“She’s shaking like a leaf,” Lydia said. “But
now she wants to take a
bath.
”
Octavion stepped closer, but when he reached
out to touch Kira’s arm, she pushed away.
“I’m fine. Now go—do whatever it was you were
doing.” She waved her hand in the air.
“You are right, she is shaking,” he said.
“Stop talking about me like I’m not here. I
just asked if I could wash up. I’ve had my hands in almost
everyone’s blood today, including my own, and I thought a bath
would help me sleep.”
“Are you sure that is it?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Ha! She’s lying. You should have seen her a
few minutes ago. She was scared half out of her wits. Tell him what
you saw.”
Kira glared at her. “I keep seeing Luka’s
friends. I don’t know them or what they’re capable of and it scares
me.” Kira dropped her bow and quiver. “Just forget it. It’s too
dark anyway. I’m going to bed.” She turned and stepped to her
shelter, throwing the curtain back and hooking the edge around a
branch.
“Kira, wait. I will take you and Lydia to the
creek,” he said. “There is a spot near the end of the canyon that
is secluded. I’ll build a small fire and instruct the others to set
up their camp on the other side of the mountain. But only if I am
close by.”
She turned slowly. “I don’t think so. I’m not
stripping with you around. Get Toran to protect us.” She looked
around the clearing. “Where is he, anyway?”
“He’s busy. I have him watching the
perimeter. I would feel better about this if I were with you,
especially with Luka’s men around.”
“You don’t trust them?” Another shiver ran
through her.
“Luka trusts them and I trust Luka.”
They’d only been at the creek for a few
minutes, but Lydia was already undressed and in the water. The
small fire provided ample light for them to see while the shadows
of the trees kept them hidden from Octavion’s view—or at least that
was Kira’s hope. He’d promised to keep a fair distance so they
could have their privacy and Lydia insisted he would be a
gentleman.
Kira had taken off her shirt and was
unbuttoning her pants when another image came to her mind. One of
Luka’s men hid behind a tree watching them.
Lydia, be still and
cover yourself
. She tossed one of the towels in her
direction.
Lydia quickly sank into the water up to her
neck and pulled the towel over her.
Kira pulled her shirt back on before picking
up her bow. She slipped an arrow from her quiver and took aim at a
tree a short distance away.
What is it?
Lydia asked.
Call Octavion. We have an intruder.
“Show yourself,” Kira yelled.
Before the man had time to respond, Altaria
stood beside Kira, the drenched towel wrapped tightly around her
body—her sword in her hand.
Octavion appeared, took one look at their
stance and where Kira’s arrow pointed and took off running in that
direction. The man pushed away from the tree, but only took one
step before Octavion was on him. It was not a fair match. Octavion
tossed him around like a rag doll, finally grabbing him by his neck
and forcing his back against the tree.
“Luka!” he roared.
Within seconds, both his cousins appeared.
Luka glanced at the girls standing near the creek and then at the
intruder. Octavion didn’t give his cousins time to ask questions.
He took the man and tossed him at Luka who stepped aside, allowing
the man to fall to the ground.
“Keep your men in check,” Octavion ordered.
“I catch them near these girls again and I will slit their
throats.”
Luka bent over and grabbed the man by the
front of his shirt and pulled him to his feet. “You won’t have to.
I will have already done the task.” The man turned to look at Kira.
He glanced up and down the length of Altaria’s half naked body then
looked directly into Kira’s eyes. He grinned, and for a split
second, she saw his eyes turn black.
Kira dropped her bow and cowered to the
ground. The evil of his empty stare ran through her veins like cold
water as she tried to control the fear that invaded her core. When
Octavion came closer she drew further into herself, trying to
imagine an invisible barrier between her and everyone else.
“Kira, what is it? Did he hurt you?”
She’d closed her eyes and couldn’t find the
courage to look at him. She shook her head. “Make him leave—just
make him leave.”
“He’s gone, Kira. Cade took him back into the
forest. Now tell me what’s going on.”
She slowly raised her head and opened her
eyes. Luka still stood a few feet away watching her.
“Why did you bring them?” she asked Luka.
He looked confused at first, but stepped
closer and tried to explain. “They won’t hurt you, Kira. Zerek is
somewhat unruly and made a bad choice, but he would never hurt you.
I trust him.”
“A bad choice? That’s what you call this?”
Octavion asked with a sharp edge to his voice. “Look at her. She’s
scared to death.” He turned his attention back to Kira and pulled
her close. “I have never seen her shake this bad. Not even when
Bastian tried to kill her.”
Luka’s expression suddenly held more
compassion. His demeanor softened. “I am sorry you had to go
through that, Kira. I have seen what he can do.”
“It was Zerek’s eyes—the evil I saw in them .
. . that’s what scared me.”
Octavion tensed. “What about his eyes?”
“They’re black. Didn’t you see them?”
Octavion released Kira and rose to his feet.
Luka stepped back. “You brought Darkords to this place?” Octavion
exploded in a rage. “You are a fool, Luka!”
Luka straightened—his fists clenched.
“They’re fearless—they will not stop till the enemy is dead.”
“And who is the enemy? The Darkords have
alliance with no one. They kill for sport and stop at nothing.”
Their voices grew louder and Kira saw Luka’s
eyes begin to change. Octavion’s back was to her, but she knew by
his stance that he was transforming as well.
“Which is exactly why I brought them,” Luka
said. “You said you needed help. Zerek and Nigel are trained to
take orders and I trust them.”
“I will
not
have them here. It is
difficult enough to protect these girls without having to worry
about your
friends
turning on us. I want you to collect
them. They are going back.”
“I will not. I know these men and trust them.
If I fight, I want them by my side.”
“Do you trust them with your life?” Octavion
roared.
“I do.” Luka snarled, letting out another
long rumbling protest before turning to walk away.
“Luka?” Kira said. Her voice frail and
shaky.
Luka stopped, but didn’t turn around.
“Would you trust them with
Cade’s
life?” she asked.
There was a long pause as he took in a deep
breath and let it out slow. “I will bring them to your lair.” And
then he was gone.
When the argument started, Altaria
disappeared into the bushes. At some point she’d changed back to
Lydia and gotten dressed. Now she sat on a rock, lacing her boots.
“I told you those guys gave me the creeps.” She gathered her wet
towel and flung it over a branch. “You’re turn, Kira. I’ll keep an
eye out for you.”
Octavion hadn’t moved. He still watched the
place where Luka’s mist melted into the night air. “I will wait
here,” he said with his back to them.
Kira didn’t argue, but she couldn’t bring
herself to bathe either. Instead, she just washed up the best she
could and asked Octavion to take them back to the clearing. She
barely remembered dragging her tired limbs into her shelter before
she fell asleep. She woke some time later to Octavion and Luka
going at it again.
“What do you mean they are gone?” Octavion
shouted.
“We have searched the entire mountain and
there is no sign of them,” Luka said. “They must have overheard our
conversation near the creek.”
Kira pulled her curtain back enough to see
them standing by the fire. Cade quietly watched from a
distance.
Octavion paced. “Then we will count them as
our enemies. You have tipped the odds in Shandira’s favor, cousin.
If we are defeated, it will be on your head.”
As they continued to argue, Kira heard Lydia
moving around in her shelter.
Lydia, are you awake?
How could a person sleep? I’m waiting for the
battle to begin.
I need to ask you something. What is a
Darkord and why are they so bad?
Did Octavion tell you about the Curse of
Panthera?
Yeah, but he didn’t mention anything about
Darkords.
Kira released the curtain and snuggled back under the
covers.
The conditions of the curse were that the men
had to be faithful to the king’s daughters. A few years after he
cursed them, one of them had an affair. As a result of his
transgression and to prevent another Royal from making the same
mistake, the king of Panthera punished his daughter’s husband and
promised the same for anyone else who committed adultery. Because
Royals are half man, half beast, the part of the soul that is the
cat is taken, leaving them with half a soul. That’s why their eyes
are black. When they are up to evil or no good, their eyes reflect
their darkness. It’s like looking into an empty abyss.
That’s what I felt when I saw Bastian’s
eyes—pure evil.
Kira cringed at the memory.
“What?” Lydia said aloud. The curtain of
Kira’s shelter flew open and Lydia scooted in beside her. “What did
you say?”
Kira pulled herself up and leaned her back
against the wall of the lean-to. “Bastian. When he was at the
house—he had black eyes.”
“But that’s not possible.”
The argument between Octavion and Luka
stopped and they turned their attention to the girls.
“Octavion,” Lydia called, as all three moved
toward them. “Kira, tell them what you just told me.”
“I thought you knew.”
“Knew what?” Luka asked.
“When Bastian attacked me at the house, we
were face to face for a moment and his eyes were like Zerek’s. They
were black.”
Octavion stepped closer. “Kira, are you
certain? Could it have been a reflection or because you were so
frightened?”
“I was beyond scared, but I know what I
saw.”
Octavion ran his fingers through his hair. “I
have known him for years—surely I would have seen something. How
could I not know this?”
“Why does it make a difference what he is?”
Kira asked. “You already know he’s your enemy.”
Octavion began to pace again, forcing Luka
and Cade to step out of his way. “It makes a
big
difference.
I have always thought it was Shandira that convinced Bastian to
turn against us. Now I am not sure. He could have been influencing
her for years.” He stopped and looked at Lydia. “She did not have a
chance.”
“It’s not your fault.” Lydia stood and went
to him. “You didn’t know.”
He shook his head. “But I should have. You
know the things I can see. How is it possible that he kept this
from me?” He drew his dagger, flipped it into the air just enough
to spin the blade around so he could catch the tip, and hurled it
across the clearing and into a tree.
“Grab your weapons, cousin,” Octavion
growled. “We are going hunting.”
After much resistance, Octavion finally
convinced Cade to stay behind and stand guard. Even though he was
an expert tracker, he was young and didn’t have the experience the
other two had. Cade swore to keep the girls out of harm’s way and
stay alert.
Lydia and Kira also received instructions.
They were to keep their weapons close and try to get some sleep. At
the time, Kira thought it impossible, but once her head hit the
pillow she was dreaming. Somewhere between her dream world and
reality, she felt a warm hand tenderly stroke her cheek. With
effort, she pulled herself awake.
“You’re back,” she whispered. She opened her
eyes, expecting to see Octavion’s face, but he wasn’t there. Kira
pulled back the piece of black fabric and searched the clearing,
but found it empty.
“Octavion?” she whispered.
And then she saw them.
Outside her shelter was a single set of
footprints and a round indentation where someone had knelt. She’d
seen enough of Octavion’s footprints to know they weren’t his.
“Cade!” she called, but he didn’t respond.
She tried again, but only Lydia answered.
“Kira, what is it?”
“Where’s Cade? Someone was here and they
touched my face.”
“Cade!” Lydia screamed. This time he came
stumbling out from between two trees. “Where were you?”
“I—I fell asleep. Forgive me. Are you all
right?” He rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his
disheveled hair.
Kira pointed to the footprints. “Are these
yours or Luka’s?”
He crouched down and examined them, the color
quickly fading from his face. “No. They belong to Zerek.”
The image of a hand against her cheek flooded
her mind. She pulled her quilt around her and retreated to the back
of her shelter, letting the curtain fall. She was so afraid she
couldn’t move. Even when she heard Octavion’s voice, her trembling
limbs wouldn’t let her go to him.
“Who took her?” he yelled. “How long have
they been gone?”
Kira heard the panic in his voice. She tried
to say his name, but nothing came out. Lydia and Cade both tried to
explain their version of what happened, but neither one of them
made sense. Finally, Lydia raised her voice above everyone
else.
“Octavion, stop! I didn’t say he
took
her, I said he
touched
her. She’s in there.”