Page 13 of Shadow Kissed
I frown. “What could be so interesting about me?” I ask him, perplexed by the entire situation.
“I’m sure there are plenty of interesting things about you, Eretreya. Wouldn’t you agree, Commander?”
I feel him stiffen behind me. “I think that the sooner we get to Terleigh, the better.”
He couldn’t wait to be free from me, and I felt the same about him. At least after they have seen me safely home, I will never have to deal with him again. As we leave the dense forest and come out onto flat open fields, I find my eyes drawn back to thewoods. I frown as I look back. Why does it feel like I’m missing something? I shake my head to remove the odd feeling and turn my eyes back in the direction we are travelling. My heart warms when I can spot the walls of my hometown. Raegal is right in some ways. I know very little about the world. I have lived a very sheltered life, but that isn’t down to choice. It is because of who and what I am. If I had my choice, I would be out exploring my realm, not trapped behind these protected walls waiting for my fate.
As we near Terleigh, the watch tower bells ring out, signalling that visitors are approaching. I spot our town chief appear on the watchtower over the iron gates.
“Announce yourself and your purpose here,” he orders in a rough bark. Veles is a formidable man. He is over six-and-a-half-foot tall, with broad shoulders and hands that look like they could crush a human skull. In the inn, the regulars often tell the tales of his days as a warrior. He has a large angry scar that runs from the corner of his left eye right down to his chin from a battle fought many years ago.
Our party comes to a stop before the gates and Jasiel trots forward on his mare to address our chieftain. “Chief Veles, we come at the order of King Aralas Nightscar of the Shadow Realm. We’re here to enlist the soldiers.” Jasiel pulls out a scroll and uses his shadows to send it up to Chief Veles. Our chief reads the scroll, then gestures with his hands for the gates to be opened. The old iron gates open with a resisting groan. As we enter Terleigh, I feel part relieved, part sad that my night of adventure is over. I may have nearly died last night, but it is the first time in a long time that I felt truly alive.
The inhabitants of Terleigh rush out into the streets as news quickly spreads that the Shadow Borne are here. Our Chiefdoes a double take when his eyes spot me astride the Lord Commander’s mare.
“Eretreya! I don’t understand.”
Raegal jumps down from behind me and strides forward to meet our chief. He offers out his hand and Veles shakes it firmly. “I am Lord Commander of the First Division Shadow Army. We found your Shadow Kissed female beyond the walls in the dead of night. Someone from this village took her against her will and left her out there at the mercy of the mutts.” He looks over his shoulder at me, his pale grey eyes clashing with mine and holding me prisoner. “She is reluctant to tell me who did this, but I want the culprit caught and brought to me. I will decide their punishment.”
Chief Veles swallows nervously. “Of course. I am appalled that anyone from this town would do such a thing. Everyone here cherishes our chosen one dearly.”
I can’t hold in the snigger that leaves my mouth. Cherished by all. All except Mayla and her cronies. I try to dismount the mare but fail because of its height. Jasiel swoops in to help me and lifts me down with minimal effort. “Home safe and sound, miss.”
“Thank you, Jasiel,” I say with a genuine smile. “You have been nothing but kind to me. I am grateful to you.”
“I’m just glad we arrived when we did, miss, and that our Lord Commander saved you.” He leans in and drops a kiss on my cheek, and I blush as I take a step back.
“Eretreya, my dear. We must get you checked over by a healer.” Chief Veles beckons me towards him, taking hold of me by the shoulders, he scans me for injury. “I am fine, I promise. No injuries.”
Chief Veles nods his head, satisfied that I am unharmed. “We owe you a great debt, Lord Commander. Eretreya, I trust you have thanked the commander for bringing you home to us?”
I squirm as he looks at me expectantly and I turn to face Raegal who, with a cocked brow, waits.
“Thank you, Lord Commander,” I say, my voice barely a whisper.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that,” he says, his eyes boring into mine. He heard me perfectly well, the bastard.
I hold my head up high and meet him dead in the eye. “I said, thank you.”
“The pleasure was all mine, miss,” he says with a smile and false sincerity that only I pick up on. Chief Veles releases me from under his arm and asks Raegal and his men to follow him. He shouts orders for the mares to be stabled and preparations made for a feast this evening to celebrate the arrival of the Lord Commander. As they head into the chief’s offices, Raegal pauses and looks over his shoulder at me. A shiver runs through my body as we hold each other’s gaze. Shaking my head, I turn on my heels and head in the opposite direction. We have arrived early enough that hopefully my mother won’t have found my bed empty and got in an awful panic. In fact, I probably have time to nip by and warn Arkynn that the shadow army is here to enlist him early.
I swallow nervously as I arrive outside his house. Last time we saw each other, he’d rejected me. Maybe things will never be the same between us again. I pull my shoulders back and tell myself that the sooner I get this first encounter over and done with, the better. I place my foot on the fence at the side of his house and use it to grab onto the ivy and scale the house until I reach his bedroom window. It is an easy feat when you have been doing it almost every day since you were a child. I drop to my feet from his window.
“Arkynn! Wake up,” I shout as I wipe a stray leaf from the sleeve of my shirt.
“Gods, Reya!”
On hearing my name, I look up and my entire world shatters. There is someone lying in Arkynn’s bed—Mayla is in his bed. She stretches out as she awakens, causing the cover to slip down and display her naked chest. She follows Arkynn’s shock struck face, and an annoyed look crosses hers.
“You! How are you here?” she asks, the surprise clear in her voice. Her shock quickly turns into a smug grin as she sees the utter devastation on my face. “Do you mind barging in here uninvited!”
“You and her,” I say, my voice barely a whisper on the breeze as I struggle to take a breath. “Of all the girls…her.”
Mayla’s grin spreads wider as I spiral. “Oh, you missed the big announcement last night. We’re engaged to be married. We’ll wed before my darling Arkynn leaves for enlistment in spring.”
“Married?” I repeat, praying that this is a wind up, but when I look at Arkynn’s face, I know it to be true. My heart feels like it is being ripped from my chest.
Mayla holds out her wrist and wiggles it in the air, the shiny, silver and rose quartz bracelet glistening in the morning sunlight. “Isn’t my betrothal band beautiful?”