Page 5 of Ashborne: Defiance

I frowned at the other voice, so warm and reassuring. I didn’t recognize it, though it resonated in my chest. But then I squawked because a rough, masculine hand began to sweep all over my body.

“Are you armed?” Vane hissed as if we might not be alone.

I shook my head, squirming under his presumptuous touch, my cheeks heating, even as my fear ratcheted higher.

Yet, he heard nothing but splutters and squeaks, because I couldn’t push any sound past that iron palm clapped over my mouth.

I clawed my nails into his arm, trying to hurt him, to force him to unhand me, but his leather jacket was impenetrable. And when I tried to pull away, he simply whipped me off my feet.

He cursed, muttering, “You chose the wrong target, my lady. I knew you were an enemy from the first. I warned Bren!”

Alarm shrieked through me—had this been a trap? Had he led me this far on purpose, so he could murder me without fear of discovery?

I fought, but he pinned me against his chest so firmly, I could barely wiggle.

Horror rose in my chest as his hands continued to roam my clothing, and the truth of my predicament came home to me.

It was almost night. I was hours’ walk from the castle. I had no weapon, and precious little coin. Even if they were alerted to my absence at the castle, they wouldn’t look for me all the way out here. They’d find the horse in the city and—

I squeaked when the world blurred and the heat of him at my back disappeared.

Suddenly, he filled my vision. A foot taller than me, his black hair falling over his penetrating eyes, narrowed in rage. His hands clamped so hard on my upper arms, I could feel my skin bruising—aided by my struggles.

Then he shook me until my teeth clacked.

“Who sent you? Who are you working for? Tell me!”

I blinked to clear my vision and gasped when one of his hands left my arm and clamped at my throat. He pushed me up against the broad trunk of the tree he’d hidden behind to catch me and pinned me there by my neck.

I clawed at his hand and wrist, barely able to rasp, “No-one!” before his grip tightened further and terrifyingly, I couldn’t breathe at all.

My vision narrowed until all I saw was Vane, his lips pulled back from his teeth, eyes dark and penetrating, locked on me, the angular lines of his face tense, angry, and determined. His broad shoulder locked, bracing his arm to keep me pinned, while his fingers slowly squeezed the life from me.

“Liar! I will give you one more chance. Just one, Grace, if that’s really your name. You tell me who sent you, and what they want with me, or I swear to God, I’ll snap your neck.”

Dear God. He thought I was a spy?

He thought I’d come to hurt them.

And why wouldn’t he?

Oh, Lord, help me. He’s going to kill me and believe himself justified to—

A shrill, piercing blast rang in my ears as the earth under our feet trembled. Vane’s eyes flew wide—then a huge shadow, the color of coagulated blood, passed just inches from my nose and the pressure on my throat was torn away.

I stumbled forward, heaving at the air, as a masculine shout trembled the leaves overhead. I staggered to a halt a few paces away, mouth open to suck greater lungfuls of air, but also in shock.

Perhaps, he’d strangled me after all. Perhaps I was dead, or asleep. Because it seemed impossible that the man I’d been following, who’d so effortlessly overcome me, now dangled high in the air, his belt caught on a thick branch—no.

No.

I gasped another breath and staggered back a step as the branch eased away, then swung forward, fast as a whip, tossing him through the air, limbs spread and eyes wide, until he hit the dirt with an awful thud, though his body tucked and he rolled to his feet, swaying, blinking rapidly, hands up in a plea for mercy.

‘You are safe. I kill him.’

That voice again, and this time the creature turned its mighty head, and I found myself locked in an amber gaze so deep, it surely must have seen God?

My jaw dropped. “Who are you?”