by Megg Jensen
Trevin’s cry rang through the trees and I spun around. Another man held him in his arms and it was pretty obvious he’d never held a baby before. Cupped in both hands, the man held Trevin by the stomach, his arms out-stretched. Trevin’s tiny body struggled, but it did no good.
“Don’t hold him like that,” I screamed. I jumped over the log and tried to grab him, but the man just lifted Trevin above his head. Fearing Trevin would fall, I stepped back, my hands up in the air. “Put him down. Please.” If anything happened to Trevin, I’d never forgive myself.
“Is this your baby?” the blond man asked me.
I faced him again. “Yes. Of course he’s mine. I’m out here with my husband and baby. We were trying to escape after the invasion.” I hoped Bryden wouldn’t object to me calling him my husband. We were together, but I didn’t think we were quite that far along in our relationship yet.
“Escape from the invasion? But you’re one of them. You’re a Dalagan.” He pointed to my red hair.
I’d been raised by the Fithians and even though I’d been teased about my differences, my hair and my height, I’d never really formed a real identity. I was Dalagan by birth, but not by action, and the opposite for Fithia. I was something else - I just didn’t know what.
“The last place I want to be right now is in that castle.” I wouldn’t share any more. If they’d heard about the Queen Slayer out here in the forest, then they’d never trust me.
“And he’s your husband?” He pointed over my shoulder and I turned back to Bryden. He was still trapped under the net. Bryden smiled and nodded, the net rubbing his red hair. I felt the strangest urge to run my fingers through it.
“Of course. Why else would we be out here alone with a baby?” I retorted.
“Maybe because it’s not your baby?” The other guard asked. “She stole this baby.” He pulled back the wrap from Trevin’s head, his shock of black hair waving like an enemy banner in the distance.
“It’s Trevin,” the man next to me exclaimed. “I can’t believe our luck!”
He strode over and took Trevin in his arms.
“I’m so happy to see you,” he cooed in a very atypical manner. I’d only known him moments, but not once did he strike me as a man who would turn to jelly over a baby. “Your mother will be even happier.”
“Mags! She’s here?” Nothing else mattered in that moment. The hope she was still alive had burned in my heart, even though I’d never really thought we’d ever find her.
After they cut Bryden free of the net, I ran into his arms. He staggered a bit, but held steady, his strong arms wrapping around my back. “Mags is alive,” I whispered.
A smile danced across his face. “I heard.”
“Now we can get Trevin back to her and then you and I can...” My words trailed off. I didn’t know where Bryden and I were headed after Trevin and Mags were reunited. Everything had happened so fast.
“We can figure that out later,” Bryden said. He planted a kiss on my cheek. A warm wave spread through my body. He had that affect on me every time. “Whatever happens, we’re together.”
I nodded and buried my head in his shoulder again.
“Tie her up first,” the man said.
My head jerked up and I glared at him.
“Why? I thought we were taking Trevin to Mags,” Bryden said.
“We are. We’ll be holding both of you prisoner, just like we’re holding her.”
My heart sank. I eyed Trevin, unsure of how to react. If I fought back, they might hurt him. If I went along with them, then maybe I could find a way to release all of us.
I separated myself from Bryden and held my arms out to the blond man, my wrists together. He pulled a length of rope from his back pocket and bound my hands with it.
Chapter Two
Before I could protest, he wrapped a blindfold over my eyes. I let a string of curse words fly in my mind. I wasn’t about to utter them aloud because then he’d probably gag me too. A hand rested on my back, soft, but firm, and nudged me forward. I stumbled and a pair of arms circled me, catching me before I fell to the ground.
I jabbed my elbow backward into his gut. He grunted and his arms dropped. I smiled, but didn’t utter a word. I didn’t care which one of them it had been. Instinct told me it was the blond guy. If he was holding Mags captive and planning to do the same to us, I wouldn’t let him touch me. I’d go along with him until I could get to Mags and free us all.
I hoped he hadn’t touched Mags too. I’d kill him if he did anything to her.
Warm breath swept across my earlobe. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? I know exactly who you are, Lianne. Don’t cross me. You have no idea what you just walked into, so keep your mouth shut and don’t fight me.”
“You know my name? Who are you?” It didn’t seem fair he knew who I was, but I had no clue who he was.
“Chase,” he said.
“Chase what?” I asked. “I’m bound and blindfolded, you idiot.”
“No, Chase, it’s my name.”
“Are you ready?” the other man interrupted. Trevin’s cries rang out through the forest.
I reached, but a burning sensation reminded me that a rope bound my wrists together. My arms dropped, defeated.
“Let’s tie the baby on her again,” Chase said. “Unless you want to carry it?”
Leaves crunched as the man hurried toward me. Even though I couldn’t hold Trevin in my arms, I was relieved he’d be next to me again. If only I could hear something out of Bryden, I’d feel totally reassured that I’d made the right decision to give up so easily. Too often, I dove into my own path, without consulting Bryden. So far he’d never questioned me. One of these days I was afraid he’d decide my impetuous nature was too much for him.
Our whole relationship had revolved around chaos. I laughed inside. Relationship? Bryden and I had declared our love for each other while trying to save Mags, Trevin, and ourselves from death.
Everything between us had happened too quickly. I didn’t regret a moment of it though.
The carrier rubbed against my back and I felt Trevin settling against my chest. Someone tied it on my shoulder and I stood up straighter. I couldn’t put my arms around Trevin to be sure he wouldn’t fall out of the carrier. I had to do something to make sure he was propped up.
Trevin began to squiggle in the carrier and I gasped. “Take off these bindings now or he’s going to fall. Please.” As my fear grew, so did the burning embers of my magic. I couldn’t control it yet and if they didn’t let me take care of Trevin, I might do something we would all regret.
A loud sigh was followed by a warm breeze on my neck. “Fine,” Chase said. Fingers fumbled at my wrists. The rope fell away, leaving nothing but a burning sensation behind. I lifted my arms and cradled Trevin. I felt his head snuggle into the crook of my arm. I bent down to kiss him, but since I couldn’t see due to the blindfold, I missed and kissed his nose instead of his forehead.
“Any chance the blindfold can come off?” I asked.
“No. If you utter another word, you’ll get a gag too.”
“Why? Afraid someone’s going to rescue us?”
Chase snorted. “Rescue you? You’re running from your own people. I don’t think anyone’s out to rescue you. Capture you? Yes. But I don’t think that’s what you want. You’ll shut your mouth. You’ll follow when I tug.”
“Tug on what? You just untied me.”
His arms wrapped around me again. I tried to ignore his biceps straining against my back as he tied the rope around my waist. I thought of Bryden and my heart dropped. All I wanted was some time with him. After we find Mags, I repeated to myself. Once I knew Trevin was reunited with his mom, Bryden and I could finally explore this relationship we’d started.
I didn’t want to just fall into something with him. I wanted to give it time to grow. Kellan, my last boyfriend, had only shown interest in me because he thought he could use me to further his political ambitions. In fact, he r
eally hadn’t liked me at all, but I’d been head over heels in love with him. Blind love had nearly gotten me killed. Any relationship now would be approached with my eyes fully opened.
“You take him back to the castle,” Chase said.
“What? No!” If it weren’t for Trevin, I would have ripped the blindfold off. I didn’t want to anger the men anymore than necessary. “Bryden has to stay with me.”
“No, he doesn’t. He needs to go back to the castle.” Chase released his grip on me. He crunched through the leaves, the sound getting quieter as he moved farther from me.
I tried to access the fire inside me. If I could use my magic to disrupt them, maybe they’d let Bryden stay with me. I imagined the fire inside growing, but instead of roaring to life, a sensation of cascading water smothered the magic, as if a bucket of ice had been poured on my soul. Panicked, I tried again. Nothing.
Low voices, angry and argumentative, whispered at the edge of my hearing. I couldn’t make out anything they were saying. The rustle of paper, so out of place in the middle of a fight in the forest, was the loudest sound. A loud gasp, from Bryden, forced adrenaline through my body. My heart pounded, my blood boiled.
Then a resigned silence. Boots crunching further away from me.
“Bryden?” I called out.
“I will come for you, Lianne,” he answered, his voice farther away than it had been the last time I’d heard him speak.
“Not if I come for you first.” I imagined the smile on his face and a sharp knife at his throat. There was nothing else I could conceive of that would make him walk away from Trevin and me without a fight.
A sharp tug on my waist jerked me out of my reverie. I stumbled forward, following the now gentle pull of the rope. I shuffled my feet, toes digging in before I took a solid step. There had been too many logs littering the path we’d taken. I didn’t want to trip because I’d probably land on Trevin. I swore I’d bring him back to Mags in one piece.
I jogged along the path, trying not to stagger as the rope pulled me from side to side. I cursed under my breath, hoping Chase was doing that to help me avoid logs and not to make me angry. Not that it mattered.
The fire I fought so hard against in the past betrayed me now by its silence. I wanted to scream, but feared he would follow through with his threat to gag me. I held it inside, determined to cooperate the best I could to get Trevin back to Mags. Then I could escape and find my way back to Bryden.
The tugging on the rope stopped, but my feet propelled my body forward. Hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me to a stop. His fingers fumbled in my hair. I fought the urge to jerk away. Every time he touched me, my skin crawled. Not the same way it tingled when Bryden touched me.
The blindfold fell away, fluttering to the ground as if it was nothing more than a leaf falling from a tree. I looked around and saw only the forest, filled with intermingling tree branches.
“How do you like your new home?” Chase asked, sweeping his arm out to the side.
My eyes narrowed into slits. What was he talking about? This was where he lived? On the ground? I didn’t even see remnants of a campsite.
“I don’t get it,” I answered.
“Ready?” Chase asked.
“For what?”
Something hit me on the head and I batted it away. I glanced up. A wooden bench, secured by two ropes dangled above my head.
“You might want to move over so it can come all the way down. I doubt you want to try climbing up on it from that height.”
I backed up, careful not to stumble on anything behind me. My eyes followed up the length of the rope, but I couldn’t see anything beyond the canopy. It lowered until the seat was level with my knees.
Chase gestured toward the bench.
“What?” I asked.
“Sit down,” he said. “What else do you think?”
“Where’s it taking us?” I asked, holding tight to Trevin.
Chase pointed his index finger up toward the canopy. I tried not to shudder. I still couldn’t see anything but the rope and the swing. How high was this thing going to lift me?
“That’s where I’m living,” Chase said. “You’ll like it. I promise.”
I doubted he was right. “Is Mags up there?”
Chase nodded, the smile falling from his face. It was quickly replaced by a look I couldn’t place. Irritation? Regret?
“Then I guess we’re going up,” I said. I reached back and tightened the knot that held Trevin’s carrier. I needed to hang on to the rope with both hands, leaving his safety to the bindings.
I swallowed a deep breath. My bottom rested on the wooden bench. I gripped the rope so tight my hands immediately started sweating. Chase stared at me, a concerned look on his face.
“Are you going to be okay? It’s not as high as it seems.”
I nodded. I had a desperate, unwarranted fear of water. Turned out I had a fear of heights too. I’d always considered myself the toughest girl around. I could take down any man in two or three moves - as long as my feet were planted firmly on the ground.
“We’ll be fine. How do they know when to lift me up?” The seat jerked. I grasped the rope tighter, feeling it burn into my palms like my skin was being burned. The seat slowly lifted. My toes no longer touched the safety of ground as Trevin and I floated upward.
I risked a glance up, but still couldn’t see anything above the canopy. The ropes simply disappeared between the leaves.
“Hold on tight,” Chase called up to me. I looked down at him. His face became smaller and smaller as the ropes tugged us upward. I wanted desperately to wrap my arms around Trevin, but I was too afraid to take my hands off the ropes. My feet dangled in the air while my stomach turned circles. I needed the dance to stop or I feared I would be sick.
My eyelids smashed shut. I sat up as straight as I could, arching my back slightly. Trevin rolled in closer to my chest. I refused to look until I was standing on solid ground - or whatever it was they had up there for me to stand on.
My stomach twisted and gurgled, begging me to stop this madness. I couldn’t. If I was going to get to Mags, I had to keep going. Besides, I wasn’t sure if there was any way to stop at this point. I had to be about halfway up. I was too high to jump. If I fell...I couldn’t even think about that.
My heart pounded in my chest. Then I felt it. The fire swept through me, engulfing my chest. It burned a hole straight through my heart until I finally felt like I was alive again. My magic had returned. My eyes snapped open. The leaves on the trees reflected the tiny rays of sunlight that burst through the canopy. Birds skittered from branch to branch, making their way as easily as I would have danced across the practice mats in a sparring match.
A smile grew across my face. The forest spread out before me in an orchestra of pure beauty. New sounds and sights combined into the most beautiful scene I’d ever witnessed. I just wished Bryden had been here to see it with me.
A third rope dangled in the air, moving back and forth. I glanced down. Chase was pulling himself up, hand-over-hand. He gained quickly on me.
“I could have done that,” I said. I hated sitting on the bench like a helpless woman.
“Really?” He pulled up next to me, looped his foot in the rope, and hung out for a moment. “And just how would you have done that with the baby?” He nodded his head at Trevin.
I’d forgotten for a moment that he was there. He’d fallen asleep in the carrier. His precious eyelids fluttered in what I hoped was a pleasant dream. Chase palmed up a couple more times, coming eye-to-eye with me.
“I could have figured out a way,” I said, refusing to give him the satisfaction.
Chase’s laugh rang out in the forest. “You are just as difficult as Mags said.”
I frowned. “Sometimes you talk about Mags like she’s an enemy. Other times you act like she’s a friend. What’s going on up here?”
“It’s complicated,” Chase said.
“It isn’t if you explain it to me.�
� I needed to be prepared for anything I would find.
“Maybe another time,” he said. “Enjoying having your gift back?”
I looked down at him. He’d stopped again, while my bench continued to ascend. “My gift? What’s that?”
“Gift, magic, power, whatever you want to call it,” he said. He climbed the rope like a monkey and zipped up past me. “Enjoy it while you’ve got it. I’m going to shield you again as soon as we get up top. I thought giving it back might help you with your fear of heights. It appears I was right.”
He shimmied up the rope faster and pulled himself through the canopy. I huffed, waiting impatiently while the seat slowly inched upward. So not only did he know I had magic, but he could block it. Even though I’d only recently gotten it, having it ripped away from me was unforgivable. I liked him less every second I spent with him.
The leaves tickled the top of my head. I let go of one rope and wrapped my arm around Trevin, waiting for the branches to scratch at us as they pulled us up. But the leaves parted and we emerged above the canopy. I gasped. A city of wood spread out before me. Dozens of people milled around the platform I’d emerged on. Many more watched from above, from platforms reaching high into the treetops.
But only one face stood out to me. There she was, perched only one platform above us, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders and that smile so familiar, so like finding home, that I almost felt my heart burst with joy.
“Mags!” I cried out.
Chapter Three
As soon as my feet hit the wooden platform, I leapt off the bench, my arms wrapped securely around Trevin.
“Lianne! Watch out,” Chase yelled. He grabbed me, pulling me into his arms.
I struggled against him, jabbing my elbow in his gut. Unfortunately, because I was holding Trevin, it didn’t have quite the impact it needed to free me. “Let me go!”
“Stop it,” he screamed in my ear. “You’re going to kill yourself and Trevin if you’re not careful.”
I ceased my struggle and looked down. I’d completely forgotten that I’d just emerged from a hole in the platform. Before they’d had a chance to secure the hatch, I’d tried to step into it. If Chase hadn’t caught me, Trevin and I would have plunged to our deaths.