas, are the arrows missing or not?" Aribelle snapped.
She waited as he rummaged through the packs, a knot in her stomach as she watched Thame's lips tint blue. She laid a gentle hand on his forehead, wiping away the sweat that beaded on his clammy skin. Thame's breathing was becoming louder, rattling in his chest, rumbling like a beast trying to break out of a cage.
"There are no arrows here," Dru said as he walked out from behind a cluster of trees.
Aribelle looked around confused, having never heard him walk off from searching the packs of their belongings.
"Why would you be looking for them behind trees?" She asked, her brows knitted low above her eyes.
Dru looked uncomfortable as he muttered, "Had to pee."
Aribelle nodded, turning her attention back to a dying Thame, her heart aching in her chest. Her mind was a haze of worry and anger as she tore off his tunic, grabbed two tin jugs, and went in search of fresh water. There was a stream not far from where they made camp; it flowed year-round, feeding the small creeks that ran throughout the land. The forest passed her by in a golden blur of autumn leaves and scurrying wildlife as she rushed towards the stream. The gentle breeze was cool against her skin, lifting her sweat-slicked hair off the nape of her neck as it whipped around her.
Someone had betrayed her, she thought angrily. They would pay with their flesh and blood. They disobeyed her orders not to harm the brothers. Disobeyed her order to return home to Rynoch without her. Stole her bow and arrows. Shot at Thame...or was that arrow meant for her? She wondered. If Thame had stepped in front of her just a second later, the arrow would have pierced her own heart and not his. She had not smelled anyone else nearby, nor heard anyone approaching; however, she was in the midst of an argument with Thame at the time, and her mind was already befuddled by his magnetic presence. Did it really matter, though? She asked herself. If she had been shot, she would want revenge. Thame being the one who got shot did not change that. She wanted the heart of the person responsible for this.
The stream came into view with its lush, bright emerald moss covering the obsidian rocks lining the bed of the stream. Schools of minnows fed on algae, whilst fat catfish and mudfish suckled at the bottom, feeding on whatever they could scavenge. Any other time, Aribelle would sit and relax, watching the fish play and swim together, listening to the water trickling downstream. Today, she dunked her jugs in a rush, tossing out minnows and disturbed pebbles that found their way into them.
As she made her way back to the camp, she tried to keep a slower pace as not to spill the water but failed miserably. In her haste, half of both jugs emptied onto the forest floor and all over the front of her cloak and tunic. Off in the distance, she heard the howling of several wolves and thought Wren must have found the pack. Rather than being filled with relief that Wren had made it to the healer, Aribelle's anger burned hotter. If Wren had made it back to the pack, then whoever shot Thame would have made it back in time as well. Did they stick around to see that they made a mistake? She wondered. If the shot was really meant for her, then a challenge would be coming soon from whoever was the culprit. If the arrow was truly meant for Thame, then Aeson would be in danger on his journey here, and Aribelle had no way of warning him without alerting anyone close by that she was onto them.
Of course, none of that would matter if Thame did not live until Aeson made it here, Aribelle thought, her heart twinging painfully.
Making it back to the camp, Aribelle saw Dru sobbing over his brother's form, and this time she understood his reason for blubbering like a baby. She, too, wanted to curl up in a ball and cry at the unfairness of it all. There was a single person in her life who saw a woman and not just a beast; someone who saw goodness in her when all she saw reflected in the mirror was a child cursed to live a life of lonely darkness. Thame was a lot of things; an intruder, a liar, and a real pig sometimes. But he was also accepting and open, brave, and understanding. If anyone was going it kill him, dammit, it would be her because she was tired of his flirting or because he pissed her off.
Goddess, she felt so possessive and angry over him. When had it all got so complicated? She thought as she put the jugs over the fire to heat the water. A part of her hated Thame for coming into her life. She was content before he arrived, happily leading thousands of people. After meeting him, she experienced things she never had before. She now knew what it felt like to not be furious without magic dulling the fury. She knew that she could desire a man's playfulness, cunning, and intellect, and not just to use him for her own needs. And she was perfectly fine before knowing these things were missing from her life.
Taking the jugs from the fire, Aribelle knelt on the other side of Thame, opposite of Dru, and ripped swaths of fabric off her own cloak.
"Shouldn't you be out there killing more innocents?" Dru snarled at her.
Aribelle dipped the cloth in the hot water, wringing the excess water from it, and began washing the blood from Thame's torso. Ignoring Dru, she washed Thame, hoping the warmth of the water would bring some color back to his pallid skin.
"Sad that your toy is broken?" Dru continued. "You don't even care that he's dying, do you, beast?"
Thame stirred, his eyes flitting open and shut. Aribelle glared at Dru, putting a finger over her lips to signal him to shut up and stop disturbing his brother, but Dru did not heed her.
"Admit it!" Dru screamed madly, spit flying from his mouth, whilst his veins protruded from his neck and forehead. "Admit that you don't care, beast. Tell him you are happy to be watching him die. It is what you wanted after all, is it not? You want our heads mounted on your wall so you can mock us whenever you pass by! Or will you chop us up into pieces, stacking the parts up like firewood so that you may dance around our burning bodies, reveling in your wickedness?"
"Dru," Thame croaked with his eyes closed. "Love her. Stop. Please."
With each word, Thame wheezed and coughed as Aribelle tried to shush him. Tears pooled in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. Even as he lay dying, he was defending her, knowing she did not need him to.
"You're obviously delirious, brother. Just rest now. I will protect you from the beast who has tried to kill you. Never again will you be at her mercy, this I swear," Dru crooned soothingly to Thame.
Done washing the blood off Thame, Aribelle rolled her eyes inwardly at Dru's little speech. There was nothing more she could do for Thame at the m
oment, so she decided to let his brother sit with him as she did the only other thing that came to mind.
"I'm going to go for a walk. Just shout if anything changes, and I'll come right back," Aribelle said quietly to Dru.
Dru snorted, shaking his head.
"Right, because you care what happens to him?" He sniped.
Aribelle did not answer, choosing to walk away rather than smack the shit out of him whilst his brother lay on his deathbed of blankets in the middle of an unknown forest. She ventured deeper into the woods until she found an elder oak tree, its limbs long and fat enough to lay on, albeit uncomfortably. Hoisting herself up on the lowest hanging branch, Aribelle leaned against the trunk, resting her feet on the branch. She pulled her knees towards her, wrapping her arms around her legs, and laying her head on her knee. Thinking back to the game she played with Thame hours earlier, she wondered if she would ever again have the pleasure of playing another. She did not know what would come next if he died, did not even want to consider a future without his presence in it. Thame had burrowed his way under her skin and into her heart; it would be devastating to lose that man so shortly after finding him.
One certainty she did know was that if Thame survived this, she would let him, and his brother go free. If Thame wanted to stay, it would be his choice, but she would not continue to hold him captive, with or without the truth. And at least letting them go meant she would never again have to listen to Dru's incessant bitching, she thought sardonically. It could also mean Thame could choose to leave and never see her again.
With that dispiriting thought, Aribelle lost her smirk, her expression somber as she bowed her head and prayed to every and any god or goddess who would listen.
*****
Aribelle was running through the forest. The smell of freshly fallen rain and decaying leaves tickling her nostrils. The moon was at its highest point in the sky overhead, bathing the woods in moonlight as she raced towards the camp. Thame was dying, and she had to get to him quickly. He could not die without her confessing that she thought she might love him too. Love was foreign to her, she was woefully inexperienced when it came to matters of the heart, but she could not hold back the words any longer. Thame must know how she felt before it was too late. Her bare feet pounded the earth as she ran, smacking wayward branches from her path.