Foretelling, page 5
There was a second of silence, then he threw back his head with a genuine laugh. One that warmed his face and deepened the wrinkles around his eyes. “Then we should show you around,” he chuckled. “Give you the official tour—”
It was like an invisible hand caught the words, pressing them back into his mouth. A strange looked passed over him before his eyes glazed over and that twinkle disappeared.
“That’s enough.” He gestured to the plate, but spoke to the man standing beside her. “Let’s get her back with the others. We’ll be docking in not too long.”
Katerina hastily stuffed the remainder of the bread into her pocket, hoping for a chance to share it with the others, not knowing when they might get the chance to eat again. She attempted to drain the water as well, but was already being lifted to her feet. Her palsied legs dragging helplessly behind her as a strong-armed crewman carried her silently down the stairs.
It was like they didn’t need to see. Either that, or torches were considered a luxury and they were highly accustomed to seeing in the dark. Katerina stared around blindly, but the man carrying her walked with an even step. He didn’t pause before throwing open the door to the cabin—a room illuminated by the open window, streaked with shadows and the silver light of the moon.
“Kat!”
Dylan cried out the second the door opened, like he hadn’t stopped watching it since the moment she left. He strained automatically to get closer, but a sharp breath made him pause.
Serafina was sleeping fitfully against his chest, still bound as tightly as that morning. Tanya and Kailas were the same way. Swaying gently with the movements of the ship. Dangling from the ceiling in a grotesque sort of embrace. Eyes closed as they rested their heads against each other.
Only Cassiel and Aidan had been granted the privilege of sleeping on the floor. They were tied up separately, but close. It looked as though Cassiel’s back had even been bandaged with gauze.
“Are you all right?” Dylan whispered frantically. “What did they do—”
“Hands down,” the man holding her instructed. When she didn’t move, he dropped her and did it himself, securing her arms tightly across her chest. Palms facing in. “Good. Now this.”
Before she could register what was happening, a cloth was pressed against her face. Her lips parted with an automatic gasp, but the second they did she regretted it. A strange scent washed over her, and before she could even exhale her eyelids had begun to droop.
The last thing she remembered seeing was Dylan twisting his head, trying desperately not to breathe as the man held the cloth against his face.
A punch to the ribs and he let out an involuntary gasp.
“Sleep, Majesty.” The man watched as the king’s bright eyes began to fade. “I promise you don’t want to see this next part...”
WHEN KATERINA OPENED her eyes, she thought they’d been rescued. The ropes holding her had vanished. Her arms were hanging freely by her sides.
A second later, she realized why.
Whoa!
Her feet gave out the second she realized she was moving, sending her tumbling to the ground. Her hands flew up to catch herself, but a familiar arm caught her by the waist.
“Careful, I’ve got you.”
She lifted her head to see Dylan staring down at her, looking tired but beautiful. The edges of his face warming with the ghost of a smile.
“Hey, you.” Without breaking stride, he leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. “You were out for a while. Welcome back to the land of the living.”
The land of the living? Is that where we are?
It certainly didn’t look like it. The second they lost sight of the ocean, they left the land of the living behind. The ground ahead of them was desiccated and dry. Past sand, past even stone. It was a texture Katerina swore she’d never encountered before—caked in heat, in a constant state of dying.
There were a few scattered palms, brought by traders and planted in the vain hope of bringing a sense of life to the wraithlike world. But new as they were, most had already begun to wilt in the unforgiving sun. The farther inland they walked, the greater the decay.
Katerina stared with a detached sort of wonder, licking the cracks in her lips.
In the center of the strange wasteland loomed a wooden structure, an outpost or fort of some kind. The path they were walking led straight to the center, and as they got closer hulking guards sprang up to greet them, watching from every side.
Land of the living?
Her entire body rejected the idea of motion, floating along with a strange numbness as she struggled to focus her eyes.
...are WE even alive?
She couldn’t tell whether she’d asked the question out loud. She couldn’t even tell if that’s what she’d been intending. Either way Dylan nodded gently, seeming to understand.
“The drug takes a while to wear off,” he said quietly. “You’ve been walking beside me for the last ten minutes. Offered me bread, then couldn’t figure out how to work your pocket. Even told me I should cut my hair.” His lips quirked up in a forced smile. “I thought you liked it long.”
“I do like it long...” she said faintly, unable to stop looking around.
For the first time in her life, she didn’t want to be brave. She wanted to ask the childish question. She wanted him to carry her. But for the first time in his life, she didn’t think he’d be able.
If the sedative was taking a while to leave her system, it had done a number on him as well.
He was standing tall, but trembling. His outstretched arm was steadying her, but could do little more than that. Truth be told, it looked like he needed a little steadying himself. Her perfectly-balanced ranger was walking at a slight angle, constantly correcting himself, while glancing down with occasional looks of frustration at his own feet.
She didn’t ask to be carried. She asked a different question instead. “Where are we?”
His eyes swept briefly over the landscape, like he was seeing it on a map. “It’s a place called Harenthal, on the northern crest of the Parnian Sea.” He squinted against the blinding sun. “I didn’t know there was a trade post here. There shouldn’t be. I mean, there’s no record of it...” He trailed off with a quiet sigh. “Cass would know.”
Katerina held on to his arm to steady herself, twisting around as her feet continued trudging along down the path. The others were floating along just as she was, hardly registering the armed guards beside them as they stared in a dreamlike trance at the pillars of the fort. Just behind them marched the same man who’d drugged her and Dylan back in the cabin. In a gloved hand, he was carrying the same cloth. On occasion, he brushed it lightly against their faces.
Cassiel and Aidan, the two people who actually drank the sedative, were still asleep, their feet dragging over the ground with a guard at each side. The captain was carrying the fae himself.
“He’s going to be okay, Dylan.” She squeezed hard at the ranger’s hand, but her heart clenched at the sight. Oblivious to the dangerous world around him. White hair spilling in messy strands over his chest.
“Maybe,” the captain chimed in conversationally. He waved the fae’s arm like a doll before dropping it limply to his side. “We actually thought he’d have woken up by now.”
“Don’t touch him,” Dylan growled through clenched teeth. The entire processional came to a sudden halt as he whirled around. Never had Katerina seen him so angry. “Give him to me.”
“You’re in no state to carry him—”
“Give him to me!”
The captain’s smile sharpened into something else entirely as he met the ranger’s eyes. A second later, his hand came up to rest lightly upon the handle of his blade.
“Walk.”
For a suspended moment, time seemed to stop. Both men stood in silence. Unwilling to surrender. Unwilling to give an inch of ground.
Then Dylan turned and continued walking up the trail.
...oh, honey.
The caravan began to march once more as Katerina shot him a sideways look. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, to tell what he was feeling.
But she had a pretty good idea as to both.
“Dylan, that wasn’t—”
“He’s right,” the ranger interrupted quietly. “I’m in no state to carry him.”
The fort was getting closer. Whatever was about to happen, they were running out of time.
“Should I shift?” she whispered, leaning close enough that only he could hear.
“Can you?” His eyes flickered dully over the barren landscape, hands clenched into loose fists. “Because I can’t. I can barely keep my eyes open.”
She slipped her hand into his, giving it a tight squeeze. “...me, too.”
They walked until they reached the outskirts of the fort, passing with upturned faces beneath its rickety gates. It wasn’t highly defended. Then again, there wasn’t much to defend. Just a few outdated store fronts and a tavern that looked like it had seen better days.
If Katerina had to guess, she’d say it had once belonged to some desert people. A refueling station on the way to something bigger—probably the port. Judging by the dark stains splashed across the beams of wood, the inhabitants were still there when the current owners took over.
They were not there any longer.
“On your knees.”
The captain barked the command without any warning and the group came to an abrupt stop, staring around in disorientation. They were in the center of a courtyard, with a two-story wooden structure squared around them. By the looks of things, the place was deserted. The only people Katerina could see were the guards who’d escorted them over from the ship.
“Your knees,” the captain repeated sternly. “Now.”
It was the first time many of them had been given that particular command. It was the first time many of them had been given a command at all. But with a cloud of sedative hanging heavy in the air, the young royals sank obediently to the ground. Aidan and Cassiel were dropped roughly beside them, and the seven friends waited for whatever was coming next.
They didn’t have to wait long.
“That is the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.” A sinister voice echoed from inside the tavern, getting closer with every word. “Royalty on its knees. Damn near poetic, don’t you think?”
Katerina stared with wide eyes as the door swung open and a massive man started walking down the steps. It was a few seconds before she could place him. A cruel and unforgettable kind of face. It wasn’t until he was standing right in front of her that she figured out what he was.
A Carpathian. Just like the Carpathians following behind him.
Oh crap.
There wasn’t a sound in the courtyard. Every single one of the friends froze. Even Serafina and Kailas, who hadn’t been with them before, knew instinctively to hold still.
“Let’s see,” the man stalked slowly down the line, pausing a moment at each, “we’ve got some familiar faces and some fresh blood. For your sake, I hope everyone is accounted for.”
The captain nodded slowly. It took Katerina a second to remember he was still there.
“They drugged?”
“Yes.”
The Carpathian wandered once more down the line, inspecting the merchandise. “Seem a little out of it...” He flicked Tanya under the chin, kneeling down to examine her eyes.
It took her a second to focus. Then she bit his finger.
“That’s the point,” the captain replied with a touch of impatience. Now that the distasteful business was concluded, he was eager to return to his ship. He signaled to a man beside him before gesturing to Kailas. “Starting to wear off a bit on that one.”
Rough hands appeared with a cloth, and the prince was forced to take another deep breath.
“Oh, and you’ll want to keep the vampire separate,” the captain added. “He hasn’t been fed.”
A slow grin spread up the Carpathian’s face, and he held out his hand as the sailor with the cloth walked past him. “Leave the bottle.”
The captain flashed him a quick look. “It costs half as much as my ship.”
A tense silence fell between them.
He handed over the bottle.
That same chilling laughter echoed in the air as the Carpathian reached into his pocket and pulled out a leather pouch. “Take your coin and be gone. You did well. I’ll tell her.”
Wait... what? Did he say, ‘her’?
Simple as it was, Katerina’s mind was having trouble keeping up. She was having trouble even staying on her knees, swaying slightly as she tried to stay in place. Most of all, she was having trouble with her power—the one thing that could get them out of this deadly situation.
Come on—you’ve never failed me before.
Her fingers flexed and trembled, but nothing happened. Kailas had been trying himself before the fresh dose of terium. Now his arms were hanging limply by his side.
“Full payment.” The Carpathian threw the bag to the captain. “As promised.”
In what looked like slow motion, Dylan reached up and snatched it out of the air.
No!
There was a stirring amongst the crew, a growl of anticipation from the Carpathians, but the king had eyes for only one man. He stared intently at the captain, twirling the pouch in his hands.
“Maybe tomorrow,” he said softly, “maybe the next day... but I give you my word.”
A silence fell over the courtyard as their eyes locked.
“You’re going to die for this.”
Then he tossed him the gold. Offered a parting smile.
When the Carpathian knocked him to the ground, cursing the insolence, the captain was still standing there. Staring wordlessly at the young king. Wishing desperately he was back at sea.
“Good luck,” he muttered under his breath.
Then he and his men abandoned the fort, leaving it to the Carpathians, vanishing swiftly into the blinding haze. Katerina stared after them until they’d disappeared. Wondering if the spell had lifted now that the mission was complete. Wondering if they understood what they’d just done.
Strangely enough, she believed the captain meant it when he’d wished them luck.
A good thing, too.
She lifted her eyes to the sun.
We’re going to need it.
Chapter 5
The first time Katerina had seen a Carpathian, she’d been convinced she was about to die. It wasn’t an uncommon reaction. They tended to have that effect on people.
Taller than most humans and more heavily built, they would have been a formidable force even if they hadn’t been gifted with supernatural strength. And speed. And ferocity. And a lust for bloodshed that would give most vampires a run for their money. They were a race of people that believed filing one’s teeth into serrated points was aesthetically pleasing.
Enough said.
The man looming over her didn’t disappoint. He was a testament to his kind.
“I’ve been looking forward to this.” He paced slowly in front of them, taking a moment to examine each one. “To meeting all of you.”
He glanced down at Aidan then stopped briefly at Serafina, his eyes gleaming with a look that sent shivers racing down Katerina’s spine.
“You’ve become a Carpathian legend,” he continued, running a finger along Kailas’ jaw before moving on to Tanya. “A sensation—sweeping across the land.”
He stared a moment at Dylan, then gave him a little wink.
“I wasn’t there, you see. When you burned down the palace. I’d been out of the capital, but returned just in time to see the last obsidian tower fall.”
He came to a stop in front of Katerina.
“To see the dragon flying away.”
She sucked in a quick breath, trying desperately to perform the same trick again.
Then, with no warning, he pulled her abruptly to her feet. Dragging her backwards, out of line, before throwing her down in the middle of the square.
“So how about it, dragon? Let’s see you fly.”
A cheer went up from the others as she tumbled to her knees. That chemical fog was wreaking havoc on her brain, and by the time she opened her eyes a swarm of Carpathians had gathered in a tight circle around her, blocking her friends from view.
“Go to hell,” she breathed, lifting a hand to her temple.
That hand was quickly kicked away.
“No, don’t be coy.” The commander who’d been speaking grabbed her by the back of the cloak, lifting her effortlessly into the air. “We want to see.” He raked his eyes slowly up and down her body, running his tongue over his lips. “We want to see everything you have to offer—”
A streak of color flashed between them. Then he was lying on the ground.
“You’ll have to screw yourselves,” Dylan panted, swaying in place. “She’s not interested.”
The Carpathian commander looked up in surprise, a trickle of blood running down his chin, before a sudden smile lit his face. A second later he was laughing, echoed by the rest of the horde. “And here’s the star of our story—the queen’s young lover himself.” In a single movement he was back on his feet, looking positively thrilled to be challenged. “Now you’ve gone and done what the rest of us have only dreamed. Tell me, Your Majesty...what was it like?”
There was another bout of deafening laughter. Dylan froze where he stood.
“I heard she bit you,” the commander said bluntly, “right in the throes. Must have been a bit of a shock.” His head cocked with a wicked smile. “I heard she almost drained you dry.”
Katerina remembered the heated exchange between Dylan and the Carpathian queen—the veiled implication followed by the unthinkable request. She remembered how he’d derided vampires for giving in to their ‘darker nature.’ The way the queen had praised his high tolerance for pain. Like it was yesterday, Katerina remembered the way his hand drifted up to his collar. The look of total devastation that washed over him, when their freedom was ransomed for a night with him instead.
