Footsteps signaled the approach of more people. Behind the woman, Aiva watched in horror as the other men were brought forward, held securely by their enemy. “One of them got away,” a gruff voice announced irritably. “He headed east. Do you want us to begin a track?”
“Their Commander is the only one I care about,” the woman replied, a hint of disdain evident in her tone as she looked over the men. “Is he the one who fled?”
“You know better than to think I would run, Ireni.” Callum’s voice was harrowed, though the mere sound of it helped to ease some part of Aiva’s frantic mind. He was alive. As long as he was safe, he would think of a way to get them out of this.
What are you thinking? She couldn’t expect Callum to do everything. They were all in the same predicament. Without access to their weapons, there was little to be done against the enemy. If she could think of some way to distract them. The slightest loss of focus could be used to their advantage, but it was impossible to think. Ireni was there. The woman responsible for placing her entire family in danger over some pathetic attempt at revenge.
Ireni smiled coyly. “I missed you, Callum. Do you have any idea how hard you are to track down?”
Ireni’s men brought Callum forward, positioning him beside Aiva. He was putting up a valiant effort to get away, finding his attempts futile against the four men that fought to keep him captive. One of the men drew a dagger from a sheath at his wrist, pressing it against the side of Callum’s neck. “Stop moving or I’ll slit your throat.”
Callum’s struggling eased, staring menacingly ahead at Ireni. “The King and Queen know who you are. Even if you kill us, they will hunt you. The Feh Noq are already aware of the lies you presented to pass through their lands. You’ll find further attempts at traversing the desert less accommodating.”
“I’m not afraid of your King.”
“You should be,” Aiva snapped, renewing her efforts to get away. “My father will cut your head from your shoulders for what you’ve done.”
A bell-like laugh echoed through the area. “Is this really her, Callum?” Ireni asked, stepping closer to Aiva. “I expected something different. There’s nothing to this one.” Roughly, Ireni grabbed Aiva’s chin, twisting her head from side to side. “She’s not even that pretty. A bit scrawny. What did you ever see in her?”
“Keep your hands off her,” Callum stated, eerily calm. “I’m the one you have business with. Let the others go.”
“My darling, you’re mistaken. You see, I have business with the girl,” Ireni prodded painfully at Aiva’s chest. “She’s the one we wanted. Acquiring the other was an embarrassing mistake that we’ll be sure to rectify.”
Callum drew in a breath, grimacing as the dagger pressed tighter against his throat. “You don’t have to take her. We can discuss your terms if you just tell me what you want.”
“What I want?” Ireni rolled her eyes. Casually she made her way over to Callum, moving uncomfortably close. Aiva felt an unbelievable desire to push her away from him, but she was held firm, her wrists aching from where the men’s fingers pressed against the skin. Her heart raced at her inability to get to Callum. A sting of some emotion tugged at the edges of her mind. Jealousy? Yes. She was jealous of this woman who now leaned in to Callum’s ear, whispering something inaudible. Callum smirked, a hint of disgust in his eyes at what Ireni said.
“Well, you won’t be getting that.”
“No?” Wrapping her hand around the back of Callum’s neck, Aiva watched, envious, as Ireni pressed her lips against his, the gesture filled with more passion than Aiva cared to see. She tried to avert her gaze, unable to bring herself to look away, frozen in silence to see another woman with Callum. Her husband.
“Get away from him,” she hissed. Desperate for a means of getting Ireni’s attention, Aiva kicked her foot, spraying sand in the air, striking Ireni’s boots. “Terms of negotiation must go through me. Now take your hands off my husband.” It seemed the most appropriate thing to say. She wanted to drive the truth hard into this woman’s mind. Callum was taken. What better way to strike without a weapon than to go for Ireni’s heart.
As if stung by the words, Ireni pulled back, staring hard into Callum’s eyes. “How could you have married this pathetic excuse of a woman?” she asked, her voice surprisingly even despite the obvious tension visible in every line of her face.
“She is more of a woman than you’ll ever be,” Callum spat disgustedly, trying to rid himself of the lingering sensation caused by Ireni’s lips.
Ignoring the insult, Ireni turned to Aiva, scowling. “He was only interested in your crown, I hope you know. No man in his right mind would want you for anything else.” A devious smile curled at the corners of her mouth. “As his wife, you deserve to know the truth. He doesn’t love you. When in my company, it was my arms he preferred. My lips he desired to kiss. You were nothing but a fleeting memory of a little girl compared to me.”
Aiva felt her anger rising. Building to an extreme she’d never experienced before. She wanted to strike Ireni. To feel the crunch of her fist against this woman’s face. Why did these scoundrels have to be so strong? There had to be some way of getting free.
Ireni leaned forward, her lips hovering beside Aiva’s ear. Her words were quiet. Soft. Directed only at Aiva like tiny pieces of glass stabbing into her heart. “How does it feel to know that I warmed his bed before you?”
Overcome by a rush of unfamiliar emotions, Aiva waited until Ireni’s head started to lean away, taking the opportunity to strike with the only weapon she could. With every ounce of strength she possessed, her head slammed hard against Ireni’s, the force sending Ireni stumbling backward with a surprised yelp. In that instant Aiva heard the scrape of a sword being drawn from somewhere behind her, one of the men releasing their hold with a pained groan. Giving no pause, Aiva spun around, breaking free, the palm of her hand connecting with the nose of her remaining captive with a sickening crunch. As he stumbled back, Aiva saw Kaemin’s glowing eyes, drawing a sword from the fallen man at her feet.
“You fools!” Ireni cried out, blood pouring from her nose, trickling through her fingers where they pressed over the injury. “I told you to hold her!”
Kaemin moved to Aiva’s side, tossing her the sword Callum had given her while in Carpaen. This was it. Never had she drawn a real weapon on anyone. At this moment, the only person she wanted to point it at was Ireni. Reflexively, she slid the blade from its sheath, the metal glinting sharply in the light of the moon.
Spinning to face Ireni, she found the path blocked by another man, her sword clanging against his as it thrust forward, narrowly missing her chest. The closeness of it sent a wave of adrenaline and fear through her system, taking over her limbs to push onward into the fight. Cadell’s teachings were like a second instinct in her mind. Parry. Feint. Thrust. Unlike the wooden swords in the courtyard, each strike rang out through the area with a deadly clash. This wasn’t a game. One wrong move would mean her death. But she didn’t care. All she wanted was to see her blade pierced through Ireni’s heart.
Fighting could be heard from every direction, the unexpected attack granting the distraction needed to allow the others to break free of their captors. Aiva’s opponent was strong. Capable of pushing her back, while his technique lacked refinement. He left holes that Aiva wasn’t used to seeing, having only fought against Callum and Edric. Any soldier trained by the General knew better than to leave such openings. If she could overcome his strength, she would be able to exploit the weakness and cut through him with ease. She watched carefully for a chance to strike. Side-stepping, she evaded a downward slash, thrusting her sword forward. Aiva cringed at the sensation of her blade piercing the man’s flesh. A tingle pulsed along her skin to realize what she had done. She’d killed a man. By pure instinct, she retracted her weapon, horrified as the body slumped to the ground, landing face-first in the sand. Blood coated the sword in the moonlight, chilling Aiva to the core.
Froze
n in shock, she stared down at the corpse. She knew she had to move. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on the life she’d taken. It was hard to pull herself away. Her petrified thoughts were broken only by the sound of Ireni’s voice, shouting something amongst the clashing metal that rang through the air. Aiva narrowed her eyes. Her target was close. Steeling her resolve, she tore her gaze from the body, peering into the chaotic battle in search of where the voice had come from.
A gasp escaped her to see Callum pinned on the ground under Ireni. To no avail, he fought to break free. Ireni’s blade was drawn back, prepared to deal the final blow, her laughter like soft chimes on the breeze. Cold. Merciless. Aiva shook her head angrily at the sight. She wouldn’t let Ireni win. Not that easily. Impressing herself with the speed she possessed, Aiva charged at Ireni, lunging forward, their bodies connecting hard as they toppled to the ground, rolling in each other’s grasp along the sand.
Ireni’s laughter cut short, her smile replaced by a scornful glare. “You’re a bigger fool than I thought,” she scoffed, bringing her elbow solidly across Aiva’s face.
Disoriented by the strike, Aiva’s head swam, startled by Ireni’s strength. She was more skilled than the rest of her men. Taking her down wouldn’t be an easy feat, but Aiva was determined. This woman had taken Shaelyn. She deserved to die. “You know nothing about me,” Aiva said through gritted teeth. It was impossible to get her bearings. Ireni’s hands had a hold of her, swiftly moving to retrieve a wicked looking dagger from her waistband, the sharply curved blade pressed firmly against Aiva’s neck. She didn’t dare move. Ireni wouldn’t hesitate to finish what she started.
Before Aiva could register what was happening, she saw Ireni as if in slow motion, body twisting to face an approaching foe. With incredible speed and precision she thrust the dagger forward, driving it into her opponent’s stomach to wrench it sideways with a sickening sound of tearing flesh. Eyes open wide, Aiva screamed, recognizing the face of the man impaled by Ireni’s blade. Kaemin.
“No!” she cried, moved by pure adrenaline to force Ireni’s hands from the weapon, knocking her to one side. A bewildered expression filled Ireni’s eyes at the sudden assault. Wild with the flood of overwhelming emotions, Aiva’s fists struck aimlessly at every chance she found, oblivious to the pain of Ireni’s counter blows. A pair of rough hands pulled Aiva to her feet. Blinking her eyes, she tried to see who held her, preventing her from moving while Ireni drove a hard punch into Aiva’s stomach. The air from her lungs escaped in a harsh exhale, pain shooting through her midsection.
“You’ve caused more trouble than I expected,” Ireni spat, delivering another blow. “I thought you would be frail like your sister.”
“Let her go, Ireni!” Callum’s voice sounded from somewhere. Aiva couldn’t see him. She couldn’t see anything. Her eyes were filled with ever brightening spots of color at every strike of Ireni’s fist, unable to focus on anything but the pain. “If your only goal is to receive compensation for the ship taken from you, then I will arrange it. Our ship is to arrive any time. It is yours if you unhand the Princess and her sister.”
Drawing her sword from its scabbard, Ireni grabbed onto Aiva’s hair, pulling it taut, the force jerking Aiva’s head backward. “It’s not that easy, honey,” she sneered, giving another hard tug on Aiva’s hair. “A single ship isn’t enough for both girls.”
“What do you require, then?”
“Nothing you can give,” Ireni smirked. “You used me, Callum. Don’t think I’m not aware of the truth. But now I have a means of revenge. It would be simple enough to let my men do as they please with your wife. It would only be fair, really. You took advantage of my body to accomplish your victory.”
Aiva strained her eyes, desperate to see Callum. He was coming closer. Slowly. Every time he spoke she could sense his voice getting louder. More distinct. “I didn’t know pirates let themselves act out of jealousy, Ireni,” he stated calmly. “Does your boss know the personal interest you’ve taken in this job? You’ve let your emotions get in the way of business. Perhaps I should be negotiating with someone else.”
Face contorted in rage, Ireni brought her sword across Aiva’s hair just above the shoulders. The weight of it lifted from Aiva’s head, released from Ireni’s hold. “Negotiate this, you bastard!” Ireni snapped, throwing Aiva’s hair to the ground at Callum’s feet. “I will give you every piece of this woman you so desperately desired, but I will not be prevailed upon to ever give her to you in her entirety.” Aiva felt the blade of Ireni’s weapon pressed against her left eye, piercing painfully into the surface of her skin. “Make your decision now, Callum. The ship in exchange for her sister, or the pieces of this one to take home in display of your failure.”
Aiva’s vision was starting to return. Ireni stood between her and Callum but there was little Aiva could do while Ireni’s blade forced her to remain still. She couldn’t plan an escape until the dagger was lowered. “You can have the ship if you return my sister,” Aiva stated, swallowing hard. “Hand her over, and the deal is done.”
“Aiva, no…” Callum took a step forward, grimacing. “You cannot do this.”
“Yes I can,” she replied, a sense of calm settling over her. The negotiation didn’t seem possible. There was no sign of Shaelyn amongst Ireni’s men. Without a ship present at the coast, Aiva doubted Shaelyn to even be on Palinoen land. It seemed more likely the pirates already had her sent to Luquarr. Ireni and her bandits were nothing more than a distraction to buy the others more time to reach the port of their homeland. Even if Aiva agreed to give Ireni the ship upon its arrival, Edric and the others would overtake the pirates with ease. “Do we have a deal, Ireni?”
Lowering her sword, Ireni chuckled, her brown eyes twinkling in the light. “I think we do,” she smiled. Taking a step back she motioned her men toward Aiva. “She’s all yours, boys. Take her away before the others get it in their head to renegotiate.”
Aiva drew in a deep breath, appraising Ireni’s openings closely. Her guard was down. She didn’t appear to expect anyone to fight as long as her men had Aiva in their grasp. More specifically, she didn’t expect Aiva to strike. Her confidence was her downfall. While most times Aiva despised being underestimated, she found it beneficial at that moment. Calculating the distance, she lifted her knee to extend her foot upward, the heel driving hard into Ireni’s face.
In the distance a screech of an aneakt could be heard, echoing across the open land. Ashoec and Kehprit were coming. Relief flooded her senses, reinforcing her determination. Stomping her foot over that of her captor, she drove her elbow into his stomach, loosening his grip. Ireni cursed under her breath, shouting for the men to retreat.
“To the boats!” she ordered. “The Feh Noq are coming.”
Frantic to stop the pirates, Aiva rushed to where her sword had fallen, retrieving it in a swooping motion to take chase after Ireni and her men. Callum’s hand reached out to stop her, catching her firmly in his grasp. “No, Aiva,” he stated, his tone authoritative. “We don’t have the numbers to take them.”
Dismayed, she watched the pirates clamber into several small boats along the shore, pushing off into the water. It seemed strange to see them in mere skiffs. Travel across the Vai’ld Sea required a more durable means of transportation. “Do you think they have a ship anchored further out?” she asked, unaware that she’d spoken the question out loud.
Callum nodded, gazing dejectedly across the water. “There are islands not far from the coast which are part of Luquarrian territory. They must have had scouts watching the beach for our arrival.”
Through the ache in Aiva’s head, she felt the harshness of reality settle upon her again. An image flashed in her mind, the blood running cold in her veins. Kaemin. “Oh no,” she breathed, turning away from Callum. Where was he? Overwrought, she stumbled across the sand in desperate search of her friend. Ireni had wounded him. She needed to get to him. Why couldn’t she find him?
In the soft glow of the moo
n she caught sight of what looked to be Gadiel’s form hovered over something on the ground. Barely holding back tears she forced herself to move forward, afraid of what she would find. Gadiel turned at her approach, gazing up at her with concern. “Aiva,” he whispered, closing his eyes to look away.
Dropping to her knees, Aiva stared frantically at the familiar figure of Kaemin lying there in the sand, blood soaked into his clothing over his abdomen, his breathing ragged. But alive. Praise Sarid, he was alive! “Kaemin? Kaemin, can you hear me?” she asked quietly, taking his hand to squeeze it tightly in her own. “You’re going to be alright. Just hang in there, okay?”
His green eyes dimmed slightly. She could see the difficulty he had trying to focus on her, agonized by the pain afflicting him. “I’m not sure about that…” he coughed.
Aiva shook her head, unwilling to accept his words as truth. “Don’t be like that,” she argued, sliding her free hand under his head to hold him gently off the ground. “I’m not going back to Calie without you.” Her voice broke, a tear slowly rolling over the elegant curve of her cheek. “Gadiel, how bad is it? Can you staunch the bleeding?”
This couldn’t be happening. Not to Kaemin. She refused to believe it. “I’m trying,” Gadiel stated, his hands moving over Kaemin’s stomach. Callum knelt at Kaemin’s other side, his practiced fingers pressing against the wound, calling out directions to Gadiel.
“Get me something to cover it. I’ll slow the bleeding. We need to get it under control.”
There was fear in Callum’s voice. It struck something deep in Aiva’s heart to hear him sound so uncertain. Callum and Gadiel were both skilled at field medicine. If anyone could save Kaemin, it was them. “Stay with me, Kaemin,” she urged him quietly. “Talk to me. How are you feeling?”
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil Page 39