Broken Dove

by Kristen Ashley

  But me?

  Having time to think on it, lots of it as we trekked through the forest, that wasn’t right either.

  Not to mention, she’d said that Prince Noctorno was not far.

  But he was.

  We kept going (and going) and she had to know we were unprotected by men or weapons and the further away from the house we were, the more danger we’d be in.

  Apollo had told me that all the women knew what was going on. Their men let them in on it so they could be vigilant and cautious (he’d also added the word “obedient” but I decided to forget he said that; though, it was becoming scarily apparent that I’d forgotten the “cautious” part too).

  If she was leading me to her husband who was with Chris not too far away from Karsvall, I could get it.

  But she was leading me to what seemed like nothing except deeper into the forest and far away from Karsvall.

  And last, she had no guard.

  Her husband had let her go like that, unprotected. From what I’d heard about him, that was not something he’d do.

  Ever.

  No.

  This was not right.

  I was getting the distinct feeling that I’d been an idiot.

  I knew that feeling. It had happened often in my life, this one worse than the rest (except, of course, when I’d picked Pol to pledge my troth to; then again, that remained to be seen depending on whether I could get myself out of what I was currently getting myself into).

  I decided it was time to stop being an idiot and called, “Hey!”

  She forged ahead, not looking back when she replied, “Not too far now.”

  “Uh, I’m thinking that we should turn back, find a man to find Apollo and have you lead him back to Tor and Christophe.”

  “We’re not too far,” she mostly repeated. “It would be foolish to turn back now.”

  I stared at her plowing through the snow.

  Then I stopped.

  “Hey!” I called again to her still moving form. “I’m thinking this isn’t smart.”

  She looked back, stopped and I saw annoyance flash through her features before she rearranged them and said yet again, “Really, it’s not too far.”

  Did Cora, the Gracious who was beloved across an entire country and visited children’s hospitals (and homeless pet shelters, not to mention read to the blind) get annoyed?

  I stared at her pretty face with all that fabulous, lustrous brown hair.

  And as I did, it hit me.

  And what hit me was that I hadn’t been only an idiot.

  I’d fucked up.

  And huge.

  Cora, the Gracious probably found occasion to be annoyed (especially if her husband was an other-worldly macho man like Apollo).

  But Cora’s twin, the one from this world, the one who’d disappeared after being kidnapped by Minerva and her crew, would totally get annoyed. From what Apollo told me, she was a screaming bitch.

  This had to be her.

  It had to.

  Cora wouldn’t lead me to danger. She wouldn’t even suggest it.

  Okay, I didn’t know that for certain.

  But if it were me, I wouldn’t lead Cora to danger. Nothing even near it. Not in times like these.

  Not ever!

  God!

  I’d totally fucked up!

  I started backing away.

  “Uh, how about you go on to Prince Noctorno and I’ll go back to the house. When I find someone, I’ll tell them to tell Apollo to follow our tracks to you,” I suggested.

  More annoyance sliced through her expression before she looked side-to-side in a weird way I did not like then began following me, her hand raised cajolingly my way.

  “It’s much further back than forward.”

  “I’m cool with that,” I told her, moving more quickly.

  She moved more quickly too, saying, “I fear for your safety, walking alone back to Karsvall.”

  “It’s okay,” I replied. “There are enchantments that’ll keep me safe.”

  Again, she eyed side-to-side.

  I kept backing up and eyed side-to-side too.

  I also hoped like hell Apollo (or someone) found Chris and that they were now searching for me.

  I’d take the verbal lashing Apollo was going to give me after he discovered I’d been a complete idiot, and I’d take it since it was deserved.

  I just wanted to get back.

  I didn’t notice anything side-to-side but when I looked down to ascertain that I was following the same tracks as I’d made coming out not only so I could get home but so that anyone possibly looking for me would actually find me, I stopped dead.

  There were no tracks.

  I whipped my head around and looked behind me.

  There were no tracks there either.

  Uh-oh.

  I looked back to my feet and took another step.

  The instant my foot hit the snow, the snow reassembled where my print had been so there was no print at all.

  Uh-oh.

  One could say we’d definitely come out of the enchanted safety zone because that couldn’t happen.

  Except by magic.

  Crap!

  My head snapped up and my blood turned to ice when I saw Cora standing with her arms crossed in front of her, gloved hands up high, resting under her shoulders.

  And she was smiling a very bitchy smile.

  Shit!

  At this point, three things happened at once.

  The first was that I turned to run.

  The second was that two men came barreling out from behind the trees, and the sight of them scared the complete beejeezus out of me.

  This was because they were not like any men I’d ever seen in my life.

  They were huge.

  And when I say huge, I mean huge.

  They had long black hair (one in a plait down his back, the other’s was only pulled back at the top).

  They were also wearing hides. All hides. Hide boots. Hide pants. Hide shirts laced up to their throats with thick hide threads, and hide jackets that had long lapels that looked to be made of some short fur, like a cow’s.

  Oh, and they were carrying massive swords.

  Massive.

  Their swords had to be at least a foot longer than Apollo’s and they were way heftier. Even at a glance, I figured they had to weigh double what Apollo’s weighed and his was freaking heavy.

  They were also running.

  Toward me.

  And the last thing that happened was an enormous flock of birds suddenly appeared in the sky. They were not pretty birds. They were ugly birds. And they were freaking scary birds that had webbed wings that made a sickening sound when they flapped.

  And there so many of them, they blotted out the sun.

  Yes.

  Blotted. Out. The sun.

  They were swooping in, also toward me.

  I didn’t scream (though I wanted to).

  I didn’t freeze.

  I didn’t stumble.

  No.

  I ran.

  I heard the men running after me so I did my best to run faster, knowing that with their long legs, they’d totally catch up.

  But I wasn’t going to give up.

  Sure, if I made it to Karsvall, Apollo was going to be pissed.

  But I’d take that over whatever those birds (and men) could do to me any day.

  Within seconds, I felt the men were almost on me and the instant I did, I heard a grunt of effort.

  The next instant, almighty shrieks filled the air and a shower of blue sparks—sparks I’d seen before in a not so happy time—rained over me.

  Not that I needed verification those birds were bad magic, still, those sparks gave it anyway.

  When they bounced off my skin and hair, I stumbled but did not fall. I kept running doubled over, my hands in front of me to break me should I fall as I desperately tried to keep standing and most of all, moving.

  I didn’t fall because I got control b
ut I also didn’t fall because a strong arm wrapped around my stomach and hauled me up. It held me to a big body as that body kept running before, still running, he put me back in the snow, forcing me to run with him running close to my back.

  And over my head, he grunted nonsensically, “Veeyoo maya.” Then he said, “Go,” and finished on a roar, “Fast!”

  I went and fast and I did it feeling slightly better (slightly) because I had a feeling, seeing as I was still running and not thrown to the snow or being carried away, that these were the good guys.

  Guys from my side.

  He kept at my back and I had no clue how we both ran so close together but we did.

  The one at my back had my back, literally.

  The other one I knew was fighting those birds. I heard his grunts of efforts. I saw the flashes of blue sparks.

  But there were tons of those birds. The sinister sound of their webby wings flapping filled the air all around. I could hear the shrieks as each arc of the guy’s sword took out not one, not two, but what sounded like dozens.

  And my body was electrified with terror.

  We kept running and the man at my back twice put a hand to me to shove me in a different direction.

  He knew the way home.

  Thank God, he knew the way home.

  On this thought, again he put a hand to me to shove me a different way and I went that way, head up, watching where I was going so I wouldn’t run into a tree or something.

  And that was when I saw him.

  And when I saw him, I nearly quit running.

  Yes, my life was on the line but at first sight of that man, I nearly quit running.

  Because he was just…

  That…

  Magnificent.

  Bigger than the men with me, strikingly beautiful, sitting atop a massive steed in much the same clothing as the other two (but the fur inside his jacket was thicker and longer), his hair not tied back, I knew the man who raced toward us on his magnificent beast was Dax Lahn.

  The mightiest warrior in this world.

  Before it even seemed possible, the men disappeared at my back because Lahn and his horse were there.

  Bent to the side, he swept me up and deposited me in front of him with a grace and fluidity that had my breath leaving me.

  He wheeled the horse around and leaned in, pressing me almost to the horse’s neck, covering me with his enormous torso to shield me from the birds. The horse then burst forward through the snow with such speed, my hair flew straight back and the icy air bit deep into the skin of my face.

  The birds followed, I could hear them, but we didn’t slow. He also didn’t take the sword from the scabbard on his back.

  We just flew.

  Mere moments later, peeking in front of me through his horse’s ears, I saw her.

  The Golden Warrior Queen.

  Circe.

  She was on her own steed wearing her own hide coat, hers long, and a billow of richly colored material shot with threads of gold waved around her legs and boots.

  Her hair was freaking amazing.

  Her eyes were on us.

  Lahn tore straight toward her and she didn’t move her horse an inch as we shot past her.

  The instant the tail of Lahn’s horse cleared the nose of Circe’s, an almighty shriek filled the air, the snow all around flared blue, then everything went silent except the horse’s hooves turning us around in the snow.

  Well, there you go.

  Apparently, we’d reached the edge of the enchantments Apollo’s witches had cast.

  I breathed a sigh of relief as Lahn straightened us on the horse.

  Once turned, I saw the air cleared of birds, the snowy forest beyond tranquil, and Lahn trotted us back to his wife and stopped.

  I looked to her to see she was already looking at me.

  “Hey,” I said and she smiled.

  Wow.

  She was really something.

  “Hey,” she said back.

  I smiled a shaky smile at her and looked up at Lahn to see him eyeing his wife. He felt my gaze and looked down at me.

  Okay.

  Seriously.

  Charging toward me on a horse?

  Magnificent.

  Right there an inch away?

  Spec-freaking-tacular.

  “Hey,” I breathed.

  His mouth curved up in a blinding white, unbelievably gorgeous smile.

  I fought against fainting.

  Circe burst into laughter.

  * * * * *

  We waited just long enough for the other two guys to show (unscathed, thankfully), collect their horses that were milling about a bit away from Circe, Lahn and me, and for Circe to introduce them as Zahnin and Bain before we were on our way, cantering toward Karsvall.

  Zahnin, by the way, was the one with the top of his hair pulled back. Bain was the one with his hair in a plait. I knew this because they grunted unintelligibly in turn when their names were said by their queen.

  And eyeing them, it was insane, I had an awesome hot guy (as in seriously awesome and seriously hot), but I kind of wished I’d been transported to wherever they came from.

  We started our journey with me feeling relieved I was alive and not pecked to death by a flock of magical birds.

  This relief quickly melted to trepidation.

  Because first, I had no clue what was happening with Christophe.

  Had he been led away and then attacked by birds too?

  And if so, had someone found him and saved him?

  And second, if they had found Christophe (and I hoped to God they had), when we returned to Karsvall and Apollo learned what I’d done, he was going to lose his mind.

  Christophe being led away was one thing. He was a kid.

  Me?

  Stupid.

  And the worst part about all of it was that when Apollo lost it with me, it would be justifiable seeing as I’d been an idiot.

  My feelings of trepidation ran so deep they forced words out of my mouth.

  And these words were a muttered, “Apollo is going to lose his mind.”

  “Yes,” Lahn stated immediately, the rumble of his deep voice sounding not only over my head but beating into my back.

  I bit my lip and looked to Circe.

  She was again looking at me.

  “You’re safe,” she noted. “He’ll be upset, but once it sinks in that you’re safe, it’ll all be fine.”

  She was being reassuring and I’d already decided I liked her, what with her kickass skirt and awesome hair and kind eyes and quick smiles and ability to land a serious hot guy, but at that, I decided I really liked her.

  Then I saw her gaze shift up to her husband and whatever look he gave her made her look back to me and roll her eyes.

  She was trying to reassure me.

  Her husband was thinking thoughts of how he’d feel if Circe stupidly wandered off when malevolence was afoot, she knew it, and followed a stranger into danger anyway.

  In other words, his look was stating clearly he too would lose his mind.

  In a big way.

  Just like Apollo was going to do.

  Crap.

  “Cora’s twin showed,” I told Circe.

  She nodded. “We know. Lahn saw her.”

  “I thought she was the real Cora,” I shared something she probably had guessed. “Christophe, Apollo’s son, has gone missing and she said she and Tor had found him and he’d only budge if he saw me. I was worried about Chris.” I took in a deep breath to attempt to calm my fears. It didn’t work, so I finished quietly. “I still am and I didn’t think.”

  “It is the not thinking that will make your warrior lose his mind,” Lahn rumbled informatively, but scarily, from behind me.

  I gave wide eyes to Circe.

  She took them in before she turned her head and grinned down at her horse.

  To take my mind off my rapidly growing apprehension, I cast a glance from side-to-side, then back, that being from Zahnin
to Bain and back to Lahn, and said, “Uh…thanks for saving me from Cora, the Nasty and the magical birds.”

  After I spoke, Lahn spoke but he said a bunch of stuff I had no clue what he was saying.

  After he was done, Circe spoke and I looked back to her.

  “Zahnin and Bain know some English, since they’ve been around me for a while, and been in Hawkvale for another while, but they don’t know much. Lahn was interpreting.”

  “Ah,” I mumbled.

  Zahnin said something in their language and I watched Circe grin then quickly beat it back.

  “What did he say?” I asked.

  She again looked to me. “You don’t want to know.”

  Zahnin also thought I’d been stupid.

  I couldn’t get uppity because he was so right.

  I decided to remain silent.

  Everyone else did too.

  This did nothing for my trepidation.

  Trepidation that turned into out and out panic when I noted Frey’s men Ruben and Oleg ahead of us on horses. They were galloping through the snow what looked determinedly.

  The second they saw us, they reined in, took us in, gave Lahn chin lifts then wheeled around and galloped away.

  They had not been looking for Chris.

  They’d been looking for me.

  I hoped this meant someone had found Chris.

  Though, I had a feeling it also meant they were heading straight back to share that Lahn and his crew had found me.

  This didn’t make me feel better.

  I felt even worse when five minutes later the forest opened up and Karsvall came into view.

  A Karsvall that had a shitload of men standing in front of it, one of them Apollo, as well as Chris looking healthy and fit (thank God), Finnie, Frey, some old guy I’d never seen before who had a weathered face and a shock of white hair that was such a shock that it kind of freaked me out (more than I was already, that was), and finally, the redheaded witch, Valentine.

  I couldn’t think on the guy with white hair or Valentine being there after months of not seeing her.

  No, heads turned our way, but after quickly assessing our audience, I only had eyes for Apollo.

  He was holding himself very still and even from far away, I saw his face was granite.

  Yep.

  He was going to lose his mind.

  Circe spurred her horse to go faster, Lahn followed suit and Zahnin and Bain did the same.

  But Circe arrived first.

  Without greeting, she launched right in and when she did, even though it was not in question, I totally knew I liked her.