Footsteps echoed down the hallway, cutting his reply short. Airess sat up, eyes wide in fear. Taryn craned his neck to look down the hall before turning back to her.
“If there is any way you can conjure your power like before,” Taryn whispered, “Now would be the time.”
Chapter 9
‘It is day one hundred and eleven after The Division.
The mating bonds have ceased to exist.’
— Written entry from Tinyrah Kazimyr’s personal journal
(Post-Division)
Taryn
Usually, when Taryn managed to get himself arrested, his power wasn’t muted by donstenyte poisoning. He had always gotten himself out of these situations. The last time hewaschained with donstenyte, Eryx had come to his rescue, much to Taryn's displeasure.
Getting out of this situation was going to be a real bitch.
The guards rounded the corner and approached the prison cell. Taryn counted six guards, more than before. Their armor bore the sigil of a coiling serpent branded onto their breastplates. From Taryn’s intel, these were the best-trained guards the Luciens had to offer.
He frowned. Never before had he been in such a dire situation. Bound and powerless from the poison, it would take an act of the Gods to escape now.
Taryn was so fucked.
“Get up,” a guard demanded as he pulled out his key out and unlocked the door. Two guards grabbed Airess, hoisting her up to her feet. A growl rumbled in his throat, possessiveness coursing through him as he watched them manhandle her. Why the hell did he do that? The Lady Airess was an Elven female, there was absolutely no reason he should be feeling this type of way,especiallyabout her. He clenched his jaw, wishing he could will his natural animalistic instincts into neutrality.
Again, he felt himself wobbling on his mental tightrope, struggling for balance.Strugglingto do the right thing. If he got away from these guards, what would he even do? Would he return to the Guild with this female, or would he desert them all?
Jaw clenched, he withdrew from his thoughts. That would be a problem for later. Taryn was hoisted to his feet, and a guard grabbed him by the tunic. He and Airess were dragged out of the cell and down a hall, passing prison cells on either side of them.Taryn focused on Airess’ silver hair in front of him, her messy locks tainted with dirt. He needed to think of a way to escape, and quickly.
Taryn looked around for anything he could use as a weapon, but there was nothing but dirt and stone. The chains, however…
Who are you without your Magick?Taryn recalled Eryx’s words in a training session from the past. Youmust learn to use yourself as a weapon, without your power and blades.
They veered down a hallway and burst through a door, walking into a forest blanketed by the night sky. Taryn looked to the stars, a ray of moonlight touching his face as they walked under the trees. Not a single light was visible beyond the fyrelit caravan, riders saddled atop the plethora of horses attached to it.
“Load 'em up!” an older guard called out as he opened the door to the back of the caravan, a solid wooden box with two barred windows on either side. A prison wagon made for dangerous criminals. They shoved Airess in first, two guards following behind her. Taryn took a deep breath in. This was his last chance to try and escape.
His grandmother’s words from the distant past echoed in his mind.No matter what, you always go down swingin’!
Taryn slammed his head back, his skull colliding with the guard behind him, resulting in bone crunching and a cry of agony. Taryn spun around, a wicked grin on his bloodied face. He lunged for the Eleven male, wrapped his chain around the guard's neck, and squeezed.
They struggled, the guard flailing beneath Taryn’s grasp. The guard beat his hand on Taryn’s forearm, gasping for breath. Taryn tightened his grip and snapped the male’s neck.
Crack!
The guard fell limp.
Taryn backed away, narrowly missing a swipe of a blade from another guard. It was hard to maneuver with his limbs bound, but he pivoted in time to only feel the metal graze his abdomen. He grunted, gritting his teeth together to stifle his cry.
Taryn scrambled to his feet, moving quickly to move onto his next victim—
Firm hands gripped Taryn’s shoulders, slamming him flat against the forest floor in a matter of seconds. Taryn gritted his teeth, baring his canines as he was pressed hard against the dirt. He laughed sardonically as they restrained him.
“Cowards!” Taryn managed to grit out, his lungs crushed under the weight of the guards that held him down. “Unchain me and put up a real fight!”
“Aye! Quit messing around and get him inside the caravan!” someone commanded. They lifted him back up, and a meaty fist struck Taryn’s face.
