DarykHunter (24 page)

He took her to heart, not saying another word on it.

As the jungle wrapped them, she worked hard to keep fear from rising inside her. “How long will it take to reach the ship?”

“A few hours. Not to worry. Your Daryk One carried you through the jungle to reach the castle.”

Why was he so intent about talking about Dane? “All right then. I cannot wait to get there and on my way.”

“Best you be quiet then. We must be on the lookout for poachers, thieves or rogue Daryk Ones before we get there.”

Time seemed to pass forever, especially because they didn’t talk. She needed all her concentration to navigate. The jungle at night proved even more frightening than it had during the day, and she wished to the god she could dream her way out of this situation. Her life had been a nightmare of danger since she arrived in Dragonia with its awful beasts and equally awful men.

No. Dane wasn’t like that. He was the best of men.

Her heart ached thinking of her last kiss with him, the last glance of heat from his eyes as he left her. Though he hadn’t declared love for her in so many words, he’d said and done enough to prove it to her.

I would die for you.

His declaration rang in her mind, as well as his vow to find her no matter where she went. A man just didn’t make those vows unless he loved a woman, yes?

She also worried about his safety, a sense of doom nagging her. She ignored it, concentrating again on placing one foot in front of the other. All she had to do was survive another step. One more hour.

At the end of two hours, she gasped, her lungs burning and heart pounding from the relentless pace. “Sir, we must stop.”

He relented, and she almost ran into the back end of his enormous body. “I suppose we should. You’ll need water and food.”

Breathing hard, she nodded and managed, “Yes. Please.”

“Sit here. This is a safe rock.”

She blinked, feeling dazed. “What? There are dangerous rocks?”

“If you sit just anywhere on a rock out here, you could sit on the lair of a ludius.”

“Dare I ask what that is?”

“A spider. Very large. About a foot across.”

Once more she shivered, but she sat on the rock slowly. Tentatively. “If you say so.”

Finius sat on another rock beside her and removed food and water from his pack. He handed a package of mystery meat to her and water. “Let us eat. Here. Save your food. If anything happens to me, you’ll need your food and water to get by.”

She refused to think of anything happening to this large man. “Hardly seems likely you could be taken down.”

“Nothing is impossible, my lady.”

Though he didn’t seem to want to talk, her curiosity got the better of her. “Finius…may I call you that, or do you prefer Dow?”

“Most of my friends call me Finius, and since you are a friend of Minilos, so you may also call me Finius.”

She smiled, catching a glimpse of his strange face. “Good. Finius, may I ask how your face was…” She drifted off, realizing she hadn’t worded her question well at all.

He chuckled. “I wondered if you would mention that.”

She waved one hand. “I’m sorry. I should never have asked.”

“Never you mind. I am well used to people asking. They think it was some horrible accident. But any accident that would have made me look like this would have killed me.” He took a swig of water. “I was born this way.”

“I see.”

“Do you? What do people in Magonia think of deformed children?”

“Deformity is happening more often.” She munched on some bread, her stomach growling as if she hadn’t eaten in hours. “People are generally kind to those with deformity, thank goodness. The scribes and our religious leaders say we have deformity because we sin too much. If we worshiped Magon as we should, it wouldn’t happen.”

Finius snorted. “Do you believe that bollocks?”

“No, of course not. Based on what I’ve seen of Dragonia, I think the problem is twofold. People in Magonia are not well mixed. We need…Dragonian blood. Dragonians are becoming sterile and need Magonian blood.”

Finius grunted. “On Draconus’ cock. Is that so?”

She shrugged, afraid she’d said way too much. “I do not know for certain. It’s only a theory.”

He went silent for a while then finally said, his gruff voice soft, “You may be right, my lady. I think perhaps Charger has found himself a fine, intelligent mate.”

Heat rose in her face. “Thank you.”

“Why do you need to return to Magonia?”

She hesitated. “It is imperative I keep my journey a secret.”

In the darkness she saw him nod. “Very well. If it wasn’t a secret, Minilos wouldn’t have asked me, and you wouldn’t travel at night.”

When he didn’t ask another thing about it, she breathed a sigh of relief.

After they ate, he insisted they continue. She felt stronger and her eagerness to leave the jungle meant she quickened her pace. Time seemed to lengthen, to take an eon with each step. She tried to concentrate on her goal, to reach her father and not think about what lurked in the jungle around her.

When they reached the beach without incident, accomplishment and heavy euphoria started to pour through her. They’d almost made it, and soon she’d sail away on a ship back to Magonia and to her father. Waves rolled against the sands, and the cool wind blowing across her face held the scent of water. Happiness made her more buoyant than she could remember—only Dane’s lovemaking had brought her higher. Six moons came out from behind the cloud cover, turning the blackness into a silvery day that made it so much easier to see.

Finius suddenly turned and she almost ran into him.

“Stop,” he whispered. “Quiet.”

She glanced around, heart in throat. What—?

Figures walked out of the darkness. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty.

“Finius, who are these people?”

He didn’t speak as he put his big body in front of her and drew his sword. She knew then it was trouble. She’d kept Dane’s dagger in the long folds of her tunic and pants, and she didn’t hesitate to reach in her pocket and grab it. She peeked around Finius’ massive arm. The men coming toward them didn’t slacken their pace.

“Get them!” An unfamiliar voice echoed in the night, guttural and harsh.

“Stay behind me.” Finius brandished his sword while standing in a half crouch.

Before she could do as he requested, she saw something come over him she’d never seen happen before.

It was utterly frightening.

Though she’d seen Dane’s eyes turn red with passion and anger, this was different. Finius threw his head back, a roar leaving his throat that sounded more as if it belonged to a ravenous, deadly animal. She stumbled back a step as Finius’ muscles bulged with power, and the untamed ferocity within him seemed to burst out in a wave.

The twenty men yelled at once, their combined voices sending up a charge that chilled her to the bone. Rushing forward, the men continued their warbling war cry as their eyes glowed as red as animals.

Her heart slammed in her chest as fear crashed into her. Dane had taken down men and she’d taken down two. There was no way she could escape twenty men, even with Finius’ help. Who were they? Frustration made her angry. Damn it all, she’d had enough of this. She was tired of being roughed up, chased, poisoned by vines, stalked by dragons—

Six men came after her, skirting past Finius as the remaining men charged him. They bashed at him and he countered with strike after strike of his sword, his cry ragged and filled with rage. He tried to disarm them, but one grabbed his sword and managed to wrest it away. One man fell upon Finius and threw him to the ground.

Finius roared and threw the man off him.

She slashed with her knife, aiming for arms, groins, necks, anything she could manage. She half expected to feel the sharp edge of a sword cutting her flesh. Stumbling, she fell on her butt, and the men fell upon her.

Ketera’s fighting instinct didn’t matter in this case. She was down for the count and knew it. These men weren’t like the poachers who’d attacked her and Dane. They were fast. So fast. She slashed at one man and the next, growling as she rammed all her strength into her attack. One man groaned as her knife sliced deep into his biceps.

Someone grabbed her from behind. She kicked back, connecting with the man’s thigh. She couldn’t let them get her. She couldn’t. She thrashed, struggled, used her elbows. The man’s forearm pressed her throat. Choking, she tried to pull his arm away.

“Enough!” Finius dropped his sword and held his hands up. “Let her go. Don’t hurt her!”

The man behind her loosened his grip but didn’t release her. He grunted. “I’m not going to kill her.”

Finius’ face, what she could see of it in the dark, held pure rage. “If you hurt her, the weight of the Daryk Ones will come down upon you. And you don’t want that to happen.”

“Come on. You’re going with us,” another man said.

“Where are you taking us?” She tore herself out of the man’s arms, but he grabbed her forearm and held fast.

“Where are you going, bitch?” the man asked.

The biggest Daryk One spoke. “Finius here is sloppy. He talked too much and too loud, and we heard about your venture. Blame him for your failure. We’re going to Drakus Fina’s lair.”

Her stomach curled with anxiety and anger. “No!”

Finius looked gut-punched. “I didn’t say anything to anyone. I swear.”

As they shoved Finius and her along, she wondered if this was the beginning of the end.

* * * * *

Arrows hailed down upon Dane and the old woman as the enemy unleashed the hells. Searing pain sliced the back of Dane’s right calf as he huddled over the old woman he’d thrown to the ground. He’d run hard and fast to reach her, afraid he wouldn’t make it. His body jerked as another arrow found his right biceps, slicing deep as it went.

Damn all the fuckin’ hells that hurt.

At least none of the arrows made a direct hit.

As if to prove him wrong, three more arrows stuck, banging off his breastplate. Good thing the damn armor covered his back as well. He half expected an arrow to slice off his ear or penetrate his hands and hit his skull. The
whish
of arrows raining down on them stopped. He waited, making sure.

The old lady had screamed when he’d knocked her down, and now her flailing limbs proved she wasn’t down for the count. “Get off me! Get off!”

He rolled off her, ignoring his wounds.

Gray-haired, trembling and pale, the wrinkled little woman stared at him. “Thank you, Dane Charger. Thank you for saving my life.” She leapt to her feet with surprising agility, but then started to limp as she ran.

He went after her, but that’s when all the hells really did break loose. A fireball sailed over the curtain wall, looking as big as a wagon. “Get down!”

The old woman dived behind a wall, and Dane ran her direction, hoping he’d make the same shelter. He veered off at the last minute, diving into an alcove that was closer. The fireball missed them both, but flames crowded up the curtain wall between them. Dane saw the old woman dash away. Damn it all, flame or arrow would hit her if she didn’t find shelter. He couldn’t worry about that now when his fellow warriors needed his help. A rush of anger and raw primal warrior rose up inside him, and as he felt the strange sensation arise, he realized he understood what it was.

A guttural roar left his throat, and a red haze filled his vision. Power rushed to his limbs, his body surging with power. This was his body filled with a battle rage, and part of him relished the desire to kill, to protect those who needed him. His muscles felt larger, fuller, more capable than ever before. Energy sluiced through his body with a rush that almost knocked him off his feet.

Anyone who came in here without permission would face his wrath. Would face a Daryk One’s power.

As he ran toward another tower closer to the south and the drawbridge, he heard a battering ram making weak thumps against the drawbridge. Did they expect to break down the door that way?

A loud roar from the dragon pierced the air.

A moment later twenty Daryk Ones raced into the courtyard from all directions. Their eyes were red, their bodies looking larger and more fierce. More dangerous. Again the dragon roared, the sound coming closer. The ground vibrated under Dane’s feet. The dragon headed his way. Archers from the ramparts started shooting and they must have hit the mark on the enemy. Men cried out in pain and the dragon’s irritated shrieks filled Dane’s ears. Stomping and growling, the dragon battered the drawbridge. Dane didn’t move. He knew it didn’t matter what the men by the drawbridge did. The dragon would—

The drawbridge gave way and loud cracks echoed across the jungle.

“By the god!” Dane cursed, but he wished his words had the power to change the terror he couldn’t stop.

Three small ballistae machines were set up at the farthest wall away from the dragon and drawbridge. They wouldn’t do near the damage a trebuchet would, but they’d have to do. A few regular men stood in the middle of the courtyard, blades drawn and faces etched with pure terror.

Dane gestured to the men. “The ballistae. Light them!”

The men broke from their trance and raced to the large weapons. Dane knew it would take a while before the men could get the weapons ready, and by that time the dragon and rogue Daryk Ones would be upon them.

Dane rushed toward the drawbridge, his heart banging like a drum. He might die for this, but at least he’d have the honor of knowing he’d tried his best. The dragon’s head came through the damaged opening as the creature stomped on the wooden drawbridge until it snapped like kindling. Dane winced at the ear-splitting noise. Another angry roar came from the dragon. Thank the god this dragon didn’t have the ability to breathe fire. It didn’t matter. Furious, huge and relentless, this was one of the most dangerous animals on Dragonia. And somehow that bastard Drakus Fina had tamed it.

Seething with anger, Dane challenged the beast. He waved his arms, screamed obscenities. “Come on, you bug-infested lizard! Come on!”

The dragon turned its head to look at him. Its eyes were the strangest he’d seen—he’d never been unfortunate enough, until now, to see the eyes of this type of dragon. A kaleidoscope of colors made the pissed-off male creature’s eyes sparkle like jewels.