“However,” the leader continued, “it seems you need to be taught a lesson, human.”
He said something in the Ghertun tongue over his shoulder and my eyes flickered to one rummaging through his travel sack, only to pull out a short metal poker.
My breathing went shallow when he placed the end into the fire, letting it sit, turning it until the end was red hot.
“You will be marked anyway,” the Ghertun leader said, seeing where my eyes turned. “We will save our king the hassle.”
Eyes widening, I squirmed in my bonds as the leader retrieved the poker and approached me. My heartbeat revved in my chest, adrenaline rushing through my system.
“Don’t touch me,” I yelled, trying to wiggle away. But the bonds were too tight. I struggled harder when two Ghertun approached and held me down, pushing me flat onto my back, tearing my tunic until my shoulder was exposed.
Panic lit my veins as I eyed the hot poker. There was a symbol at the end. Three, horizontal stacked lines.
The leader got closer and I kicked out my feet, connecting solidly with his groin.
The leader cursed, hissing, and rage flashed in his gaze when he dropped to the ground, the poker falling from his hand. In the Ghertun tongue, he yelled at the two holding me down and one grabbed my legs roughly, though I thrashed.
Then the leader picked up the poker. “Human bitch,” he hissed. “I’m going to enjoy this.”
I screamed as the searing pain registered. He pushed the symbol deep into my flesh and nausea churned in my belly when I smelled my own skin burn.
It only lasted a handful of seconds, but the moment the poker left my skin, despite the chilling pain that numbed me, I struggled again, desperate to break out of their grasp. Inhuman sounds rose from my throat as I thrashed.
Satisfaction went through me when I once again managed to kick the leader, this time right in the jaw.
His face snapped to the side but when he turned it to look at me, I saw his nostrils flare. My breath hitched when I saw his own leg reared back.
I only had a moment to shield myself, to shield my exposed belly, before he launched a powerful kick into my side, shaking my body, my breath whooshing out of my lungs until I gasped and choked for air.
He crouched low over me again as I lay there, struggling to breathe.
I looked up at him, eyes wide, frightened for the first time because I wondered if I’d been able to protect the baby enough.
“Test me again,” the leader growled, “and I’ll do a lot more than mark you, human.”
That was the last thing I heard before his fist flashed out again, knocking me unconscious once more.
The next time I woke,the pain registered almost immediately. My side ached, my face throbbed, and my shoulder radiated icy heat from my burn.
Over head, I saw the sliver of the moon. From its position, I knew it was in the dead of night and time was slowly creeping into the early hours of morning.
Realization hit me. I’d been gone for hours.
Arokan would know by then I was gone. In my gut, I knew he was already searching for me, but if he hadn’t found me by now, if he hadn’t been able to track the Ghertun that had taken me, would he find me?
They must’ve covered the tracks well. They must’ve taken me deep into the black vine forest and I wondered if Arokan would find me in time. They must feel secure in the knowledge that the hordewouldn’tfind me, especially if they were eating and drinking and laughing at their leisure.
My eyes sought out the group of Ghertun. The fire had died to embers, but I could still see the glow of their eyes in the darkness.
They were still drinking. I watched them, trying to lay as still as possible, knowing that the darkness would shield me at least a little.
They were growing sloppy as the hours drew by. They were laughing, speaking in the Ghertun tongue, lounging about. Every now and again, one’s eyes would flicker to me, but I closed mine quickly, feigning sleep.
I watched them for a long time, however. With every sip of brew they drank, a plan formed in my mind. I realized I didn’t need to wait for Arokan. I could handle this myself. My husband had given me theknowledgeto handle this myself. We’d trained for hours and hours together, forweeks. I just needed to time everything right.
I was aqueenof a Dakkari horde. Arokan saw a strength in me and over the weeks and weeks that I’d been with him, I’d begun to see that strength too.
While I was no horde warrior, I could escape a handful of drunk, stumbling Ghertun, couldn’t I?
