Warrior

by Lori Brighton

  “I don’t take orders from you,” Ruderd hissed, glaring at me.

  “Very well.” I looked pointedly at Shay. She looked confused for a moment, then flushed, as realization set in. I might not be able to give orders, but she sure as hell could. Gods, what a blasted mess this was turning out to be. It was going to be easier to take control than I’d realized. I felt almost guilty.

  She cleared her throat. “Could you please make a fire pit?”

  “Yes, my lady,” he muttered, none too pleased to be taking orders from her either. Odd.

  I watched Ruderd as he watched her from the corner of his eye. Curiosity? Perhaps awe? Or something else? He started to clear a spot for a fire, but his gaze kept jumping to the princess. A shiver of unease whispered down my spine. He wasn’t in awe. He was nervous. Annoyed. Angry. He was part of this little uprising Acadia had going on. The question was: would he try anything out here, or wait?

  I shifted my attention to the woods around us. There was something not quite natural about these trees. I’d felt it as a child and still now. Too old. Thriving before humans, alive before war, before chaos. The trees were silent now, merely watching, waiting…and yes, warning. I could feel the whispered alarm in the rattle of the leaves. My sister swore the plants spoke to her. Mayhap they did.

  “Shall I set about trying to find food?” I asked. “I’d love to help.”

  Juggling the sticks in her hand, Shay pointed at me like a mum reprimanding her child. “No. You’ll stay right there where I can see you, understand?”

  “Of course.” I settled on the ground, leaning back against a tree. “Just sit here, won’t move, won’t speak…”

  She gave me a pointed glare as she placed her kindling on the ground. The soldier continued to loiter on the outskirts of the clearing, his nervous gaze flickering around the camp as he pretended to find kindling. She didn’t notice. Didn’t notice his nervousness. Didn’t notice the way he kept looking into the trees as if expecting something or someone. She was too busy not trusting me to see the true enemy.

  Feigning ease, I stacked my hands behind my head. “You truly need to be more commanding, my lady.”

  She settled across the small clearing, far enough away from me that she felt safe, and rested against a tree, tucking her knees to her chest. I admit she looked adorable dressed in men’s clothing, but it could not hide her curves, her femininity, those intense, brilliant eyes. How had they not known her identity immediately?

  “What do you mean?” she asked, jerking me from my lusty thoughts. “I need to be more commanding?”

  “I mean, your soldiers looked at me, the enemy, for confirmation about what to do. I had to tell them to gather food and supplies.”

  The soldier who was strolling the area, picking up kindling blushed but didn’t deny my accusation. Keep him busy, keep him occupied by our conversation. Let him think I wasn’t watching. Let him believe I didn’t know.

  Shay frowned. “So, I should start throwing out orders?”

  “Yes. Exactly.” Ruderd disappeared into the darkness, moving from shadow to shadow. I strained, waiting for his footsteps to give away his location. “Stop being the servant and start being a leader.”

  She sighed, but knew I was right. “I can’t just sit here. I need something to do.”

  Hiding. He was hiding. I heard a snap of a branch a few feet behind me, but didn’t move. It couldn’t be Ruderd yet. Was it an animal or Blakes, who was supposed to be catching food? Hell, if there were more men out there…

  “No one said you can’t help. You can, but you still need to lead.” I lowered my arms, and slowly scanned the area for a weapon. There was nothing. Damnation. “You need to remember that you’re in charge.”

  She frowned, her brows drawn together in contemplation.

  Slowly, I stood and stretched my arms overhead. “I fear I am going to be covered in bruises from my back to my backside.” I started toward the princess. “You’re good with your hands, mind giving my muscles a rub?”

  She glared up at me. “Rub yourself.”

  I grinned. “That gets boring.”

  She rolled her eyes and stood. “Of all the people I had to get stuck with, it had to be you.”

  Ruderd had disappeared. All had gone quiet, but we weren’t alone. A shiver of warning raced down my spine. The question was: how many were out there? She knelt to pick up more twigs for kindling. I moved closer.

  “Shay,” I whispered.

  “What?” she muttered, standing with the twigs in her arms. “Need someone to help you bathe? Undress for sleep?”

  “Do you still have your dagger?”

  She jerked her head toward me, the surprise evident in her eyes. “How did you know I had…” I felt the man’s presence, right before her startled gasp warned me. She dropped the kindling. “Mak!”

  “Don’t move,” the soldier hissed, the sharp point of a knife pressed to my neck. “Stay quiet and we’ll let you go. We don’t want you anyway.”

  Liar.

  I held up my hands in surrender. “Wouldn’t dream of interfering.”

  The pressure of his blade eased slightly. Shay stood in the middle of the camp, confused and anxious. I could see the way her wary gaze took me in, her mind spinning. She didn’t know if I was on her side or not.

  “Let me guess,” I said to Blakes. “You had a friend cut the bridge ropes once the princess was on land?”

  He shifted, growing restless. “Maybe.”

  “Why not just cut the bridge while she was crossing? Would have made things easier.”

  Shay’s gaze flashed, her frown deepening. “Because they want to blame you for my death, don’t you? You’re going to make it look like he killed me so you won’t be charged.”

  She looked more furious than afraid.

  “We must.” A sword in hand, Ruderd stepped from the shadows, the point of his blade directed her way. “You’re not ready to be ruler. It’s obvious.”

  “Can’t argue with you there,” she muttered.

  The grip on his sword tightened. “I’m sorry, but it must be done. We have lost wives and children in the wars. We can’t afford to lose again. We need a real leader.”

  He was going to kill her. I couldn’t let that happen. Hell, she was mine. She’d been mine the moment I’d seen her standing in that alley in New York. I’d found her, I’d won her.

  In one smooth movement, I threw my head back, hitting the man behind me in the nose.

  Ignoring the pain that shot through my skull, I spun around and grabbed the sword at his hip. He cried out, his hand going to his broken nose. I worked on instinct. Years of practice.

  Without pause, I shoved the blade up into the area right below his sternum. It sliced easily through his tissue, stopping at his spine.

  I tore the blade from his body. Brilliant red blood poured from the wound. Eyes wide with shock, he stumbled back. As he fell, I spun around, blade raised.

  Too late. Ruderd had his arm around Shay’s neck, his dagger at her throat. I’d been quick, but not quick enough. “I’m leaving,” he muttered. “And I’m taking her with me.”

  I lowered the sword. My heart hammered madly, rattling against my ribcage. The beast within was begging, demanding to be unleashed. The desire to kill overwhelmed me. Not now. I had to wait. Be patient. “Very well.”

  “Why?” she demanded, fighting against his hold. Her braid came loose, her hair tumbling down around her shoulders. “Why do you hate me?”

  My hands curled as I resisted the urge to tell her to stop struggling, for God’s sake. Did she want to be killed? If I didn’t act quickly, I might be too late. One man. He was only one man. The odds were in my favor. I took a step closer while he fought with Shay.

  “We don’t hate you,” he snapped. “But we are doing what is right for us. You don’t deserve to be princess. You’ll ruin our kingdom. It’s that simple. You should’ve stayed away.”

  “Who do you work for?” she demanded. “Who is in c
harge?”

  “You’d be surprised,” he muttered.

  “Maybe not,” she snapped.

  His grip tightened while he dragged her back toward the woods. She wouldn’t relent. A cold calm washed over me. Her heels dug into the dirt as she tried to stay upright and fight his attack. Slowly, I followed. Nice and easy, step by step, just like when I’d crossed the bridge.

  “I am so sick of men and their violence and their need for power! I didn’t really have a choice, you moron,” she growled, “but to return, since he made me!”

  I forced myself to smile. All ease and charm, that was me. “Are you really blaming me for this?”

  She turned her glare my way as she lashed out, grabbing hold of a branch, as if she could pull herself away. “Who else?”

  “Would you two shut up!” Ruderd cried, as he tore her grasp from the branch. “I can’t bloody think!”

  “How many are there in your little army?” I asked, trying to keep him focused on me and not Shay. “I assume more than just the two of you pathetic sods.”

  “More than you realize,” he hissed, his voice deep with bravado. He thought he held the power here. He’d find out soon enough how much he was wrong. “So many you’d be shocked.”

  “Who?” she demanded, looking pale and uncertain now.

  He released a harsh laugh. “You think I would…”

  Without warning, Shay slammed her heel on top of his foot. He howled, stumbling back. She wasn’t done. I watched, partly in amusement, partly awe, as she spun around and punched him in the throat. Gasping for air, he surged toward her.

  “Hell,” I muttered, my amusement fading.

  In one swift movement, I pulled her out of the way and shoved my blade through his chest. His eyes went wide. His gasp came out in a gurgle as blood seeped from between his parched lips. I pulled the sword from his body. He collapsed to his knees, then tumbled face-forward to the ground. We stood for one long moment, staring hard at the body.

  “They hate me,” she whispered.

  She’d gone pale as the blossoms blooming in the fruit tree above. “They don’t hate you. They don’t know you.”

  She looked at me, and the fear, hurt, and confusion in her eyes almost did me in. It shouldn’t have made a difference to me what she felt. It did. I couldn’t explain my sudden need to offer her comfort. Nor could I explain the seething anger I felt bubbling below the surface. Angry at Brynjar for not warning her, for not explaining what she would have to deal with as a princess. Angry at her people for not understanding her.

  Only I truly knew how she felt, what she was going through. And maybe that was why I felt such a connection to her. It wasn’t attraction. It sure as hell wasn’t love…it was merely understanding. Damnation, I didn’t want to be bonded to this woman.

  She swallowed hard. “Does it matter?”

  Her hands were trembling, her eyes wide and unblinking. She was in shock. I’d been eight the first time I’d seen my father kill a man. I’d thrown up in the bushes. She was doing better than me. “I suppose it doesn’t.”

  I walked the few steps to Blakes and tugged the belt and scabbard from his prone body. Standing, I secured it around my waist. The sword still glistened with blood. Odd, but I couldn’t pinpoint the moment I’d stopped getting ill at the sight of death. I tugged up Ruderd’s shirt and swiped the sword clean upon his garment. With a deep breath, I calmed my racing heart. It was time to make a plan.

  “Why do you wipe the sword with their shirt?” She wrapped her arms around herself as if chilled. But I knew she wasn’t cold. She was close to losing whatever tenacious grasp she held onto. “You did that to Brynjar back in New York.”

  She was chatting to keep from facing reality. I shrugged. “Something we do, so that their blood stays with them and doesn’t curse us.”

  I slid the sword into the scabbard and stood. The woods were quiet. Watchful. Resigned. More death, they seemed to sigh. I waited for her to realize the ramifications of what had happened. I noticed the moment her gaze shifted from one of blank confusion to one of wariness, and then outright fear.

  She finally understood. With no protection, Shay was now at my mercy. Yes, she could fight, she was tough, but she didn’t know how to use a sword, she didn’t know the woods and mountains like I did.

  I kept my face pleasant, open, as I searched the soldier’s packs for extra supplies. Let her believe I was honest, trustworthy. “Shall we continue? I’ve found a sudden burst of energy.”

  She picked up her pack. “Yes. Please.”

  It was so easy to get her to follow my lead, but then she didn’t really have a choice. I stood and threw my pack over my shoulder. She wanted to escape this place as much as I did. I found the deer trail and moved into the woods. So naïve. She actually thought I would lead her to the fairy crop.

  “Prince Makaiden, you told me we would have to trust each other,” she said from behind me.

  I paused. What was she getting at? Slowly, I turned. We were only a couple feet apart. So close, our breaths mingled. The sunlight pierced the canopy of leaves above, making a pattern of lace across her face. She stared at my neck.

  “Yes, I did,” I replied.

  She met my gaze and held it, bold as you please. “This is me, trusting you. Don’t let me down.”

  The vulnerability in her eyes would have cowed a lesser man, but I forced my lips to lift into a smile. And then I lied. “I won’t.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Shay

  Every step up the small trail through the trees that clawed and grabbed, doing their damnest to keep us from our goal, was pure torture. We’d barely talked, stopping only to drink and snack on the berries and dried meat in my pack.

  So I spent my time panting and tripping up the mountainside as I stared at the prince’s broad shoulders, desperate for him to slow, stumble or show any sign of weakness. He spent his time traversing the steep terrain like he participated in Ironman triathlons on a daily basis.

  Apparently, he was a superhero. Or maybe a supervillain…I hadn’t decided yet. He had saved me more than once, but to what end? What had he gotten out of keeping me alive? I had no doubt at all that there was a nefarious reason for his actions. I just needed to uncover that reason before it was too late.

  “Shall we rest?” he finally asked from up ahead where the dirt trail ended and light interrupted the dimness of the forest.

  I tried to keep my face passive, showing none of the immense relief I felt. Not once had he stumbled, complained. I hadn’t even seen a drop of sweat, although my clothes were damp with perspiration. I’d thought I was in decent shape, but hiking through New York didn’t compare to hiking up mountainsides.

  I scooted by him and stepped into a clearing, taking in everything at once: the soft grass dotted with white daisies, the stream that gurgled across the small meadow, the cooing birds. It was definitely idyllic.

  Above, the sky was streaked with pink and orange as the sun dipped below the mountains, taking with the light and warmth of day. The area was stunning, and for a moment, in all of my awe, I forgot my fear, my worry, and I just was.

  “See,” he said. “I told you my realm was perfect.”

  Of course he’d ruined it with his arrogance.

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” I muttered, shrugging the pack from my back, and letting it drop to the ground with a thud that startled a small brown bird from the grass.

  Stopping made me nervous. I was anxious to keep going. But even if we were being chased by the enemy, I doubted I could have continued. From the top of my head to the tips of my boots, I throbbed with weariness.

  The stream flowed down the mountainside, splashed against an outcropping of rock, to form a waterfall which filled a clear pool. From the pond, the stream continued its path, meandering down the mountainside probably toward that gorge where Mak had almost fallen to his death. Yellow and purple flowers peppered the mountains, and the waning sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling the ar
ea with a tiny bit of golden light.

  I turned to Mak. “The water is loud; we won’t be able to hear anyone approach.”

  Indifferent, he shrugged. “Okay. We’ll bathe here, refill our bottles, and camp elsewhere. However, we are probably safer in this secluded spot than we are in your kingdom or my own, considering your people want you dead, and my uncle wants to murder me.”

  I flinched.

  “Too soon?” he asked with a grin. “I apologize.”

  Did he ever take anything seriously? I ignored him and settled on a large, smooth boulder near the creek. At times I hated the way he teased. Annoying was an understatement. Yet, I couldn’t deny that I was…what? Intrigued? Too weak of a word. Attracted to him? God, I was an idiot.

  Exhausted, I slid off the boulder and collapsed into the soft grass. I could hope that he used humor and sarcasm to protect himself. Hope that he wasn’t truly this arrogant. What did he fear? What made him angry? Perhaps nothing. I lay back, letting the mountain cradle me, the soft grass and little white daisies cocoon my weak body.

  The air smelled of rich dirt and nature. I stacked my hands under my head, trying to keep my eyes open even though my body begged for sleep. If Mak hadn’t made it across the bridge, if he’d died, those soldiers would have murdered me. He might have been insensitive and a downright pain in the ass, but he spoke the truth. My people did want me dead.

  Admitting it made my chest ache. I rolled onto my side, staring hard through the blades of grass and watching a brilliant green beetle struggle through the miniature forest. Why did I care if my people hated me? They didn’t know a damn thing about what I’d gone through. About what I was capable of. I shouldn’t have taken it personally…but I did.

  Deep down I had hoped, thought, maybe they might welcome me with open arms. That I might belong here, somewhere, finally. Two weeks had gone by and I didn’t feel any more like I belonged here than I did in the Earthen realm. Had they made a mistake in bringing me to this world?

  “Well?” Mak called out.

  “Fine,” I said. “We’ll stay, if you think it’s safe.”