“It’s just her,” one of them muttered.
“T’gods are finally smilin’,” another said with a grin, revealing yellowed teeth.
She kept her back to the tree and stole a quick glance at her bow, just out of reach.
The first man followed her gaze, his blue eyes narrowed before he laughed. “Kinda stupid being out here all alone.”
“How do you know I’m alone?”
“Don’t see no one else.”
Selia palmed one of her blades.
“Fixin’ on using that?” Yellow Teeth spoke.
“Take one step closer. You’ll find out.” Her gaze darted between the three men. Trained soldiers, they moved well. This wouldn’t be like breaking up a bar fight. They meant business, and she wasn’t exactly at her best. She switched the knife to her left hand and grabbed another. Where was Jaden? A sudden thought chilled her limbs. What if these men weren’t alone? They were confident they could overpower one woman. If Jaden showed up, they might call for backup. For all she knew, a regiment of soldiers camped over the next rise. She and Jaden would both be dead, and no one would know to rescue Oren.
She shook her head. She’d have to take care of these men alone.
Blue Eyes spat. “Not playin’, girl. Put it down.”
He’s the leader. “Make me.”
Yellow Teeth stepped forward, and she threw the knife. It embedded in his eye.
With a roar of rage, Blue Eyes rushed her. Selia sidestepped his attack as she slashed.
He glanced down at the welling red mark running from his shoulder to his elbow. His gaze burned with fury. “Don’t stand there, Farnly, hold the bitch down.”
Blue Eyes neared as Farnly circled behind her. Her abused muscles were already shaking. Damn it. It was time to cut and run. Literally.
She feinted to her left and then rolled to her right, slashing at the back of Farnly’s leg. She made three steps before a beefy hand grabbed her calf and pulled hard. Her face connected with the forest floor.
Selia shook her head to chase off the black spots swimming in her vision. Don’t pass out now.
Rough hands flipped her over, but she got her knee to her chest and kicked with everything she had. Farnly flew back, his head snapping against a tree, and he slumped down. Still.
As she struggled to her feet, a hand grabbed her hair and yanked her into a muscular chest. “Now where ya goin’? We just started to have some fun.” Rancid breath caressed her cheek before Blue Eyes licked her neck. “Bet ya like rough, huh?”
She leaned forward and flung her head back, hard. The comforting sound of crushing bone sounded over Farnly’s moans and the throbbing in her own head. In a single motion, Selia turned and reached for the last knife at her belt, slashing across the man’s stomach. His hands came down off his nose, and she stabbed him in the throat.
A warm spray of blood covered her face.
Farnly struggled to his feet, blinking. His gaze drifted from Blue Eyes back to her again. “You fucking bitch.”
“You couldn’t just stay unconscious, could you?” she asked.
Farnly stumbled toward her. Selia adjusted her hold on the knife, still slick with Blue Eyes’s blood. A moment of indecision froze her. If she threw the knife and missed, she’d have no weapon.
Fuck it. She palmed the hilt and threw. The slick knife flew from her hand into Farnly’s chest but didn’t slow him down. She dove toward her bow. Farnly caught her arm and yanked. Pain blinded her. Fire ran from her shoulder down her arm. She fought the scream that rumbled in her throat.
“Fucking bitch.” Farnly backhanded her so hard she flew off her feet and landed with a heavy smack near the tree. Fresh pain exploded from her shoulder. The breath left her body as small rocks and forest debris dug into her flesh. Blinking back the darkness, her hand found Jaden’s pack and the familiar shape of an arrow.
Farnly approached slowly, a smile stretched his scruffy face. “I’m gonna make this slow and painful for you.” He wrapped his hand around her throat and pulled. Selia used the momentum to bury the arrow shaft in his belly.
“What the…?” Farnly released her and looked down.
Selia dove for her knife, gleaming against the refuse on the forest floor.
Farnly laughed.
She hesitated.
“Go ahead and kill me,” he said. “Save the army from ‘avin’ to do it. But they’ll find you instead. They’re combing these forests.”
Testing the weight of the blade in her good hand, Selia struggled to stay conscious.
“If you think we was gonna have some fun. Wait ‘til—”
Selia blinked at the two arrows sticking from Farnly’s neck, and then Jaden was beside her.
The Svistra didn’t take his gaze away from Farnly.
“He’s dead,” she said.
“He’s not dead.” Jaden’s voice was strained.
“Jaden.”
With obvious effort, he turned to her. His eyes were so golden they glowed under the filtered light.
“Jaden?”
He swallowed. “Are you…”
“Arm’s dislocated. Other than that, I’m fine.”
Jaden helped Selia lean against the tree and then handed her a piece of leather. “Ready?”
She placed the scrap in her mouth and nodded. The pop of her arm going back in its socket sounded far away before the world went black.
Jaden glanced at the human bodies and felt something like pride, then scorned the emotion as irrational. He’d had nothing to do with her training.
He retrieved the bagged rabbit and wished he’d drained it of blood before he killed it. He’d never been so tempted to drink a human as he had when he returned to the clearing to find Selia injured and the attacker wounded but not dead. Rage and hunger had clouded his vision and almost stolen his reason.
Beside him, Selia slept, her face blotted red and beginning to bruise. His anger spiked. Even dead they stank. Not soldiers, probably deserters, but he’d heard what the man had told her. He picked up the dead body and threw it out of the clearing. A bird flew into the dusk, squawking its displeasure. He shrugged his and Selia’s packs over his shoulder and gently picked up the barkeep. She could sleep in his arms.
“Let’s find a place to camp.”
Selia glanced at the sun still well above the horizon in the west then back at Jaden. She didn’t try to hide her irritation at her own weakness. “Fine.” She’d woken a few hours before, cradled against his chest like an infant. It had been both comforting and frustrating. Now they walked side by side, but she recognized his pace had slowed.
A short distance later, he stopped. “Do you hear that?”
Selia reached for an arrow, the muscles of her arm protesting.
He raised a hand. “It’s a stream up ahead. Fresh fish?”
“I don’t hear anything.”
“Then you’ll have to trust me, won’t you?”
They veered toward the east. After a while Selia slowed. “I hear it now.” She turned to Jaden. “How?”
“My hearing is better than yours. One of the benefits of being a predator.”
“Better you than me,” she said, but without heat.
The stream proved deep but narrow, winding its way through the trees. Jaden fashioned a few poles while Selia studied the water.
“Aren’t we closer to the Wastes?”
“Yes. They’re just to the east, and there’s also a finger of them directly north, why?” Jaden walked upstream away from the poles and bent down to splash water on his face.
Selia rushed toward him. “Don’t drink that. This close to the Wastes, it might be deadlier than thirst.” The tang of her fear overpowered the fresh scent of water.
Dark purple bruises shadowed her jaw and both eyes now filled with concern. She’s worried about me.
He placed a hand briefly over her cool hand. “I wasn’t going to drink. I was going to wash.” He cleared his throat and then breathed in. His nostrils flared, a
nd his lungs filled with fresh air. “A deer is feeding in the forest east of us, but it has a sour smell, tainted by the Wastes. A weasel is nursing her young in the bank downstream, and there are fish hiding among the weeds.”
She blinked.
“Sense of smell, another benefit of being a predator. This stream teems with life, healthy life.”
“Oh.” Selia backed off a step, the concern in her eyes fading.
The shoulder she’d stopped touching felt suddenly cold. Jaden fought the urge to reach for her hand. “But you’re right, we need to be careful. Some of the creatures aren’t fit to eat. I’m sorry if I worried you. Staying close to the Wastes is a calculated risk. This far east, we can avoid most of the human patrols.” He realized he was babbling and stilled his tongue.
“And the Svistra?” Her brown eyes were guarded.
“And Svistra.”
“I see.” Selia settled on a moss-covered boulder and wrapped her hands around her knees.
“I’ll go downstream to wash, unless you want me…”
“I’m a big girl. Go.”
He nodded. “I’ll hear you if you need me.”
Selia winced. “I know.”
Keldar paced in the narrow confines of the tent and turned sharply as the flap opened. They’d set up camp that morning, but already sleeping pillows and even a small folding desk and chair graced the tent.
A Svistra entered, his head lowered. “King Josiam approaches, Commander.”
Still no word of his brother, but he was patient. There would be, in time. This was, if not equal, still good news. “Have you obeyed my orders to the letter?”
“Yes, Commander, we’re leading him here. He is alone with four bodyguards, no one else.”
“Good. When will he be here?”
“He seems to be in a hurry. A day, two at most.”
Keldar nodded. “When he arrives, show him to the tent we’ve prepared, offer him food and when he refuses, send him to me.”
The Svistra backed from the tent.
Four bodyguards. Is the king that sure of his men or of me? Either way, it mattered little. It suited him to keep the king alive and renew the terms of the treaty his father had made. He counted on Josiam thinking him young and inexperienced.
Outmaneuvering a king was excellent sport. Keldar had learned much from watching his father’s strategies. First of which was to make sure an ally thought he needed you more than you needed him. In this case, it was true.
With Josiam’s help, he’d take the land the humans called Asild. Then, after he’d built his strength, he would take the southern realm too. Why not? The land was said to be rich. Svistra would thrive on the bounty of a land that stayed warm in every season. He’d always wanted to see the far south, where sands stretched out as far as the eye could see.
After that, who knew?
Watching Jaden walk was enjoyable in much the same way she took pleasure in watching a hunting cat. There was restrained power in his movements, grace that inspired respect, a little awe and fear. A part of her knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but a deeper part reacted on a primal level as prey to predator. A recipe for conflicting emotions. Selia didn’t like that she needed him. Her body was far from healed, and weakness invaded her limbs. No matter the cost, she had to get to Oren.
That’s not the only thing disturbing you. Selia clamped down on that thought as Jaden turned a bend, out of her sight.
He had cleaned her when she slept. When she’d woken in his arms, it was without a trace of blood on her body. He’d cared for her. He’s not human.
Moving downstream of the poles, she splashed her face with the cool water. But he’s not a monster either. According to his story, humans filled that role. And hadn’t she always assumed Svistra had no soul, no reason for being other than to terrorize? In her mind, they’d been like the animals making their way in from the Wastes: an annoyance dealt with by a swift arrow, quickly and with mercy.
Yet at every turn, he’d taken care of her. She imagined Jaden as a child, playing in the frozen north. He must have had a mother who loved him. Did he have brothers? Sisters? And then he’d stood up to his father. That had taken courage and a little folly, but she supposed the two went hand in hand. In fact, she knew they did. What else could you call running off into a war zone to look for a friend? Oren, where are you? Please be well. I’m coming.
She glanced at the makeshift poles, bobbing in the water. We’re coming.
A splash echoed from downstream. She pictured Jaden bathing, and warmth suffused her body. She briefly closed her eyes. There had been men, travelers mostly, she’d found attractive, but none had stirred her interest like Jaden. Was it because he was different, because he’d never return the feeling? And if he did?
He’s not human.
Jaden appeared around the bend in the river, running toward her bare-chested, his shirt in his fist. Gods, he’s beautiful. His tattoo snaked from his shoulder down his arm and chest in graceful swirls.
Selia jumped to her feet.
He pulled the poles out of the water and glanced frantically around the forest floor. “Humans, heading this way.”
Waves of panic clenched her stomach.
Jaden threw her pack at her, shrugged his on, and pulled her toward the stream. “Into the water.” He jumped across the brook, picked up leaves and jumped back, making what looked like a sleeping hollow under the tree where Selia had sat. “Damn it, Selia. Start walking, that way!” Jaden pointed north.
She stood, frozen. “How close?”
“Close enough that if you don’t hurry, I’ll have to carry you. Go. I’ll lay a false trail. Go!”
She stepped into the icy river. The water eddied up to just past her knees. After a few steps, she could no longer feel her feet or calves, and the pebbly bed proved slippery.
The forest remained quiet except for her splashing. Farnly’s grin flashed before her eyes. What would she do if he didn’t return? She couldn’t fight soldiers off, not again.
Then I’ll take out as many as I can.
Jaden materialized at her side, his head cocked as though listening.
“They must have found the bodies. There’s no other reason they’d be in this part of the forest.” He reached for Selia’s elbow as her foot slipped out from under her, and she fell into the water almost to her waist. “Let me carry you.”
Dogs brayed somewhere behind them.
“Shit.” Selia swallowed her pride and nodded. Jaden picked her up and held her close, the muscles of his bare chest straining against her weight. His jaw, inches from her face, was smooth; no stubble. She closed her eyes and held as still as possible. To her ears, the howling of the dogs sounded louder, but Jaden didn’t alter his steady pace.
He stopped.
Selia’s eyes flew open. “What?”
His face had lost all color. “Svistra. Drawn no doubt by the sound of the dogs. Damn.”
“How close?”
“We’re downwind. We should be okay.” He resumed walking, slower this time, sniffing the air at intervals.
“Should be?”
“I don’t think the Svistra are looking for me. They’re hunting humans. They’d assume I was a scout. The false trail is mine alone and will not fool the Svistra. Yours disappears. Chances are they will assume I’ve killed you.”
She tried to take comfort in his assurances but Jaden’s pace didn’t slow.
The sun had moved into the western skies when Jaden froze, concentrating on something. “Fuck.”
“What now?”
“They’re coming.” He stared down at her. “You could run. They don’t know—”
“I’m not leaving you. Come up with another plan.” Selia may not have known him for very long, but one thing she knew with certainty—Jaden was scared.
He stared over her head to the surrounding murky forest. “There.” He set her down on the rocky bank. “You see that dead tree?”
She followed his gaze. Where the river bank ros
e sharply ahead, an old tree trunk lay decomposing.
“Take your bow. Go behind the tree. Don’t miss.”
“I’m not—”
“Obey me or die, Selia.” Jaden’s face set like stone.
She scrambled up the rocky bank to the tree. He walked to the center of the river and froze. A moment later, three Svistra came around the bend. They slowed upon seeing Jaden.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Jaden asked.
“Don’t bullshit us, Jaden. You know why we’re here.”
“Then you know why I’m not going with you.”
“We weren’t going to ask.”
Selia nocked an arrow and aimed. The Svistra moved quicker than anything she’d ever seen as he lunged for Jaden. The clash of knives sounded loud in the forest. When had they drawn them?
She put two arrows in one Svistra. He fell into the water. Unmoving. The Svistra not fighting with Jaden turned in her direction and ran up the rise toward her hiding place.
Her hand shook as she withdrew and arrow and dropped it. Fuck, keep it together. She grabbed another and nocked it.
The Svistra blocked out the sky. She pulled back the string and released. The heavy weight of the dead Svistra knocked her to the ground. She scrambled out from under him. The darkened forest was deadly still.
Selia nocked another arrow. Silence. A stone tumbled down the rise toward the river below. She pulled the string to her ear, her gaze focusing on the empty air over the dead tree trunk.
A head appeared, and Selia released.
“By the Nameless one, Selia, that’s the second time you’ve almost killed me.”
Relief washed through her body. She ran to Jaden and threw her arms around him. “I thought you were dead.”
“Thanks for the confidence.”
“I pulled the shot.”
“I know.” His laugh died in his throat when he saw the dead Svistra. “Let’s get out of here now.”
Holding Selia’s hand, Jaden led her through the forest. Her teeth chattered, and wet garments clung to her, revealing the soft roundness of her breasts, the curve of her hip. Despite the chill, Jaden’s body responded. “We can’t risk a fire. Do you have dry clothes?”
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