Empath

by Evans, S. Usher

  Those thieves Cadi had warned her about.

  And she, a young woman alone with no weapons and no real fighting skills.

  Fantastic. If it wasn't one thing in this stupid world, it was another.

  "Back off, jag weeds," Lauren snapped in her meanest, most metropolitan voice. She'd been leered at back in California too many times; it was rare that she could walk down the street without getting honked at. Maybe if these men thought she could take care of herself, they'd leave her alone.

  But they had surrounded her, at least eight of them with unshaven, dirty faces and missing teeth. They were thieves all right, and looked like they hadn't seen the inside of a shower in years (not that there were showers here in the first place).

  "What do you want?" she said, the words sounding stupid in her head as she said them.

  The grotesque men simply chuckled, one pulling out his knife menacingly.

  "That's a pretty necklace," another said, "pretty necklace for a pretty girl."

  Lauren's hand flew to the rock around her neck—the rock that had brought her there and was quite possibly her only way home. She had nothing else of value on her, but she was damned sure not going to give them her necklace.

  "You can't have this," she insisted.

  "Darling, you aren't in any position to make demands," one cackled, moving towards her. Lauren backed up a step, but her foot fell into the water.

  For the first time, she realized that she was trapped and in real trouble. There was no one else for miles around, no one to hear her screaming. No one to come save her.

  Why didn't she want Cefin to come again?

  "You're very pretty." The thief was missing at least three teeth and his breath was putrid. "You come here all alone?"

  "Get away from me," Lauren stammered, her confidence slipping away as fear took over. She'd never been in a situation like this before, with men who were definitely interested in hurting her—or worse—and she wasn't sure how she was going to get out of it.

  And then she remembered that whole bit about being an empath, and her eyes widened even farther. If they touched her, she'd collapse and be completely defenseless.

  "D-don't touch me," she stammered. "I have tyllwyllwch."

  They laughed at her, and the one closest to her moved even closer.

  "I seen people with the darkness, and you ain't got it," he said. "Eyes too clear."

  "Yeah well, it's early stage," Lauren said. "Please, you don't want it. It's really quite terrible."

  He grabbed her arm.

  Pretty girl, pretty necklace—would catch a fair price. Pickings are slim and morale is low. I need this boost for the men. Why is she twitching like she's having a fit? What's wrong with her—

  Lauren gasped loudly and found herself on her hands and knees. Her feet were soaked from the river, and she was breathing heavily.

  "What kind of witch are you?" The man—Cael was his name—backed away from her in fear.

  "Empath, actually."

  "An empath you say?" Cael said, scratching the stubble on his chin. "That'd fetch a fair price in Traegaron, you know."

  "Oh good, because I'm headed that way," Lauren said, but knew she wouldn't be traveling with them as an honored guest. The men laughed in that way that told her still in deep trouble.

  "You'll be going to Traegaron," Cael said. "But after we get our fill of you."

  Lauren paled. "But I'm a witch, remember?"

  More laughter. "You're nothing but an empath, and empaths don't bother us much. Make you more pliable."

  Lauren grimaced. "You're disgusting," she spat, coming to her feet. Cael unsheathed his sword and stuck it in her face.

  "You'll walk," he ordered.

  "And if I don't?"

  The sword tip moved closer.

  "Fine," Lauren said, wondering how she was going to get herself out of this mess.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Lauren stumbled deeper into the forest at sword-point, the sharp edge digging into her back when she slowed. Cael pushed her along mercilessly and his motley crew whistled and whooped behind them. They arrived in the thieves' village and Lauren saw more of the grotesque, disgusting men around campfires and in front of small thatched huts. She knew they were very far into the forest now, removing all hope that she would be found by a passer-by. She found no friends in the camp either; most of the men watched her like she was tonight's dinner.

  Cael tossed her into one of the small cabins and disappeared, leaving her to contemplate the horrifying events about to occur.

  And then she realized that she was terrified—so maybe the Anghenfil would finally come to eat her.

  "Okay, Anghenfil, whenever you want, come get me," Lauren whispered, her voice shaking. When the monster didn't respond, she scoffed at the irony. The monster wasn't interested in her real problems; just the ones she made up in her head.

  The flap to the one-room cabin opened and her heart stopped. Cael walked in, a satisfied look on his face as he surveyed her.

  "You'll be a fine lay," he commented, setting to unbuckling his belt.

  "So morale is bad, huh?" Lauren stammered, pressing herself against the wall. She had to stall him—for what, she had no idea. Delaying the inevitable?

  The tactic seemed to be working as Cael paused and glared at her.

  "Whatdya mean by that?"

  "I read your thoughts, remember? Morale is low, and you want everyone to sleep with me to raise it?"

  He grunted and smiled, continuing to unbuckle his belt. She scraped at the bottom of her mind for something to distract him.

  "What's the problem? Too few stupid wenches coming into the forest?" Lauren said, nervously laughing. "Too few travelers? Or are you just an ineffective leader?"

  That last one seemed to strike a nerve.

  "If you don't close your stupid mouth, I'll knock you out," he growled.

  "I mean, if you're gonna have your way with me before any of the other men, that definitely smacks of bad leadership." Lauren shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered a leadership course she took in college and could not believe she was applying the lessons learned to a man about to rape her.

  Cael narrowed his eyes. "I don't need to be told how to lead my men."

  "Look, I was only in your head for a second, but from what I can tell, you're pretty insecure about the whole thing," Lauren said, grateful that she was buying herself some more time, but unsure if the tactic of pissing him off was going to work in her favor. "I mean, you just got the position about two months ago, and you guys haven't so much as pilfered anything in weeks—"

  "SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH!"

  "Just saying," Lauren winced as his voice echoed in the small room. "You might want to consider giving me to one of your men first, as a show of good faith?"

  Cael considered her words, and to her relief, he buckled his belt again. Saying nothing, he stormed out of the room.

  Lauren breathed a sigh of relief and sank down against the wall with her hand over her racing heart. She really wasn't sure how she picked up all of that from just a second of touching him, but it worked. She crawled along the floor and opened the flap of the house, looking out into the village square. Cael was in the center, talking with the group of men. Talking wasn't a good word; arguing was more like it.

  In fact, they seemed to be arguing about who was going to take her first.

  "I says, I'm the one who saw her walking to the river, I should get her first!"

  "Yeah, but you also let a wagon go last week. I'm the one who finds the most gold!"

  Too engrossed in their arguing, none of them were watching the hut. Lauren took a deep breath and slid out the door, creeping around to the side of the house and out of sight. She pressed herself flat against the outer wall and waited for the yelling of someone seeing her escape.

  "You'll do it all wrong!"

  "That's not what yer mother said!"

  Lauren pulled herself behind th
e house and closed her eyes, saying a prayer. Then, without another word, she ran like hell.

  ***

  Lauren ran and ran and ran. She wasn't actually sure if she was running into the forest or out of the forest, but she knew she just needed to run. The trees weren't getting any thinner and she hadn't seen the plains yet, but she knew once the thieves realized she was gone, they'd be after her.

  But she was tired—adrenaline and fear now washing away and leaving nothing but exhaustion. She'd been walking all morning, was nearly gang-raped, and now she wasn't even sure where she was going.

  She slowed her running to a walk and listened for the sound of anyone following her. When she didn't hear anything, she slumped against the nearest tree and held her head in her hands.

  She was such an idiot, leaving Rhianu without anyone to go with her. Now she was lost in a forest crawling with men who thought she was a piece of meat. She was hungry, she was cold, and she really needed to pee. She let the weight of the situation fall on top of her and leaned her head back against the tree.

  She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep, but her body jerked awake when she heard someone moving in the forest. It was pitch-black dark, but she definitely heard someone step on a tree branch nearby.

  Trembling, she searched the dark forest floor for anything to defend herself with, and her hands fell on a rock. It was heavy, but she could use it to knock out whoever was approaching and make her escape.

  With the rock gripped in both of her hands, she pulled herself to her feet, pressed herself against the tree, and waited for whoever it was to walk by.

  A shadow crossed next to her and she cried out, throwing the rock.

  "OW!" A familiar voice replied.

  "C…Cefin?" Lauren squeaked. Was she dreaming?

  "Lauren?" The voice sounded relieved to hear her voice and definitely real.

  "Cefin!" Lauren threw herself towards the shadow. It was too good to be true—too perfect for him to have found her.

  "Wait, wait," he backed up before she could touch him. "Empath, remember?"

  "Oh right," Lauren sniffed, unable to hold back her tears of joy. She was so relieved, she was saved.

  Cefin sounded similarly relieved in the darkness. "Are you all right?"

  "What are you doing here?" She desperately wished she could curl into his arms for comfort. "How-what? I don't even…how did you find me?"

  "Siors said you'd taken his letter," Cefin said. She felt the tip of his spear touch her leg. "Hold onto this and I'll guide us out of here."

  She obliged happily, letting him take control.

  "I stopped in Heulog first," Cefin said, "and ran into our little friend Tomos. He said that you had stayed with them last night, and were on your way to the castle."

  "But how did you find me in the forest? This place is huge and—"

  "I almost didn't check the forest," Cefin said, sounding annoyed. "But a young woman traveling alone, I wanted to be sure. I heard them arguing near their camp and figured you had escaped. I was able to track you to your hiding spot before they did."

  Lauren chuckled and gripped the spear harder. "Wow, climb mountains and track in the woods? You certainly are a man of many talents."

  "Is this funny to you?" Cefin boomed, turning on her. She could feel his anger radiating off of her and it took her breath away. "You could have been hurt. You could have been killed—they were going to…to…" He swallowed, trailing off. "And all because you were too stubborn to let any of us help you!"

  "Look, I know I made a mistake, but I just—"

  "Do you hate my company so much that you won't stand me to take you to Traegaron? So much so that you didn't bother to ask me at all, or say goodbye?" Cefin's eyes pierced her in the dark.

  "It's not that," she whispered, unable to elaborate.

  Cefin angrily tossed up his hands. "I wish I was an empath, so I could know what you're thinking!"

  "You don't want this!" Lauren cried. Unable to touch anyone, unable to be in a crowd, and a fire-breathing monster lurking in her mind? She wouldn't wish this on her worst enemy.

  "Since I can't have your powers, at least talk to me," he pleaded. In the darkness, she locked into his eyes, and was reminded of how pretty he really was.

  And of their kiss.

  God, she wanted nothing more than to climb into those strong arms of his and let him hold her close while she told him everything that was on her mind, everything that was bothering her, everything that she was afraid of.

  "I…" The truth was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't push it out. "I wanted to know more about my powers. And I thought, with Mairwan in the state she was in…and you had to protect the village."

  Cefin softened a little. "You are a villager now, and it's my job to protect you."

  "But you can't leave—"

  "Lauren, I left for you, because I was worried about you."

  A wave of guilt crashed down on top of her and she sighed. "I'm sorry."

  "Now promise me, no more lies," Cefin said, stepping closer to her. "You can tell me anything that's on your mind."

  What was she supposed to say to him? Could she tell him about the Anghenfil? Could she tell him about how it lived within her, how it fed on her sadness? Could she tell him about how lonely she was?

  The answer was a resounding no as she nodded to him. "No more lies, I promise."

  "Good. Now, we have to find the carriage," Cefin said, turning to continue on.

  "Carriage?"

  "You didn't think I walked here, did you?" he asked, with a knowing smile. "I would have to be a complete fool to want to walk to Traegaron on foot."

  Lauren wished she could smack him, but her attention drew to the familiar-looking horse in the moonlight ahead.

  "Bessie!" Lauren said, spying Baltes' old horse attached to a carriage. She had never been so glad to see something so familiar. Or something with wheels. Her feet were killing her.

  "Baltes let me take her down to Heulog, and I bartered with a local merchant to sell his wares in Traegaron in exchange for his wagon," Cefin said, hopping up on the driver's seat.

  "You did all this for me?" Lauren whispered.

  "I told you, you're a villager now, and it's my job to protect you."

  Lauren caught the affection in his eyes and allowed herself a smile. She'd never had anyone do so much for her before, and it was kind of nice to be thought of so highly.

  "Hop on already," he ordered. "We've still got a ways to go before we reach Traegaron."

  He reached his hand to help her onto the carriage and retracted it just as quickly with a pained expression. For the millionth time, Lauren wished she didn't have her empath powers as she climbed into the bed of the carriage, leaving space between the two of them. Cefin snapped the reins and Bessie lurched forward, moving them out of the forest and into the open night air.

  ***

  My heart is beating so fast, she's so close to me. Gods above, she is beautiful, and I'm just a simple farm boy. I wish I could lay her in the back of the carriage and—

  The carriage went over a bump and Lauren rudely woke up, not even realizing she'd fallen asleep but knowing immediately that she'd been leaning against Cefin.

  "I wondered if I should wake you," he said, sounding guilty, "but you seemed so peaceful…"

  She mumbled and rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her head of Cefin's feelings. She replayed his fantasies about her in the back of the wagon, and rather wished that he would act on them.

  "What is it?" he said, the reins lazily resting in his lap as the mare pressed forward.

  "How much farther to the castle?"

  "You can see it in the distance." Cefin pointed to a small spot on the horizon. "I'd say a few more hours and we'll be there."

  Lauren yawned and rubbed her stomach. She hadn't had a proper meal in a day.

  "Do you have any munchies?" she asked, still half-asleep.

  "I…what?" Cefin blinked at her.

  "Food."<
br />
  "Oh yes, some bread in the bag under the seat," he said. Lauren slid back into the wagon and pulled out the bag stuffed under the seat. She let out a happy sigh as a few loaves of bread spilled into her hands. "God bless Aerona."

  "She sends it with love and a little bit of anger. Hand me one?"

  Lauren placed the loaf next to him and sat in the wagon bed, nearly inhaling hers.

  "You're funny when you eat," he said, tearing off a piece and smiling at her. Lauren noticed him watching her and shifted uncomfortably.

  "I'm hungry," she said, leaning against the seat, far enough away that they weren't touching. She wished they were. "What's Traegaron like?"

  "Busy," Cefin said, looking out in the distance. "More people than in Rhianu or even Heulog. Giant walls surround the castle and the city, and the castle itself is a sight to behold."

  "Do you think the king is going to want to see me?" Lauren asked, pulling out the letter and reading it for the millionth time. She wasn't sure how she was going to get into the castle—perhaps just show them the letter and hope that they didn't think it was a fake. Somehow, she had a bad feeling about the king. She'd seen enough many movies to know that it could end with them running out of the castle with an army behind them.

  "King Idris is a good and fair king," Cefin said, looking down at her. "I'm sure he would be pleased to meet the famous empath."

  "And by meet, you don't think that means burn me at the stake? Or chop off my head?"

  To her surprise, Cefin laughed, and it dissolved some of the tension in her shoulders. "I doubt the king would order such a thing. It'd be a waste of your brilliance."

  "Oh well," Lauren blushed at his compliment. "As long as he's not married to the Queen of Hearts, maybe I'll be okay."

  The joke fell flat on Cefin as he blinked at her.

  "Never mind." Josh would have gotten that joke, and probably followed up with a quip of his own. Cefin was gorgeous, but he didn't have Josh's sense of humor.

  She caught herself thinking of Josh and scathingly and silently rebuked herself. But then again, she couldn't be with Cefin, so what did it matter anyway?