“Daniel!” I screamed as I was tossed to the ground, my jaw slamming into the earth. I scrambled to my feet as more Tresez came running, trying to escape before they’d sink their claws into me.
Daniel disappeared only to reappear beside me. In the next moment, he had a hold of my hand, and we vanished yet again. We wound our way through the maze. A bulky figure blocked our escape, and Tresez circled out around behind him. The shadowy figure also had a long whip at his side. A shiver escaped me. We were almost completely surrounded. No! Not when freedom was so close…
“Hold on,” Daniel said pushing me behind him.
It was too late; the crack of the whip echoed in the night, and Daniel was jerked from my grasp. The moonlight broke through the clouds, and I screamed.
The whip had lodged itself around Daniel’s neck, and he was thrown to the ground. An instant later three Tresez were upon him. I ran towards him and threw out my hands. A burst of air knocked two of the Tresez away. The third had a grip on Daniel’s leg, and he was playing a tug of war as Daniel was stretched between the whip and the Tresez’s jaw.
“Run…Cheyenne!” Daniel cried hoarsely, before he began to gargle.
“Daniel!” The brute was going to strangle him! I threw my hands out again, knocking Trackers away. I had to get to the big one. “Let him go!” I flicked my wrist, and a bolt of air propelled him off his feet.
Daniel’s body collapsed to the ground, and my chest grew tight. I ran towards him once more. “Daniel!” I could feel breath from his mouth; he was still alive!
We were completely surrounded now, but it didn’t matter. I’d suffer a hundred deaths to save him if I had to. However, as I eyed the Trackers, something cold gripped my arms. Screaming, I was torn from Daniel and yanked hard into a man’s chest. Arms wrapped around me and fingers dug into my jaw.
“I warned you, Cheyenne,” Marcus growled. My eyes widened as Maes circled Daniel in his human form. He pushed the lone Tresez away as he loosened the whip from Daniel’s neck and checked for a pulse.
Tears streamed down my cheek. Daniel was lying there because of me…
I struggled to free myself, but Marcus’s hold only grew tighter.
“Be still,” Marcus snapped. “You’re going to watch this so you know the consequences of you disobeying me.”
Maes’s eyes met mine and then glanced towards Marcus. “He’s still alive.”
“Good,” Marcus replied.
He shoved me aside as he stalked towards Daniel. No…he was going to kill him! I raced after him, throwing a wind laced with panic, trying to stop him. He stumbled slightly, and I twisted my hands above my head, attempting to circle him in a whirlwind. He spun back, his grey eyes bored into me and with one quick flick of his wrist, I was hammered into the ground.
I didn’t care. Adrenaline numbed the pain, and I sprinted towards Marcus again. I had to stop this! Marcus raised his hand, a cold cruelness tugging at his lips. At the last moment, I leapt in front of Daniel, grabbing Marcus’s wrist and letting his palm smack into my chest.
An unbearable electrical current burst through me, and I screamed the sound of death.
“Cheyenne!” Daniel cried.
My body trembled. A strange tingling sensation ripped through me, and I fought to capture a single breath.
“No!” Marcus bellowed.
Daniel’s eyes met mine as I toppled to the ground. It was the only way he could say thank you. Maes reached out to grasp Daniel, but Daniel had already seized his chance and vanished. My eyes rolled to the back of my head, and blackness pushed me under.
A short, quick breath jerked me awake. My arms and legs were stiff, and my chest was raw and tender. I was still alive. I looked up into jade-rimmed eyes as a wet cloth was dabbed across my neck and chest.
“Be still,” Maes rumbled as the firelight glowed behind him. “You’re going to be hurting for a few more hours.”
I exhaled, then flinched as the twinge in my chest grew. Recent events flooded back to me, and I gasped. Daniel! Was he all right? My mind tried to summon the memory through the haze, but I just couldn’t.
“Daniel,” I said breathlessly and tried to sit up.
Maes gently pressed my shoulder down. “It’s okay. He’s alive.”
I blinked. “He’s alive? Is he safe?”
“Yes, I’m sure he is.” He turned and soaked the cloth again, wringing it out before softly applying it to my chest. It left a stinging sensation, and I twisted in discomfort. “You’ve got a bit of a burn, but it’s getting better.”
“I stopped Marcus, didn’t I?” I asked feebly.
He sighed and brushed the hair from my cheek. “Yes, and you’re paying the price for it now.”
There was a tenderness I hadn’t seen before. It was as if Maes cared for me, cared about my future. It wasn’t sympathy; it was something much more than that. He could have stopped Daniel from escaping, but hadn’t.
Did he do it for me?
Maes turned away again and re-wet the cloth. I glanced around. We hadn’t broken camp yet, and I was lying next to the open fire in the predawn. A shiver raked me. Maes drew the blanket up as Jahlem neared.
Jahlem knelt down beside me, a small bowl in his hands. His empathic glance told me he knew about my pain. “I’ve made a salve for her,” he said.
Maes nodded and drew back, allowing Jahlem to work.
“It’s going to sting a bit, but it’ll help with the burn,” Jahlem stated as he focused on my chest. I was in too much pain to feel embarrassed. He pushed my blouse further apart and then dipped his hand into a purple substance. He hesitated, glancing at Maes for a moment, before continuing. He lowered his hand, and I screeched as he made contact. “I’m sorry.” He drew back quickly.
I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. Maes squeezed my hand. “Go ahead,” I muttered. Jahlem applied the ointment, and I forced myself to breathe through the pain.
Footsteps approached again; the dark-haired Tracker was here. He stopped a few feet away.
“Darrien,” Maes grumbled.
“Marcus has returned. He’ll be here soon.”
Jahlem quickly gathered up his bowl and departed with his companion. I looked towards Maes, who was getting to his feet.
Marcus had returned? Had he gone out in search of Daniel and the others? Had he found them? My heart began to race. I rolled to my side and winced. The ache in my chest came to life, making it hard to catch my breath.
“Cheyenne, no.” Maes attempted to make me lie back down, but it was too late, as a rough hand pulled me from the ground.
I was swung around. Marcus held me up by my arm as my legs threatened to give way. Maes quickly supported my other side and attempted to draw me away. All movement stopped as Marcus and Maes stared each other down.
“You’ve hurt her enough, Marcus,” Maes said in a tone so lethal it could cut glass.
“Watch your tongue, Maes,” Marcus spit back. “This was her own doing, not mine.” He gazed at me, and malice flowed out of those cold grey eyes. “She should be glad I stopped it before it reached her heart.”
My eyes shut as everything began spinning around me.
“Dawn is coming, Cheyenne, and you can’t stop this.”
Marcus loosened his grasp, and Maes helped me sit against the log.
“Don’t leave her side. When the sun is up, bring her to me.” He stormed off into the shadows.
Maes stoked the fire as the Trackers began breaking down camp.
“Did he find them?” I whispered.
Maes sighed. “No.”
“But how do you know?”
“He wouldn’t have been in such a foul mood.”
A small amount of relief gave me strength. My guardians still lived. I had hope that we’d be together once again. They weren’t giving up, and neither would I.
Dawn came too quickly, and Maes escorted me to Marcus.
Marcus was waiting. Darrien was holding his horse’s reins. Dizziness threatened to knoc
k me over, and I stared at the ground. Marcus wiped dirt from my cheek with his thumb before he pulled my hair back and secured it in a ponytail. His mouth paused near my ear, his hot breath poured down my neck, and I felt the bile rise in my throat.
“I have been tolerant so far, Cheyenne, but my patience is running thin. If you even twitch a finger in the wrong direction, you will not like the consequences. Do you understand?” His voice flowed over me like an icy river. “I will win in the end, mark my words.”
Marcus helped me mount and came up quickly behind me. He grasped the reins and I swallowed, my throat dry and parched. He called out an order, and his army surrounded us, the formation tight as we rode off into the brightening sky.
I could only hope that my luck would brighten as well.
Chapter 20
There was a wary edginess among the Trackers. Even the horses sensed something unnatural. As I looked ahead, we were still a day’s ride from the mountain pass. If it went as Marcus planned, we’d hit the pass at dusk.
That didn’t seem soon enough for Marcus. At mid-morning, he ordered us to step up the pace. The rider’s formations also tightened, so that we all rode within a few feet of each other. The men on foot were jogging to keep up, but they didn’t show signs of extra exertion. I could only watch, curious. What was making Marcus so nervous?
Maes and the Tresez were flanking our sides at the edge of the forest. I hadn’t realized until now how much larger Maes was in comparison to the other Tresez. The sun reflected off his fur, giving it a strange bluish tint. As if he knew I was watching him, he turned his head towards me. I couldn’t read his jade-rimmed eyes. Was he my friend or enemy?
He’d betrayed me, pushed me right into the arms of my greatest foe…and yet, he’d stood up for me this morning. He’d also let Daniel go. Much as I was still hurting over his actions against me, I couldn’t deny that he helped, either. He’d questioned me in the past about trusting him.
Just what was he trying to say to me?
I reluctantly allowed my back to rest against Marcus’s chest. It made it easier and more comfortable; if I could ever be comfortable around him, that is. For some reason, he seemed to like the closeness; he became more relaxed as the day progressed. That could only be a good thing—I’d seen enough of his temper to know not to rub him the wrong way if I could help it.
By early afternoon, we stopped by a small river to water the horses. Marcus dismounted first, then lifted me down. He took my hand and led me further upstream.
I knelt and splashed the cold mountain water across my face and chest, removing the salve Jahlem had placed on my chest. My burn had healed, although there was numbness where the injury had been. I cupped my hands together and drank to soothe my parched throat.
I sat back and closed my eyes, allowing the breeze to cool my heated chest. I was completely surrounded by Marcus’s army, Tresez blocked any escape into the forest, and there was no place I could hide where they wouldn’t smell me out. I did consider summoning another whirlwind and forcing a clear path while keeping within its eye, but Marcus would put an end to that before I’d make it past the first tree. He seemed very well versed in exploiting my weaknesses…
I removed the band from my hair and ran my fingers through it. What I wouldn’t do for a brush. Once it was as detangled as it was going to get, I braided it. When I finished, I turned back to Marcus. He was leaning against a large boulder, arms crossed as he watched me. His black hair had fallen in his eyes. He pushed it back with his tanned hand and nodded.
Reluctantly, I closed the distance. He uncrossed his arms and tucked one of my stray hairs behind my ear. His eyes wandered down to my wet shirt.
“The burn looks better,” he said with what sounded like a bit of remorse.
Yeah, considering you were the one who gave it to me, I thought darkly.
“It is,” I said aloud.
“A foolish thing you did, Cheyenne. I could have killed you.” He leaned close, his breath hot in my ear. “Don’t ever step in front of me again. Because next time, I might not be able to stop myself.”
“Why did you stop, then?” I hissed. “You could’ve finished me off like my parents and the others.”
Marcus suddenly grabbed my neck. I gasped, cringing as his thumb began to stroke my cheek. “Because I don’t want you dead. I need you. You’re more valuable alive.”
“Then I’d rather be dead.” I stared at him coldly. “What you’re doing is wrong, Marcus.”
“On the contrary, Cheyenne. For the first time, things feel right.”
“For you,” I snarled.
“Give it time, dear, and it will be for you, too.”
I lowered my head and looked away. How had I become mixed up in this? I was just a pawn, another soldier to create more bloodshed in this ongoing feud. And after me, it would be someone else. The clans would keep fighting, keep killing each other. It had to stop, and somehow I knew I was the one who had to do it.
But what could I do? I was so helpless…
A horse whinnied nearby. Marcus stepped back, releasing my throat, and took my hand instead. “Come,” he ordered. “It’s time to leave.”
We walked towards his horse, when Maes approached in his human form. His eyes met mine briefly before he and Marcus began conversing in French. I struggled to pick out words I recognized, but they were speaking too quickly. When they finished, Maes disappeared into the sea of Trackers without a glance back.
Once I was back in the saddle, secure in Marcus’s grasp, we departed. This time we didn’t hurry as much. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Maes and six other Tresez peel away and disappear into the horizon.
The tension had eased a bit; the men weren’t walking quite so rigidly, and they didn’t keep checking the forest as much. Whatever had them spooked before seemed to have passed.
The sun hung low in the sky. This was my third day as Marcus’s prisoner. Escape seemed further away than ever. Though I was more than grateful that Daniel had come to rescue me, to let me know he, Colt and Callon were still alive, I also felt guilty he’d gotten hurt. Worse was knowing that it wouldn’t end. If I stayed with Marcus, my guardians wouldn’t give up until I was free, even if it cost them their lives. Yet if I somehow figured out how to free myself, Marcus would hunt us down and kill them to get me back.
Then there was Maes. The wildcard. Was he the man I’d gotten to know at the cabin, or was he truly Marcus’s loyal servant? Would he force me to stay with Marcus because I was his only hope? Was this the way he thought I could grant him freedom from his curse? Perhaps he’d made a bargain with Marcus; his master would get me, while he would get his curse broken. And then what? Would he discard me once my use was fulfilled?
Maybe he’d just been using me all along…
I pushed my hand to my forehead. I was completely lost once again. There really seemed to be no options left.
“You’ve been very pleasant today,” Marcus said suddenly.
I didn’t reply. It would only take one word in the wrong place to set him off.
“I’m sorry it has to be this way.” His arm tightened around my waist. “I wanted us to meet under different circumstances. You wouldn’t have felt so bitter towards me. You would’ve come to know me for who I am.”
“Guess now we’ll never know,” I replied flatly.
He grew quiet. I sighed, absently running a finger over my chest burn, when suddenly a loud crash tore through the forest. On instinct, I jumped. Marcus’s hold tightened around me, and he began snapping orders in French. His army spread out, while Marcus turned towards the noise.
Nothing happened after that. An eerie silence covered the valley. My heart drummed in my ears. Something was out there. Even the horses began prancing, spooked by this unknown force. Their distress grew, their snorts turning to panicked neighs, and it was all their riders could do to stop them from bolting.
Marcus’s horse began to rear up on its hind legs. Thrown into Marcus’s chest, I grabbed
its mane, running my fingers down its neck. It heard my calming words and slowly stilled. Behind me, Marcus murmured. He placed his right hand over mine, pushing it against the horse’s neck.
“What did you do, Cheyenne?” he asked.
I didn’t reply. If Maes hadn’t told him about my ability to speak with animals, I sure wasn’t going to let him in on my little secret.
“You’re full of all sorts of surprises, aren’t you?” His fingers laced through mine as I tried to pull back. “What else are you hiding from me?”
Our rings touched, and that familiar current sent a shiver through my spine. How could Callon and Marcus have the same power over me? How could the rings be so cruel?
Neither of them would let my heart choose who I wanted to be with…
“I know you feel it, Cheyenne,” Marcus’s breath was warm against my neck. I clenched my teeth, fighting to stay in control. It wasn’t me wanting to give in to his touch. It was the rings, the rings!
“It would be a lot easier if you admitted it.”
I inhaled a shaky breath. I’d never admit it to him.
I shook his hand off and drew it to my chest, staring at the rings. The blue Kvech stone I admired for its beauty, and the intricate weaves of the Servak one held an enchanting mystery. I should never have recovered the Kvech from the safety deposit box; both had brought me nothing but bad luck. An ill omen inherited from my parents…why had they done this to me?
“It’ll be interesting to see which of your powers develop next.” He brushed his lips against my cheek. I wanted to throw up. “Only time will tell, but we’ll have all eternity to find out.”
All eternity? My stomach churned. Just the thought of being with him another day made me queasy. Spending eternity in his arms would drown me with despair.
Calming Marcus’s horse seemed to have an effect on the other mounts, who soon followed suit. Marcus barked an order, and we moved on. His army shifted, taking a more defensive position as they watched the forest. Were they expecting an ambush? But Callon commanded no army…
Promises Page 30