Radven was already turning away, continuing through the forest.
“What are you doing?” I demanded. “We have to go back!”
He ignored me, picking up his pace and carrying me even further away.
“Stop!” I said. “You can’t just leave your brothers! We have to go help them!”
“And do what, exactly?” he launched back without breaking his stride.
“I… I don’t know.Something.They’re your brothers!” And the only reason they were even in danger was because they were trying to help me. If there was even the smallest chance that they were still alive, we needed todo something.After everything we’d been through these past couple of days, I couldn’t believe that Radven was so heartless he would justleavethem.
But that was apparently exactly what he intended to do, because he showed no signs of stopping. Up ahead, I could hear the sound of rushing water through the trees.
And what could I do? Even if I managed to break free of Radven’s grip, I wasn’t very useful bound up like this.
But if you return to Laitha, I thought,maybe you can convince her to stop. To let them go free.Laitha was obviously deeply interested in me. If Octavian and Alastor were still alive, maybe I could convince her to stop her attacks by agreeing to stay with her willingly. To let her teach me, or whatever it was she wanted to do.
“Alastor and Oak can handle themselves,” Radven said, as if he could read my thoughts. “They’ve survived worse.”
I wanted to believe him, but my gut said otherwise.
Up ahead, the trees opened up to reveal a small river about thirty feet across. When we reached the bank, Radven set me down on my feet once more.
“We have to go back,” I said again, refusing to give up.
Radven gave a single shake of his head. “We have a plan. And they trust me to do my part. We need to trust them.”
Despite the confidence of his words, though, I caught his glance back in the direction of the camp. He was worried, too, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
“What if you’re wrong?” I asked.
Radven looked at me, as beautiful and dangerous as ever. His expression was brutal.
This man has been through more than I can ever know, I realized, looking into his forest green eyes. This was a man who’d seen more risk, and danger, and death, than I could even imagine.
“We trust them, and we keep going.” he said firmly. “Don’t even think of trying to escape.” And then, despite the hardness in his eyes, his lips broke into a wicked smile. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for the time being, butterfly.”
19
The Waking Death
IwasstuckwithRadven.
Octavian had been warm towards me since the moment I’d met him, and even Alastor had shown glimpses of protectiveness in the moments just before and after going through the portal, but Radven was…something else. The more time I spent with him, the more mysterious he became to me. Whenever he turned that sharp, green gaze on me, I couldn’t decide whether he was plotting how he would torture me or how he would undress me.
“It’s too risky for me to carry you across the river,” he said. “I’ll go first, and you come behind me and hold onto my belt.”
“Um,” I twisted, reminding him that my wrists were tied.
He whipped out a small knife and stepped behind me. A moment later, I felt the relief of my wrists being freed.
Now’s my chance, I thought.I can run back, find Laitha, and—
Radven caught me by the arm, and I was startled by the strength of theshiverthat moved through me. In fact, my entire body was starting to feel jittery and strange, and the sensation was building quickly.
“Here,” Radven said. “You probably want to hold on to this.” He held out what appeared to be a string of pearls—or at least part of one. There were seven pearls threaded onto a long strand of twine.
“What is it?” I asked. “Where did it come from?”
