CarnalPromise (29 page)

Jolted by her acknowledgment, he grabbed her torso and
shoved her away from him, glaring at her, reading her smug face.
She knew.
This wasn’t good. “What the hell makes you think I want her?”

She laughed in his face. “Just checking.” Turning, she walked
with her catlike prance into her room then crooked her finger for him to
follow.

Cassius could use the release and somehow he had to keep
Mercedes out of his mind yet he knew that was useless. He would give his life
to protect her—as well as anything else.

Cautiously he eased himself toward the Renegade woman. He
would fuck her. Hard. Then perhaps she would not think he held Mercedes in his
heart. He moved toward her room but stopped when a ruckus started in the alley.
“Now what,” he grumbled.

Anya rushed out of her room, fastening her loose pants flap
as she bolted out the door. He heard her yelling at some vagrants, heard a
fight start with some of the returning Renegades but nothing to him sounded
serious. Then, with Cassius’s keen ear, he heard Anya’s comm link buzz. A
normal human would not have heard it but with his nanobyte DNA, he did. He
strode into the room and touched the machine. What he gleaned made him cold.

Swerving he ran out another of the exits, one away from the
scuffle, thankful he didn’t have to bed the woman.

And scared he would have to kill her.

Sweat dripped from Jinn’s brow, washing away some of the
dirt she’d smeared on her face. She’d covered her clothes, her hair and hands
with mud and small debris just to blend with her natural surroundings. She
couldn’t afford to get captured. One more point against her and she was out.

Sighing, she rested within a clump of bushes and examined
her chipped nails.
Oh to be clean again.
Tiredness seeped into her bones,
different than that which she had felt on the run from Drakkar. Yes, here she
avoiding capture too, but more than that, she struggled to survive in a
wilderness of which she knew little. How many sleep cycles had passed? Twenty?
Twenty five? Hunger weakened her, affected her thoughts and perceptions.
I
have to survive.
She constantly reminded herself why but the mere act of
staying alive sapped her strength. So far she’d lived on insects and whatever
small game she could find but it wasn’t enough. She tried fishing, using a hand-carved
wooden hook and some long twisted grass for a line but her skill at that lacked
big time.

And still, Drakkar’s wolf followed.

Jinn sucked in a deep breath as she rose and pushed ahead.
For the most part, she stayed in the timberland. She found better hideouts in
the thick forest, and, for whatever reason, felt solace in the trees. Yet she
wondered when the call for the final gathering would come. Those that remained
would know when they saw the signal. They would have to follow it and find its
source. But her gut had this sick feeling that wherever the designated finish
line would be, the trek to get there would be treacherous at best.

She frowned. The attempt to capture her had not occurred
either, at least, she didn’t think so. She’d seen some of the capture teams
prowling the woods but she’d avoided them easily enough. Had they captured
anyone else?

Jinn closed her eyes and tried to think rationally,
wondering if she’d die of starvation before anything else happened. Early on
she had seen some others as they made their way but the rules were that they
could not help one another. Each warrior had to survive on their own, so they
parted and went their own paths, each with their own ideas on how to conquer
this task.

Now, however, Jinn wished she had followed one of them. She
suspected the men were better at hunting. She could have feasted on one of
their leavings—if there had been any, but then, she hadn’t wanted to track
them. The trainers would be doing that and she didn’t want to get caught by
accident.

Still, her empty belly questioned her decision. Jinn shook
off the discomfort. No reason to debate her choice now. She must only think
forward and be aware of what happens, not think back—not think of Craddock, or
especially of Drakkar. Those thoughts of her mate and his prowess in bed would
only distract her and cause her to fail. And in this test, the one that would
grant her the freedom to choose her life which in turn would let her finish her
pursuit, well, she would rather die trying than except failure.

Inside, she girded her doubts then focused on finding
sustenance. For a time, she’d tried following Sasha, hoping to steal some food
from her, but the wolf knew this ground. Jinn could find the signs of the beast
but not the beast itself. And the wolf left nothing from anything it captured.
Either that or Sasha hid its prey. As good a tracker that Jinn was, the wolf
would beat any human hands down, especially in this environ. No doubt about
that.

Jinn closed her eyes and worked to clear her mind. Nearby,
she heard the sound of flowing water. Thirsty, she edged to the rim of a glade.
Light glinted off the whirls of a brook. She’d been able to make a water
bladder from a fallen alces. The hooved animal had been attacked, eaten, then
abandoned. Luck rode with Jinn that day. Although little meat remained, the
stomach was mostly intact and had not begun to rot.

Using the techniques the training provided, she dried and
tanned the organ as best she could. It was the one lifesaving thing she had
been able to use thus far. Well, that and finding a flint rock to make a small
fire, ensuring the flames were low when she used it so that no one could
pinpoint her unless they came upon her position. Although the days were still
hot the nights had gotten much cooler and with Jinn’s lean body, she needed all
the heat she could get.

She studied the clearing and looked for anything that would
spell danger. All seemed safe but then a rustling sounded across the open
field. She ducked and hid within another thicket of bushes, catching more twigs
in her clothes and her braided, now shorter hair. She watched between the
branches to see what had caused the sound.

A wapiti pranced into the glade and stood by the rustling
water. Standing proud, its large antlers seemed to reach for the mountain range
in the distance behind it. The buck glanced around. With Jinn downwind, it
would not detect her, yet Jinn froze, watched the noble animal, not wanting to
make any sound that would frighten it away.

The large buck snorted and raised his head higher.
Confidence oozed from him. In this moment, the animal ruled over its domain,
knew its land and relied on his skill. The sight empowered Jinn, instilled
something raw, wonderful, and fearsome at the same time in her breast. The
creature jutted its chin into the air and trumpeted, called into the wild, the
unknown—yet it did not fear, only accepted what would be.

Jinn held her breath, somehow sensing the strength of the
animal, not just physically, but in its heart, its spirit. The wapiti stood on
the edge of life and the thrill of living was what she spied in the creature.
His spirit rejuvenated her, made her keep hope that she would succeed. She
closed her eyes a moment and thanked the ancestors, knowing now all she could
do was try her best.

Looking at the creature, she nodded to him, thanking him in
her own way. The buck pawed the ground and seemed to stare at her and smile.
For a split moment, they were as one.

Then the creature bolted. Jinn’s senses flew on alert. What
frightened the animal?

Branches were shoved aside. An exhausted Ragnar meandered
out of the forest’s edge and plopped into the brook, panting. Jinn laughed
inside, relieved it was a friend but before she moved to speak to him, she
checked the area once more. Like the wapiti, she wasn’t about to take the
chance that some enemy would see her.

Staying hidden in the tall grass, she low crawled toward her
training partner. “Ragnar,” she whispered as she closed in.

He jumped into a fighting stance as he glared in her
direction. She’d moved close but he didn’t see her. “It’s Pixie. You okay?”

With a huff, he dropped on a large rock, burying his head
into the palms of his hands. Then he rubbed his face and chuckled softly as he
glanced her way. “Shatz, Pix, couldn’t see you.” His arms and face were
bruised. His voice was ragged. He held out his hands in front of him but
couldn’t hold them still.

“What happened to you?” she asked, worried as she crawled
out and sat on the bank near him.

“Ran into three of the trainers but got away. Thank the
ancestors.” He rubbed his head still trying to catch his breath. “Swear…thought
they had me.”

“Have they gotten anyone else?”

Ragnar shrugged. “Not sure. Overheard…talking before they
found me. Hid under an overhang in a ravine but became trap instead. Somehow
they knew where I was. Got to figure out how. Don’t want that to happen again.
You?” His heavy breathing slowed.

She shook her head. “No one’s attacked me yet.”

He chuckled softly as he finally caught his breath. “Probably
because you’re damn good at hiding. Drakkar had told me that about you. Shatz,
I didn’t even see you sneak up on me.”

She smiled at that. “Probably because you were relieved to
get away.”

He snorted. “Yeah.” Bending over, he scooped up some of the
water that ran over the rocks and splashed his face.

“How far are they?”

He dipped some more of the water and sipped. “Don’t know,”
he said between gulps, “but I’ve been running for a while. I wanted to make as
much distance as I could. They’re back in the woods somewhere. I hurt one of
them. I hope they don’t hold that against me.”

Jinn chortled. “I doubt they will. They’ll probably be happy
about it. You’re going to make this.”

Ragnar beamed as he straightened, his large body radiating
sureness. “Thanks, partner.”

Jinn tried to suppress her smile but she couldn’t. She was
happy for him. “I wouldn’t have made it this far if it wasn’t for you helping
me.”

He rested his elbows on his knees. “Well, I’m glad you did.
Says something about both of us.”

She nodded. She could see a lot of Drakkar in him—but she
didn’t want to think of that. Not yet. She looked at the woods a moment and
swallowed, grateful she’d come to the brook and found her partner. It was good
to talk to someone. She’d been so occupied trying to survive she hadn’t
realized how lonely she had become. “I’m glad you got away.”

He grinned. “Me too.”

A sharp light glinted off one of the mountaintops behind
Ragnar then disappeared. “Did you see that?” she asked.

Her partner snapped his head and stared at the peak. The
light shown once again. “Hell,” he muttered.

“What?” she whispered, an urgent thread in her voice.

Ragnar frowned. “The signal.”

“Yeah?” She urged him for more.

“It’s Mount Baccarat. We’re to meet at the top. That’s where
the light is.”

“So?”

He rubbed his leg and stared into her eyes from under his
dark brows. “To climb its face is to risk death. Holds that look strong are
often weak or made slick from moisture. Pix, don’t do this. Go back to the
opt-out place.”

She shook her head. “I can’t.”

He grimaced. “Damn it, woman, don’t let stubbornness get the
better of you. I’m not sure I can even make it.”

She swallowed. “No. I have my reasons. Personal ones. So
don’t ask.”

He growled then released a long sigh. “You know I can’t help
you. Not anymore. Besides, I might be up before you even make the base of the
trail.”

She nodded. “I know. This is my responsibility, not yours.
Please don’t worry. Just make it. I want to see you beat the record.”

“Drakkar’s?”

She sputtered. “He has the record?”

“Damn right.” Ragnar grinned again. “And you can bet I’ll
try.” He took a deep breath and glanced at the mountain then stared at her, his
brow furrowed. “Look, just promise me you’ll be careful and stop if it looks
too dangerous. Use good judgment and if you get to the base of the climb, make
sure you have a backup hold for every move you make before you grab something
else.” He looked at the light that shone once again. “Especially now.”

Jinn glanced from the mountain to Ragnar. “Why?”

He grunted. “Sometimes I forget you don’t really know
Vulgaria. Winter’s coming sooner than the trainers expected. You can tell by
the underground nesting and the flights to warmer areas that the animals are
making. If you don’t get to the base of the climb before the winds start then
don’t go. I’m telling you it isn’t worth your life. Do you understand?”

The edge in Ragner’s voice commanded her but she wasn’t
about to agree, although she couldn’t let him go without some reassurance. She
didn’t want him worrying about her. “I understand.”

“Good.” He stood, studying the target. “Well, the timing’s
begun.” He looked at her. “Remember the opt-out signal if you need it. And
don’t be too stubborn to use it.”

“Me?” She pointed to herself and smirked. “What makes you
think I’d be stubborn?”

He snorted. “Everything. You never give up. Just put your
pride aside and use caution. I don’t want to come to your burial.”

She swallowed and nodded again, trying to suppress the fear
in her breast. “I will.”

Eyeing her more closely, he grabbed his makeshift
animal-hide pack and pulled a foodstuff out of it then laid it on the rock. “Be
safe,” he murmured then took off.

Jinn snatched the dried meat he’d left and feasted on it.

After she filled her water bladder, she shored up her gear
and stood. The light flashed rhythmically.
On, off, on, off.
Would she
make it?

She sighed and said another prayer, wishing Ragnar made the
top, hoping she’d make it too. She pressed her lips together and forced any
thoughts of defeat behind her as she watched her former partner meld into the
deeper forest. When he disappeared she shook her head. Little did Ragnar know
that her need to complete this wasn’t based on stubbornness.

It was to fix the biggest mistake she had made in her life.

Inhaling a cleansing breath, Jinn forced herself to calm.
She closed her eyes and remembered the lessons of the wapiti then thought of
Drakkar.

She had to make it. Had to do what she could to rectify her
misjudgment and make it back from her mission.

Only then could she claim the life that her heart wanted her
to lead.

* * * * *

The Vulgarian rechecked the scrambled message.

Rescue in place. Relay time and place.

The citizen signaled back, letting his contact know the need
to do this moments before the team arrived. Jinn of Svendia moved quickly and
with the wolf watching over her, the location must be precise.

In nanotime, the answer came.

Will notify when in place and wait for your signal.

The true citizen answered with an acknowledgment then shut
off the communication link and stashed the equipment in its hiding place.

No one would know until the deed was done. No one.

The citizen congratulated himself on his cleverness. Soon,
he would be one of the chosen, the elite of the true line of the ancients.

* * * * *

“They’ve started the final phase.” Cassius closed the door
behind him to the Renegade lair, addressing Craddock whom he’d accompanied
there before he went off to gather more information about Jinn from Hypatia.
“They’ve been at it for several sleep cycles but none have found your niece. She
hid herself well.”