by Croft, Sky
As soon as Theron stopped, she would make her move. She would take his horse too, she wouldn’t move very quickly on foot in her current condition.
Theron’s hand snaked downward, pressing hard against the wounds on her back. It was so unexpected that Shale tensed, and she paid for her mistake an instant later, when Theron removed his boot from the stirrup and kicked her perfectly positioned head.
As Shale sank into oblivion once more, a grudging respect emerged—Theron certainly knew what he was doing.
KALE SQUATTED OVER the trail, examining it expertly. “They went that way.” She pointed to the west as she straightened up.
“I agree,” Aris said from beside her.
Kale glanced impatiently over her shoulder, to where the rest of the group was emerging, all red-faced and breathing heavily. Kale knew she was pushing them hard, but she still wasn’t satisfied by the pace they were going. If she were alone she’d be travelling much faster, and would have covered a lot more ground.
Kale stiffened when a hand touched her back, but relaxed when she saw it was Amber. The red-head had kept up well, following closely to Aris, who was only second to Kale. To Kale’s surprise, and to the chagrin of the other warriors, Blake was after Amber, and Kale made a mental note to tell Shale about it later, knowing Shale would be both proud and amused by that.
Amber didn’t speak, but her touch calmed Kale significantly. Their eyes met, and for an instant Kale was distracted from the horror of the situation. From the fear that gripped her. Then the reality sank back in, and Kale moved away, breaking into a run as she led the group on.
Aris observed the tired faces. “Kale, we need to rest,” she called after her.
“Not yet,” Kale yelled back, not even slowing her pace.
Aris shared a quick glance with Blake, but they had little choice except to follow.
SHALE’S OBSERVANT BLUE eyes took in her surroundings, missing nothing. She was inside a cavern, with rough, dark rock all around her. It was well-lit with torches, though Shale was in no doubt that it would be pitch black without them, as she couldn’t see any natural light coming in. She had to be deep within the caves.
Shale was positioned in the center of the cavern, secured to a wooden post. Her shackled hands were held overhead, and her feet were bound to the floor in a similar fashion. She must have been unconscious for a while, because her shoulders ached unpleasantly.
Theron entered through the only entrance, a crack in one of the walls that was barely big enough to allow his broad frame. The gap was of good height though, nearly extending to the roof of the cavern they were in.
“Good, you’re awake. Now I can begin. It’s no fun when you’re unconscious.” Theron hefted the pail of water he was carrying. “I was getting impatient.”
Although her face remained emotionless, Shale’s heartbeat picked up slightly. She was freezing as it was, her summer clothes not protecting her against the chill of the cave.
Theron grinned at her. “Seems a shame to waste it.” He threw its entire contents onto Shale.
Piercing cold engulfed her, and she bit her lip hard when her wounds protested with a vengeance. The water reawakened her tiring senses though, and she blinked repeatedly, allowing the moisture into her eyes to refresh them. Shale licked her lips to obtain the small amount of liquid there, her throat was parched.
“There, now,” Theron said. “That woke you up, didn’t it?” He raised his voice. “Guard!”
One of his soldiers instantly appeared, coming through the crack in the wall. Theron wasn’t taking any chances with her, Shale noted, she was bound and under guard.
“Theodysius.” Theron thrust the pail into his chest. “Another. And make sure it’s cold. Ice cold.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied dutifully, then hurriedly departed.
Listening intently to the guard’s footsteps, Shale heard him go off to the left, and she wondered if that was the way out, or if there was an underground stream nearby. She soon had her answer. Theodysius came back quickly, much sooner than anticipated. Shale seriously doubted he’d had time to leave the caves. There had to be a stream close by.
The stream had to emerge outside somehow. Shale could use the current to carry her out of here. It was risky, but she would have to hope she had the strength to keep her head above water.
Theodysius held the pail out in front of Theron for his approval. Theron dipped a calloused hand into the water, withdrawing it swiftly at the low temperature.
“Perfect,” he said, emptying it once more over a now shivering Shale. Theron clapped a hand on Theodysius’s wide back. “I have a job for you.” He again handed him the pail. “Every time she starts to dry off, or lose consciousness, I want you to douse her with cold water.”
“Yes, sir.” Theodysius again left to refill the pail.
Theron untied the whip from his waist. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not going to use this.” A pause. “Not yet anyway. I figure by the time anyone notices you’re missing, it will be evening, so your sisters won’t track until first light. Which means, I can take my time with you.” He put the whip down and moved closer. “And I intend to do just that.”
Shale knew his theory was flawed, a rescue party would already be on their way. But since Theron didn’t know about the meeting at noon, he’d made the logical assumption. Shale didn’t correct him, the surprise would go in their favor.
Unfortunately, she had no sense of time in the cave, and since she’d been unconscious for most of the journey, Shale didn’t even know how long it had taken. Though Kale would have discovered she had been captured shortly after the event, Shale knew they’d be on foot, so would take longer to cover the same ground.
Shale was distracted by the smell of food, broth it smelled like, and her stomach rumbled hungrily. She now knew it was meal time, and since an army marched on its stomach, they usually had food at regular intervals. Shale suspected it to be around early evening, which, if true, meant that her fellow Amazons had a good chance of getting here by nightfall. She was glad it was summer, because the longer day would give them extra time. If her sisters did make it by then, Shale knew they would attack under the cover of darkness.
Her spirits picked up slightly at that notion. “Don’t you want any food? I’ll happily wait,” Shale said, though her teeth chattered.
Unfortunately for her, Theron didn’t seem to be hungry.
“WE ARE NOT stopping!”
“We need to rest, Kale,” Aris said.
“No, what we need is to cover as much ground as possible while it’s still light.”
“We’ll be no good to Shale exhausted,” Aris said.
“We’ll be no good to her if she’s dead either.”
“Whoever kidnapped her wouldn’t have taken her all this way just to kill her,” Hellana said, holding her side to try and relieve her stitch. “She’s bait, remember?”
“When he reaches his camp, he can kill her. We wouldn’t know, and the trap would still be set. We would still try to rescue her. As long as there’s a possibility of her being alive, he knows we’ll come for her,” Kale said. “Now, let’s get moving.”
“Soon, Kale, we’re not all as fit as you,” Aris said.
“Well you should be!” Kale exploded. “Your warriors should be. You should have trained them better!”
Blake raised her bowed head out of her hands. “Kale,” she said. “I know you’re upset, but arguing won’t help Shale.”
“Come on,” Amber said quickly, as Kale opened her mouth to retaliate. “Let’s get some space.” She escorted Kale away, but didn’t touch her, knowing from Kale’s tense form that any contact would be rebuffed.
KALE PACED BACK and forth, clearly anxious to get going.
“Kale, sit down.” Amber sighed when Kale ignored her and kept on pacing. “Look, you’ve got to wait anyway, so you might as well rest yourself.”
Kale sat down beside her. “There. Happy?”
Amber’s tone was
dry. “Ecstatic.”
Kale began to tap her feet, and Amber, taking her life in her hands, laid a calming hand on Kale’s well-muscled thigh. The tapping instantly stopped and Kale looked at her. Amber was upset by the distress in Kale’s eyes, and she produced her best reassuring smile.
“Shale will be all right.”
“You don’t know that,” Kale said quietly.
Amber knew she wasn’t arguing, merely stating a point. “I do know that,” she said. “You share the same stubborn streak.” She nudged Kale teasingly.
The faintest hint of a smile appeared, and Kale reached up and brushed Amber’s cheek. Her hand lingered. After a moment, Kale leaned in and kissed Amber firmly on the mouth.
When her lips were released, auburn eyebrows shot up. “I thought you didn’t think of me in that way?”
“Oh, I do,” Kale said. “I was holding back because of what happened with Aeron.”
“You needed time to adjust?”
“Exactly.”
“So why didn’t you tell me that?” Amber said. “You would have saved me so much heartache if you’d just told me.”
“I’m sorry. But I’m telling you now.”
“Why?”
“Why, what?”
“Why are you telling me now? What’s changed?”
“I just realised that we could all die today.”
Amber sprang to her feet, facing Kale angrily. “Oh, that’s great. Thanks a lot. You thought I’d be up for a quick roll in the hay, with no strings attached.”
“No! You didn’t let me finish.”
Amber crossed her arms over her chest. “All right. This had better be good.”
“I realised that we could all die today, and,” Kale locked onto Amber’s brown eyes, “there’s only one thing that I regret—not being with you. I want to live, Amber, I don’t want to hold back anymore. And I want you by my side...if you’ll have me?”
Amber smiled brightly, and then gave Kale a meek look. “That was good. I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”
“It’s all right,” Kale said. “So, about my question?”
Amber sat back down, a mischievous grin forming. “I don’t know. I think you’ll need to persuade me.”
Kale smiled for the first time since noon. She pulled Amber close, meeting her awaiting lips eagerly.
The kiss was passionate, full of promises of what was to come.
“You persuaded me,” Amber said as soon as they parted for air. “Damn, me and my big mouth. I think I was too hasty about that roll in the hay idea.”
Kale chuckled. “There will be plenty of time for that when we get home.”
“And if we don’t make it back?”
Kale kissed her again, long and hard. “That’s for encouragement.”
Amber blinked dazedly for a moment, then grinned. “Oh, we’re so going to make it back.”
SHALE TENSED AS Theron probed at her stomach, hissing in pain as he found a particularly sore spot.
“Seems a couple of your ribs are broken.” He chuckled, sounding pleased with himself.
She squinted at him through swollen eyes, barely conscious. Theron grabbed her hair, jerking it savagely to rouse her. It wasn’t enough, and he moved out of the way as Theodysius covered her with icy water.
Shale spluttered and coughed, which was excruciating to her battered body, as was her constant shaking.
She thought about the two most important people in her life— Kale, her only family. She had to survive for her. Shale’s death could mean Kale’s also, and even if Kale lived, Shale knew that their forced separation would never allow either of them any peace. And Blake, her one true love, her heart. Shale had only just found her, she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her. She had to stay alive for them.
Theron withdrew a wicked looking dagger and its blade caught the torchlight.
Shale tried to calm her frantic heartbeat. She could do this. Kale and the others would be coming for her. All she had to do was wait.
“With you here, I know our sister won’t be far behind. There aren’t many who can match my fighting skill, I’m looking forward to meeting her. Of course, she’ll come whether you’re dead or alive, so I really don’t have any further use for you.”
“If you kill me...” Shale murmured, having to pause due to the agony she was in. “Kale’s judgement will be clouded by rage. If you truly want to prove you’re the best...she needs to have her wits intact.”
Theron laughed. “I see your mind is still sharp.” He nodded. “I’ll keep you alive until I have beaten her in combat.” His intense eyes bore into hers, and Theron sliced the dagger into Shale’s side. “I didn’t say anything about not harming you.”
Shale begged for Kale to hurry. Though Theron said he wouldn’t kill her outright, he obviously wasn’t concerned with her blood loss, or her dangerously low body temperature. She was completely helpless, and couldn’t even stem the bleeding.
Shale closed her eyes, and prayed.
Chapter Thirteen
“WHAT A GREAT place to defend from,” Aris noted quietly, examining the cave’s entrance. “Not so great for us though,” she added as an afterthought.
“I only see four guards at the entrance,” Amber said. “The problem is going to be reaching them.”
Blake nodded in agreement. They were well hidden in a small clump of trees, but there was no other cover between them and the cave’s entrance. They would be spotted instantly, and the alarm would be raised. They couldn’t afford that. Stealth was their best option.
“We’ll have to wait for nightfall,” Blake decided.
Kale, who was squatted beside her, spoke up, “You can wait. I’m not.”
“You will wait, Kale,” Blake said. “Nightfall won’t be long.”
“The gods only know what’s happening to Shale in there. You can’t ask me to just sit and wait.”
“Actually, I can. And I’m not asking, Kale, I’m telling you.” Blake’s voice was firm, resolute. “If you go rushing in there, you’ll give away our greatest advantage—surprise. You can’t take on everyone yourself, and you’d be lessening our chance of success.” Her tone softened. “And that doesn’t help Shale.”
Kale seethed for a moment, then rolled back on her heels and sat. “Blake.” Kale met her gaze. “Shale’s still alive. I can feel her.”
Relief flooded Blake’s features, and she squeezed Kale’s hand in thanks, surprised when Kale returned the grip. She had wanted to ask Kale that question since they arrived, but Blake hadn’t been able to muster the courage, terrified of what the answer might be.
“She’s alive,” Blake whispered, unconcerned by the silent tears that fell down her face.
KALE GRABBED THE guard’s head, and twisted his neck in one fast, smooth motion. Aris, Amber, and Anataeus took care of the other three guards, and no one inside was alerted to their presence.
The cave they had entered was actually a tunnel, and chambers sprouted off from it.
Blake sniffed the air, and quietly went into the first chamber, which was right near the entrance. Kale was directly behind her, and they found themselves inside a large cavern, which was filled with horses. A wooden pen had been erected to keep the animals inside. They shared a look, they would use the horses to escape.
The cavern didn’t lead anywhere, so they backtracked into the tunnel.
Kale indicated the guards’ bodies, and they were soon hidden out of sight in the horses cavern.
The tunnel was well-lit with torches, so they were vividly aware that they couldn’t hide very easily. They listened intently, hearing laughter echo down the tunnel. It sounded far off though. They spread out, covering more ground.
The next cavern they came across was filled with supplies, and again it was unmanned. They checked it thoroughly, not wanting to have an enemy at their backs as well.
The tunnel curved around, and then split into two. One route wound back on itself, the other continued straight ahead. The v
oices and laughter came from the tunnel straight ahead, growing steadily louder as they crept closer.
Aris slipped into the next cave, but came out shaking her head. It housed only armaments.
At the fork in the tunnel, footsteps were heard.
Amber pointed to a cluster of good-sized boulders off to the side of the passageway. The five warriors bringing up the rear darted into the armaments cave, while Amber, Kale, Blake, and Aris hid behind the rocks.
Aris reached up and unhooked the torch above them. She snubbed the flame in the dirt, putting it out, then returned the torch to its holder. The extra darkness provided them with more cover, and it was doubtful whoever was coming toward them would notice. And even if he did try to relight it, it was only one soldier, if he got that close, they could easily kill him.
The soldier came from the tunnel that doubled back on itself, and headed down the other, toward the laughter. Kale suspected that was where the majority of the army was, a gathering place for them to eat, drink, and sleep.
Since the soldier was walking away from her, Kale poked her head out, seeing that he carried a pail in his hand. He suddenly stopped, but since his back was to her, Kale couldn’t see what he was doing. She strained to hear and she detected water splashing, and the faint sound of a running stream.
The soldier soon returned, retracing his steps, water sloshing over the rim of the bucket.
Kale’s eyes narrowed. She knew Shale was down that same tunnel. A fierce shiver passed through her, confirming her suspicions. Two worried hands were instantly on her back, and she looked first at Amber, then Blake. “It’s not me,” Kale whispered, tipping her head to the water. She was amazed by the abrupt transformation in Blake, the normally gentle face hardening considerably as that knowledge sank in.