My brain is fuzzy, but the memories slowly come to the surface. I was recovering from an injury caused by a giant hornet. I’m not sure where we were exactly, but I heard Ronan speaking to me. He said he loved me, that he has always loved me, since the first time we met. I don’t dare to hope what I heard is true. It sounds more like a dream than reality.
I can’t see where I am, but I know Ronan is lying next to me. His heartbeat is steady, which means he’s not awake yet. I move closer to him, something that’s hard to do with my legs and arms bound. But I manage to nudge his leg with my knees.
“Ronan,” I whisper, glad our captors didn’t gag me on top of everything.
“Hmm…” He makes a sound deep in his throat.
“Ronan, wake up.”
“Cheryl?” His pulse accelerates. He’s awake, and thus aware we’re screwed.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yes, and you?”
“I’m fine. Do you remember what happened? My memories aren’t the sharpest at the moment.”
“Three Nightingales stormed the room we were in and took us captive. I can’t believe I trusted that female.”
“What female?”
“The healer. She must have turned us in, or it was her nephew, the soldier from the Aquila army who she swore wouldn’t betray us.”
“I have disjointed memories, but it didn’t seem like the males who took us were soldiers. They looked like criminals.”
“Either way, we were betrayed,” he grumbles.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to break free, but whatever they used to bind my hands isn’t yielding.”
The rocking motion stops. Ronan and I grow quiet and wait. There’s no point announcing to our captors that we’re awake.
Light invades the area we’re in, and it penetrates the weave of fabric covering my head. It’s not enough to enable me to see my surroundings, though.
“Are they still unconscious?” one of the assholes asks.
I force my body to go slack, which is hard when I’m tense as hell. But it’s better if they believe we won’t try to escape anytime soon. Not that we aren’t at their mercy—blindfolded and with our hands and feet bound.
“Yes. They’re still out cold.”
“I told you the dosage in those darts was too high. I hope you didn’t damage the goods. We need these specimens in top shape.”
My fangs descend automatically. Specimens? Do they think we’re animals? I’m fucking angry, and I also feel Ronan’s fury swirling in my chest. These Nightingale fuckers don’t know who they’ve messed with.
Someone grabs me roughly and tosses me over their shoulder as if I’m a sack of potatoes. I’m glad I’m fully dressed. I know my shirt was ruined when I was attacked, but the Nightingale healer must have given me a new top to wear.
Ronan believes she or her nephew betrayed us, but I’m not sold on that idea. Maybe someone saw us being taken to the healer’s house.
Without the use of my eyes, I turn to my other senses to get an idea of our location. We’re near the shore, I’m sure of it. The distinct scent of salt mingles with exotic spices and something sharper—maybe the resin used to waterproof ship hulls. In the distance, I hear birds that remind me of seagulls, and the lazy sound of water slapping against boats that almost matches ocean waves, but not quite, as if the tide here follows different rules.
The light penetrating my blindfold dims, and the noises I picked up become faint. We’re inside a building, and I notice different smells—wood, incense, and a hint of sweetness, maybe from local fruits.
“Mascar, I didn’t expect to see you so soon,” a female with a melodic voice says. “It hasn’t been but a day since you left to the mortal lands.”
Wait. What?
“It turns out, my lady, there was no need to make the crossing this time. I’ve found two prime specimens right here inEllnesari,” the male carrying me replies, then sets me down with surprising gentleness.
