I pressed my hand to my chest in mock sincerity. “I do not lie, Brynjar. I am many things, but not a liar.”
His gaze narrowed. He didn’t believe a word I said. However, he didn’t have a choice but to continue. Of course, he could always kill me here and now. Or at least try.
He tugged on his mount, turning the animal. “Soldiers, dismount.”
The soldiers dismounted, watching me with a hostility that could not be ignored. I didn’t blame them. Brynjar went to the Princess’ mount and helped her down. Seeing his hands on her waist annoyed me for some reason I didn’t want to comprehend. It was a tightening in my gut that was as unfamiliar as it was unpleasant. Hell, if they wanted to participate in some foolish forbidden romance let them.
I tore my gaze from the couple and focused on our surroundings. High impenetrable cliff on left side. Steep gully on the right. I shifted on my mount, leaning dangerously close to the edge. So steep that there was misty fog below. I gritted my teeth to keep my groan of annoyance from escaping. No way down. I straightened. The only way…the narrow bridge I remembered as a child.
“Mckinnon and Phelps,” Brynjar called out, his voice echoing through the cavern and scaring a small flock of black birds into the sky. “You’ll stay with the mounts. Make camp back at the clearing we found earlier.”
“Yes, sir,” they said as one, gathering the reins. They might have seemed perfect and obedient, but there were traitors within this tight-knit community. If it came down to taking sides, where was Brynjar’s loyalty: with the people or the princess?
Brynjar stood in the middle of the narrow trail, hands on hips, his hard gaze on me. “You’re saying there is no other way through?”
I slid off my mount, handing the reins to a passing soldier. “No. It would take us weeks if we tried to find another route.”
It was truth enough. At least that part. The princess looked at the bridge with the same nervous trepidation the others obviously felt. When was the last time anyone had crossed that concoction of decaying wood and rope? The beasts that lived up here did not need to cross bridges to get from one point to another. My determination wavered. If those ropes snapped, if I died, my sister would be alone. My kingdom destroyed.
“I’ll go first,” the princess stated.
“No,” I snapped out before I could stop myself. “Are you insane?”
I couldn’t defend my sudden need to protect her. Apparently, I sounded as ridiculous as I’d assumed, for more than one person looked at me in surprise. However, they didn’t see me as a hero out to protect a princess. No. It was suspicion that clouded their gaze.
“Why not?” she demanded, just as suspicious.
Damnation, but she looked adorable in the men’s clothing that were slightly too large. They thought I’d tampered with the bridge. I bit back my smile. So, she didn’t trust me. Her little speech last night about learning to believe in me wavered before us like a flag of surrender. “Because no one has been on that bridge in years. That’s obvious.”
“We go one at a time,” Brynjar said, dismissing me. “I’ll go first.”
“No,” the princess whispered, resting her hand on his arm. “Please.”
Irritation tiptoed up my spine much like the black spider climbing the rock wall beside me. Damnation, what was wrong with me? Why did I care if she touched him? Why did I care if she wanted to be with some lowly soldier? I tore my gaze from the pair and focused on my surroundings. Escape. My priority was escape. Not saving Shay from a disastrous affair.
“Sir.” A young soldier stepped forward, all eagerness. “I will go first. I’m lowest in rank. It’s my right. If something happens to you…”
I wanted to scoff at his idiocy. People so eager to get themselves killed just to prove their worth. I’d gone through too much to want to die now, for the love of a nymph. If he wanted to sacrifice himself, so be it. Let him.
Brynjar hesitated, but finally nodded. “Well done, Blakes.”
He blushed and headed toward the bridge, all swagger and ease. Sure enough, once he reached the edge, his steps slowed. Where was that bravado now? He gripped the rope railings and paused for one long, hesitant moment. A few other soldiers chuckled at his obvious unease, but with a glare from Brynjar they shut their mouths.
Brynjar was good. I could admit that much, and perhaps in another lifetime I would have wanted him on my side, leading my army. At the moment the only thing I could imagine was pushing him off the edge of the cliff so I wouldn’t have to see that longing look he sent Shay when he believed no one watched.
Blakes stepped timidly onto the first board, the wood and rope creaking under his weight. I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until my lungs started to burn. If things turned sour, they would blame me. My hands curled against my thighs as I waited…waited.
His path was unsteady and torturous. Halfway across, a cold wind blew down from the mountains, making the bridge sway. His grip on the rope railing tightened so that his knuckles turned as white as the snow blanketing the mountaintops in the distance. Even from where I stood, I could see the fine sheen of sweat on his forehead. Step after step, painfully slow.
“Come on,” Shay whispered, her gaze pinned to the man as if her life depended on it. Hell, maybe it did.
It wasn’t until he reached the other side that a collective sigh of relief wavered through the crowd. The idiot had actually made it. And I was still safe…for now.
“I’ll go after him,” Shay said, stepping forward.
I stiffened, as I resisted the urge to tell her no. It was not my place. Never would be. To deny her offer again would cause too much suspicion. The wind swept down from the mountains, a bitter gust. I glanced up at the dark clouds. A storm was coming. If she was going to cross, she needed to soon.
“Princess,” Brynjar said quietly, calmly. “I’d prefer if you didn’t quite yet.”
She looked hard at him. The woman didn’t like being told what to do. Even I knew that. Hell, the man may as well have forced her to cross. “I have to go at some point. I’ll cross next.”
“I’ll be happy to go before the princess,” another soldier called out, already starting toward the bridge. So much loyalty. So many willing to give their lives. I had a feeling my soldiers wouldn’t be quite as heroic. “To make sure the bridge holds up.”
Shay’s lips pressed firmly together. She was annoyed. The other soldier started across the bridge, more confident than the last. As soon as the second soldier made it to the other side, she moved toward the bridge on steady, courageous legs. I tried to ignore the sudden lurch of my heart, the instinct to tell her to stop. She would not appreciate my interference. Besides, as she had said, she had to go eventually, didn’t she?
Even as I told myself it didn’t matter, she didn’t matter, my hands fisted, my blunt nails piercing my palms as she stepped onto the first board. The entire world disappeared. I didn’t dare take my eyes from her form, as if I alone had the power to keep those ropes intact. She was halfway there by the time I could properly breathe again.
When she finally neared the other side, my knees felt weak with what could only be relief. I leaned against the stone wall at my back, noticing that Brynjar did the same. We might be enemies, but we had a common interest.
“I’m next.” Before they could stop me, I’d surged toward the bridge. I could hear Brynjar curse, and I knew without doubt he’d follow me. He would never trust me on the other side with the princess.
As I stepped onto the first board, the wood creaked, the bridge swaying underfoot. He knew better than to try and grab me now and send the bridge swaying. Not while the princess was still a few steps away from the ledge and it could startle her off balance. My pack of supplies was heavy on my back.
The rope railing was damp and slippery against my palms. Compared to the other three who had crossed, I was by far the largest. I stepped onto the next board. Between the slats at my feet I could see the fog and cliffs below. It was a drop so steep no o
ne could survive. I’d done worse, I had to remind myself.
I dared to search for Shay. The princess had almost reached the other side. As if sensing my attention, she looked back. The movement made the bridge sway. She grasped the railings tightly. The moment of panic upon her face sent me spiraling back in time.
Makaiden! Help me!
The memory flittered through my mind, wouldn’t leave me in peace.
Hold tight. I swear I won’t let you die.
A chill sweat broke out across my forehead. I blinked the world back into focus. A memory. Just a memory. It would not happen again. A breeze rippled down the mountain, a whisper of reality, bringing with the mist from the waterfall I knew was not far away. I’d done what I had to do in order to survive, and I’d do it again. I had not fought to bury the past, only to have it dredged up again, here, now.
“Almost there,” Shay called out.
It took me a moment to realize she wasn’t talking to herself, but was urging me on, as if I needed the support. I almost laughed. Did I look that terrified? I took in a deep breath and steeled my nerves. I would survive this. But would I survive tonight? Tomorrow? Would I survive her?
Shay had made it to land and turned to face me. It was only when she was safely on the other side that the tightness in my chest eased, and I realized I hadn’t been so much worried about myself, as I had been worried about her. I focused on her pale, nervous face. She was the beacon that drew me toward shore.
She nodded, urging me on, and I knew she saw something in me the others didn’t. She saw what I tried to ignore, tried to bury. The pain. The worry. She saw my past. A past that neither Gregor nor my sister understood. In that moment, it didn’t matter. In that moment, she and I were the only ones in the realm. As long as we survived, everything else would be well.
I took another step toward her. Another. Another. When I focused on her standing near the ledge, the world faded. My hand barely gripped the damp railing, my fingertips skimming the rough hemp as my footsteps quickened. The anxiety I’d felt vanished under her watchful gaze.
Close. I was so close. My foot hit a wooden plank and I placed my full weight on the board as I’d been doing for the last five minutes. But this was different. Something was wrong. I froze as I felt the bridge sag. My fingers tightened around the railing.
“Makaiden,” Shay called out my given name. “What is…”
I heard the screech of rope ripping, the crack of wood breaking from behind me. For a brief moment I wondered if Brynjar had seen enough, and was set on killing me.
“Watch out!” Brynjar yelled, his voice echoing through the gorge. I turned. The bridge had snapped, it was falling…falling…an unknown force rushing toward me like an avalanche. I jerked my gaze back toward the princess.
“Run!” she screamed.
I didn’t have time. The moment I took a step forward, I felt myself falling. The boards holding my feet gone. One chance. I had one chance. Frantic, I grabbed the rope railing, wrapping my fingers tightly around the hemp, and braced myself. I swung down, slicing through the misty, damp air, and slammed into the rock wall, the impact jarring my bones. With a hiss of pain, my fingers slipped and I lost the left rope.
Change, a voice whispered. Save yourself.
“Mak!” Shay cried out, the terror in her tone sending a shiver down my spine. “Are you okay? Please, say something!”
I wasn’t so easy to kill. Taking in a deep trembling breath, I tried to calm my racing heart. Attempted to tame the beast deep within. He was there, demanding to be released. Always there, looking for any excuse. But not now. Not today.
“I’m here, Shay.”
Desperate, I spun around, grabbing onto the right rope with both hands. I could hear the clatter of wooden pieces hitting the sides of the cavern and falling to the gorge below. The world was a swirling mist of cold, damp chaos. I was alone.
“Mak, hold tight,” Shay called down, her voice echoing like a dream around me.
For one long moment, I merely dangled from the rope, attempting to calm my racing heart. To think of a way out of this. Mist blew over the cavern, blocking the soldiers above from view. Their voices became muffled and hazy. Sweat trailed down my forehead, stinging my eyes. It was all I could do not to vomit my breakfast across the cavern walls.
Makaiden, help me!
I could see her face, pale with fear. Those large, brown eyes staring up at me, begging…begging. And I could do nothing. I hadn’t changed for her, I couldn’t change now.
The rope jerked upward, startling me from the memory. I dug my hand into the rock and shoved off, forcing myself to turn, facing the stone wall. I found a small ledge with my boot. Using the tips of my fingers and the tips of my toes, I managed to haul myself up the face of the rock, following the tug of the rope as they pulled.
“Little more,” Shay called from above. Close. So close. “You can do this.”
Despite the cool breeze, my body was coated with sweat. I would not die like this. I refused. The world was silent. Not even the birds chirped. The only sound was the pant of my breath as I worked to haul myself up the mountainside, and the grunt of the two soldiers as they pulled on the rope, dragging me up…up.
Suddenly, warm fingers gripped my forearms. I was tugged over the ledge, the sharp rock scraping through my shirt. With a groan I tossed my pack to the ground and fell onto my back, staring up at the clouds through the trees. I’d never been so happy to be on land. Faces loomed in and out of focus above me, but only one held my interest.
I’d made it. I still lived by some bloody miracle.
I smelled her flowery scent before she knelt next to me. With a fierceness that belied her body size, she gripped the front of my shirt, her lips lifting into a growl. “Did you plan this?”
“Plan my own demise?” I surged upward, my face only a breath from hers. “I almost died, Princess. No, I didn’t plan this.”
Soldiers yelled back and forth to each other, attempting to find a way across the gorge, but we ignored them all. No one paid us any attention. She studied my face, her fingers still curled into my shirt, her gaze unwaveringly hard. She wasn’t sure what to believe. In that moment I remembered the utter fear in her voice when the bridge had collapsed.
She cared. She’d cared whether I lived or died. My chest grew tight with an emotion I didn’t dare investigate. By the gods, this was wrong. So wrong. I had to stop this obsession now.
Slowly, she released her grip on my clothing and leaned back. “Is there another way for them to cross?”
“There is a path, but it will take days for them to get here.”
“Fine. You’re going to take me to that fairy mine, do you understand? We share it 50/50,” she whispered. “If both our kingdoms have the magic, we have no reason to fight.”
She made it seem so simple. So easy. I slid a glance to the two soldiers who were racing up and down the cliff edge, trying to find a way back. My fingers curled into the soft dirt. Only two soldiers and Shay. I could take two novice soldiers. The odds were greatly in my favor.
My gaze flickered back to the princess. She waited for my response. How badly she wanted to trust me. And she would. Eventually. And eventually, I would destroy that trust. Perhaps destroy her. I had to. I had no choice.
“Of course, Princess.” I stood and held out my hand. She slid her palm against mine, her touch soft, trusting. “I want nothing more than peace.”
****
“Why are we stopping?” Shay demanded, the wariness heavy in her tone.
Maybe she didn’t trust me as much as I’d assumed. I tossed my pack to the ground, my gaze scanning the darkening woods, looking for signs of life. Anything. It was there. I could sense it. Perhaps she could too, which was why she’d been so anxious the entire evening. Something was wrong. Something was off.
Maybe it was being so near death that made me overly nervous. Or maybe it was the fact that we were in uncharted forest, surrounded by watchful trees. Hell, maybe even p
ast memories made me anxious. All I knew was that my instincts were demanding I listen.
“Because,” I drawled out. “It’s going to be evening in a couple hours or so, and I’m damn tired and hungry.”
She hesitated, unsure how to respond. Truth was I could have gone on, but she looked ready to collapse. Her hair had come loose from her braid and hung in waves around her face, a face smudged with dirt. Her shoulders slumped, her feet dragged. I wanted her alive when we made it to my kingdom. Why, I wasn’t sure. I told myself having her alive would give us more leverage. But did it really matter? Maybe I didn’t want her to die because I respected her. Or maybe it had nothing to do with respect, and I liked her just a little too much.
Disconcerted, I fixed my attention on the two young soldiers huddled together at the edge of the small clearing. Were they unsettled to be caught in such an awkward position, or was it something more that put the anxiousness in their eyes? “Be good lads and get some fire and food, will you?”
I didn’t miss the way they glanced at each other. They were in a predicament. We needed supplies, yet they couldn’t leave the princess alone with me. They whispered furiously together. Finally, the one named Blakes trudged away, the other stayed to apparently guard her. I almost laughed. Pathetic runt of a guard indeed.
“What is your name, soldier?”
He hesitated.
Shay studied the trees, as if not in the least interested. I hadn’t even realized she was listening until she answered with, “Ruderd.”
He seemed startled.
Even I was surprised. At our prolonged silence, she finally looked our way. “What? I’m good with names.”
But I had a feeling it was more than that. Shay remembered their names on purpose because she wanted them to feel special, to know she cared. And maybe she did. Maybe her innocence, her compassion, wasn’t a ruse. She walked the perimeter of the small clearing, picking up sticks and other things for a fire like she was the servant instead of a princess.
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