* * *
Ten minutes later, we were seated at a corner table with a jug of ale and half a loaf of bread. The cook was roasting up a chicken, but in the meantime, they’d brought out some cheese and grapes for the heavily pregnant Skin female who’d been rescued by her husband from a band of reprobates who’d hijacked their cart and stolen the clay pots they’d been off to market to sell.
Phew, what a tale.
I’d smeared my face with grime to disguise myself, but I needn’t have bothered—the guy who’d owned the tavern wasn’t here. Instead, a young man in his late twenties was running the show. Possibly a relative, maybe a new buyer… who cared, we were getting fed.
Across the table from me, Vesper stuffed food into his face as if he was the one carrying the fake child.
I tapped my clay mug on the table to get his attention. “Slow down. I’m the pregnant one, remember?”
He held out a hunk of bread. “Then eat, sweet wife. Eat, so our child grows fat and healthy in your belly.” He said the words slightly louder than needed, drawing several pairs of eyes.
I plucked the bread from his fingers and ate it slowly. The ale was frothy and fresh with a citrus bite that lingered on my tongue. The chicken arrived and Vesper tore off a leg and held it out to me. We ate in silence, aware of the eyes on us—the strangers enjoying the kindness of the host. Free food and ale were in short supply in the Outlands. So, yeah, despite my obvious with-child condition, there were some disgusted looks thrown our way and some sharp gazes laced with jealousy.
Should have known it was too good to last. Because halfway through our meal, a young woman walked up to us flanked by two burly guys.
“Nice axe,” she said. “Don’t you find it hurts your back carrying that and your baby?”
Vesper swallowed his food. “My wife is a strong woman, a warrior.”
The man hawked and spat on the ground. “Either that or you’re a weak man. Look at you, stuffing your face while your poor wife gets the scraps. Making her carry your fucking weapons. What kind of arsehole are you?”
Vesper sat back in his seat, his brow arched. “The kind of arsehole that would kindly ask you to mind your own damned business.”
The woman leaned down toward me. “You don’t have to put up with it, you know. You can leave. I run a shelter for women like you. Mistreated, used, and taken for granted.”
Oh, God. Why hadn’t I left Jezebel outside? “That’s very kind, but honestly, I’m fine. This axe belonged to my ... my grandmother, and she made me swear never to let anyone else carry it. When those thugs stole our cart, I managed to save it. Barny begged me, he pleaded with me to let him bear the load, but I wouldn’t allow it. I just couldn’t, you see. I couldn’t break a promise to my dead grandmother.”
Damn, what a shitty story. No way would she believe that crap. But her expression softened and she nodded, suddenly all sympathy.
“Of course. An heirloom, is it? Family heirloom.” She nodded as if it made perfect sense.
Was she really buying that crap? “Yes. It’s the only thing I have left of her.”
Opposite me, Vesper had tucked in his chin as if in deference, but the fucker’s shoulders were shaking. He was gonna blow this.
One of the guys placed a hand on Vesper’s shoulders. “Apologies, friend. There’s only so much you can do when faced with a stubborn woman.”
Great. So now I was stubborn and the sympathy was all for my poor husband?
His female companion slapped his arm. “It’s an heirloom.”
They wandered back to their table, and Vesper pressed a hand to his forehead, head still bowed.
“Cut it out.”
He held out his other hand. “Just. Just give me a moment.”
I polished off the last of the chicken.
“Barny? Heirloom?” he asked.
“Did you want to get into a fight?”
He shrugged. “Would have been a nice after-dinner exercise.”
“These people are innocent. Not to mention kind.”
His expression sobered. “It’s a shame the Dreki-human union didn’t simply create Skins. The Bloods may look the part, but you Skins ... you have the heart of the Dreki.”
I blinked at him in surprise. “Wait, was that a compliment?”
He snorted. “An observation. Now, let’s get out of here before someone else takes issue with that damned beast on your back.”
Before we could move, a familiar buzzing filled the air and a static-laced voice drifted through the open window.
“Citizens of the Outlands. Criminal wanted for crimes against Draco City. One hundred gold coin for capture and return.”
A drone came drifting into the tavern projecting a halo image into the room. A halo image of my face. What the heck? Why were they looking for me? I was just one Skin? Vesper looked just as confused, but the woman who’d just been speaking to us looked pretty certain as she nudged one of her male companions. They looked our way.
Shit.
“Um, Anya, I think it’s time we take a walk that turns into a run,” Vesper said softly.
But it was too late. Too many of the Skins in the tavern had recognized my face. Too many eyes were on us, on me. The drone continued to repeat its message, with the halo image of my face up close and personal.
One hundred gold was a fortune to an Outlander and a pittance to a Blood.
I was so fucked.
“It’s you, isn’t it?” the woman asked me. “You did something to piss off the Bloods.”
I held up my hands. “Look, all I did was escape.”
Her gaze dropped to my stomach where the hay had slipped a little, leaving me lopsided. Her mouth twisted in a wry smile. The whole room had gone silent now, waiting for someone to make the first move.
Vesper was positively vibrating with the need to act, but I held up my hand. These were innocent people. My people. Hurting them was a last resort.
I pulled the hay from under my shirt and dropped it on the ground. “You need to know the truth.”
She shook her head. “Nah, I really don’t.”
She nudged her companion and jerked her head toward the drone. He nodded and slowly drew his sawn-off pistol.
Oh, shit.
Vesper’s body rippled, ready to take on the change.
And then the man shot the drone. It exploded midair, the metal clattering to the ground.
“Any enemy of Draco City is a friend to us,” the shooter said. “Hey, Fred,” he called over his shoulder. “Get these fine folk another jug of ale to celebrate fucking the Bloods.”
A cheer went up. “Fuck the Bloods.”
“Fuck ’em hard.”
My eyes burned and pricked. Yeah, these were my people.
* * *
I couldn’t stop thinking about the drone, about why it had come for me. It had to be because they expected to find me in the company of the Dreki, of course. That was the only logical explanation.
It had to be.
The farm came into view, and my pace picked up. I was home. We were at the gates when the doors were flung open and Helgi came running out.
I jumped the fence, and we met in a tangle of arms, laughing and crying at the same time. Her hair was mussed, her face streaked with dirt. Damn, did I look as rough as she did? Probably. Sod it, it didn’t matter.
She pulled back. “You made it.”
“Damn straight. And so did you.”
She shook her head. “It was crazy. We lost so many Skins on the way out. The fucking Bloods unleashed with the guns, and trust me, plastic plates make for shitty blades.”
“What about Bran and the mercs?”
“They made it.”
Her gaze slid over my shoulder to settle on Vesper. “Um, Anya, I think you’ve got the wrong guy in tow. Where’s Dante?”
“Long story. I just need to get inside, see Dad and the kids and—”
Helgi shook her head, her dark eyes soft. “He’s not here. They’re not here.”
“What? What do you mean they’re not here?”
“We got here and the place was trashed. There was no sign of your dad or the kids.”
Heart pounding in my chest, I pushed past her and ran into the house. Bran and co sat at the table drinking tea. The house looked tidy; immaculate, in fact.
“We cleaned up,” Helgi said from the doorway behind me.
He couldn’t be gone. He wouldn’t have just left. But the house had been trashed so there’d been a struggle, but with who?
Helgi’s hand landed on my shoulder, and she handed me a slip of paper. “We found this pinned to the table with a dagger.”
It was a note on thick, expensive paper. The writing was neat and clear.
If you want him, come back to the arena.
Commander Royce.
Lava bubbled in my veins. They had him. The Bloods had him. But it didn’t mention the kids, which meant ... I pushed past Helgi and stormed outside, out back and into the workshop.
Please let me be right, please let them be safe. I rolled up the mat on the floor and revealed the trap door. Hooking my fingers into the handhold, I hauled it up. A squeak of fright greeted me and then someone began to sob.
June’s grimy face appeared in the hole. “You’re here. You’re back!” Her lip trembled and she hugged Gemma closer to her breast. “They took him, Anya. They took Illyrian.”
I fell to my knees. “I know.”
Helgi appeared at my back with Bran in tow.
“Fucking hell,” Bran said, and then proceeded to haul the kids up out of the pit.
I backed up and headed out of the workshop.
“Wait! Anya,” Helgi yelled. “You can’t go back for him. Dammit, woman.”
Vesper grabbed my arm and yanked me to a halt. “What the fuck is going on?”
“They took my father.” I shoved the note at him. “I’m going to get him back.”
Vesper’s brows snapped down and then his sapphire eyes narrowed. “And what’s your plan? Are you going to walk in and demand they give him back? You think it’ll be that easy?”
“What about the kids?” Helgi asked. “You can’t just leave them.”
Some of the hot air filling my lungs seeped out, and my eyes pricked with impotent rage. They were both right. The kids needed me, and I needed a plan.
“Think, Anya. What would your dad tell you to do?” Helgi prompted.
I jerked free of Vesper and planted my hands on my hips. Bran appeared in the yard, one of the twins clinging to his back like a monkey; the rest trailed behind him, lost and bewildered. Mine, they were my responsibility, my family. Dad would kick my arse if I went running into danger without a plan. He’d taught me better. He’d said ... If we ever get split up, if you come home one day and I’m gone, then you’ll find what you need under the floorboard under my bed.
I turned and ran back into the house, up the stairs, and into his room. With an almighty shove, I pushed the bed across the floor and then began searching for the loose board. It didn’t take long, and then I was prying it up, and there, wrapped in thick black material, was a book.
A fucking book?
How the heck would that help me?
I flipped the tome open and a flat black gem and piece of paper fell out. A note? It was in Dad’s hand, and it was addressed to me.
Anya,
If you’re reading this, then I’m either dead or taken from you. If it’s the latter, then you must treat me as lost to you. Do not come after me under any circumstances. You have a bigger task now, one that was entrusted to me a long time ago and one I now entrust to you, my most beloved.
I know right now you will be scared, angry, and worried, but you must put aside all those emotions and focus on what I’ve taught you. Focus on your survival instincts, because you must live, and you must finish what I started. This book you hold must be taken to the Furtherlands. Find Orion and give it to him personally. He will be at the Keep because he is a Dreki lord. It won’t be easy, but I know you’ll find a way to get an audience with him. Keep the book safe. Do not reveal its existence to anyone but Orion. Your path will be fraught with jeopardy, and if you find yourself in mortal danger, break the gem. You will no longer be alone.
I know your heart, I know that if I have been taken, then your instinct will be to come after me, but trust me, child, the only way to help me is to keep this book safe, and to do that, you must stay alive. You must put yourself first, even above the lives of the children. Thousands of lives depend on it.
I love you, my sweet child. Always remember that. Now, you must let me go.
Love always,
Dad.
None of this made sense. A choked sob escaped my lips, but I bit it back. How could he tell me to put myself ahead of my family? This was crazy, but they were his words, penned in his hand, and after everything he’d done for me, there was no way I could turn my back on his one request.
There could be no tears, only action. The urge to ignore his words and go after him was almost overwhelming, and it took every ounce of willpower to quash it, to push it down into the pit of my stomach with the promise that once I’d delivered this cargo, I’d find him. Commander Royce would pay for taking him from me.
“Anya? Babe?” Hesitant did not sit well on Helgi.
Sliding the note back in the book, I pocketed the stone. Helgi looked down at the book in my hands, questions in her eyes.
I stood and smoothed down my clothes. “Pack some things. We’re going to the Furtherlands.”
* * *
“Dante is a what?” Helgi cocked her head as the implications sank in. “You lied to me?”
“No.” I held up my hands. “I didn’t lie. I just kept a secret, and I’m sorry.”
She pressed her lips together. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“He asked me not to. He was afraid of how you guys would react. We couldn’t risk it, not with the possibility of escape around the corner.”
She hung her head, hands on hips. “Okay, I get it. I probably would have been freaked out but I would have dealt. You just didn’t know that. I get it.”
“So, we’re good?”
She nodded. “Yeah, but no more secrets.”
I held my hand up, palm outward. “I swear.”
“Good, now let’s get the heck out of here.”
We began to pack supplies onto the buggies ready for the journey.
“I don’t understand why they sent a drone after you,” Bran said as we loaded up Juniper. “Why take your dad?”
It had been playing on my mind too, and the only thing I could think of was it had something to do with my blood. Maybe a genome, something they wanted from me that could help them with their super soldier army.
“Trust me, I’m going to find out.” I checked the fuel and locked down the bonnet. “You don’t have to come with us.”
Bran grinned wide, his craggy face made almost handsome by the action. “Are you fucking kidding me? A ticket into the Furtherlands with a Dreki lord is not something to be sniffed at.”
The Dreki lord in question was leaning up against the fence, his sharp blue gaze watching every move I made. The book was hidden in my backpack beneath a change of clothes. Vesper was a lord, but Dad had specifically said not to trust anyone but Orion. How had Dad known Orion? It made no sense. But in a couple of days I’d have answers.
Vesper strolled toward us now. “Your buggy won’t carry us all,” he stated.
The purr of an engine drifted out from the barn and then Helgi appeared, her jagged teeth on display in a wicked grin.
“We have life,” she said.
I straightened, my pulse speeding up. “Really?”
“Don’t sound so surprised, babe. You built her.”
She flung open the barn door and headed back inside. A moment later, Vixen rolled out into the yard, sleek and huge and fucking awesome. I’d built her from custom sought parts, and this baby would run for miles on minimal fuel. It was a fami
ly vehicle made to carry us all. She even had a fucking roof.
Bran let out a low whistle. “Nice.”
His companions looked equally impressed.
“Can I drive her, please?” Helgi asked.
“Go for it.”
Bran headed toward Helgi and the kids. “I think I’ll hitch a ride with her.”
His companions joined him. Yeah, Vixen was built to carry the weight.
I patted Juniper. “It’s okay, girl. You’re still my baby."
Vesper approached.
“Get on.” I patted Juniper.
He climbed up onto the passenger side. “You’re a conundrum, Anya. Maybe the fool Dante was right about you.”
I arched a brow. “How does it feel to be wrong?”
His expression relaxed. “It’s a novelty and an interesting sensation, to tell the truth.”
Shaking my head, I climbed up into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Juniper’s purr was joined by a growl. A shape darted across the yard, low and reddish-brown. A fox. Its side was torn and bloody, entrails on display. I tensed and glanced at Vesper, but he was studying Juniper’s dashboard, and then the air began to buzz.
“Drones,” Helgi yelled.
Vesper glanced over his shoulder. “Fuck.”
I started the engine. “The drone at the tavern must have transferred data before the Skin shot it.”
And now they were coming for me. Obviously, Royce didn’t think I’d fall for his trap. Damn, they wanted me bad.
“Vans on the horizon!” Helgi called out.
“Anya?” Vesper nudged. “What do you want to do?”
The urge to kick Juniper into drive and make a run for it had my biceps flexing, but they had the faster vehicles. “We can’t outrun them. Not on Juniper and Vixen.”
Vesper cracked his neck. “Then maybe we need to have a little bonfire.”
I turned my head to lock gazes with him to see shadows writhing in his irises. He was about to shift.
“Do it.”
I grabbed Jezebel and slid her back into her sheath. Helgi was already off Vixen and running toward me, mercs in tow.
Dragon Trial: Dragon Guard Series book 1 Page 15