Promises (38 page)

Tears welled in my eyes as agonizing pain filled me. I’d barely regained my senses when I realized I was being dragged through the forest. Frantically, I tried to free myself from the leather strap, but it was bound too tight. As I looked up, I saw an enormous shadowy figure nearing. I thrust myself upright and attempted to use my free hand to cause a tree to fall on it. I couldn’t concentrate through the pain…I needed the use of both my hands.

“
Maes!” I screamed.

Seconds later, Maes caught the dark figure by surprise. He yanked the whip from him and loosened it from my wrist. He glanced at my arm. My elbow wasn’t where it should have been, my wrist had deep lacerations with blood pouring out, and my shoulder felt as though it’d been dislocated. Not hesitating, he bent down and picked me up. He was running. Each jarring movement caused me anguish as the pain shot up my arm into my shoulder and chest. I could barely hold on to consciousness…

The rustles behind us diminished, and he began to slow. We were at the bottom of a hill when he laid me on the ground.

“
It’s going to be okay now, Cheyenne. Trust me.” Maes said.

I nodded, unable to speak. Remain hidden…that’s what I needed to do, until we were safe.

Gathering what energy I had left, I crawled towards some lowlying branches and slid underneath them. I closed my eyes and rested my head on the forest floor.

My body was growing weary. Between my injuries and the powers I’d expelled, I needed to recover. The dull ache in my head returned, and I found my heavy lids closing. I was hidden. I’d be fine. The silence was soothing, and I quietly drifted off.

Crackling branches jolted me awake. My mind was in a haze. Where was I? Why was I lying on the forest floor? Where was Callon? I fought to hold my breath as I tried to detect where the noise was coming from. Just a few feet behind me, branches snapped again. The soft footsteps let me know it wasn’t human, but my back wasn’t burning.

Maes?

I wanted to call his name, but what if it wasn’t him? I searched the moonlit forest, but the light was too scattered and the trees too dense. I couldn’t take the chance.

A shadow passed, and the footsteps quickened. I’d been seen! I struggled to roll away, holding my right arm close. Pain blazed through my shoulder, and I bit my lip so hard it almost drew blood.

“
Cheyenne!”

I’d never been so happy to hear a French accent. Maes pulled me out from my hiding place.

“
Maes,” I whispered.

He knelt down, taking account of my injuries. He touched my blood-soaked shirt and gently pulled my wrist free. I winced. My right arm lay at my side limply. He released a heavy sigh. “Is it just your wrist?” he asked.

“
No, my elbow and shoulder, too.”

He ran his fingers over my elbow. A bolt of pain shot up my arm, but before I had time to scream, his free hand covered my mouth. I breathed heavily against his palm as he continued his inspection.

“
I’m sorry, Cheyenne. I just couldn’t have you screaming.”

I nodded, my vision blurred from the tears.

“
Do you have her?” a voice called out. I was too blinded with pain to recognize it.

“
Yeah, she’s hurt.”

Someone crackled over the branches and then knelt beside me.

“
Hey!” His grey eyes traced my wounds, and he gripped my shaking hand. “You don’t look so good.”

I gasped.

“
M—Matt?” But how?! “What are you doing here? I thought you’d gone to Canada!”

“
I was going to, but I was concerned about you. So I stuck around to make sure everything was okay. I’m glad I did.”

A sudden bout of dizziness took over, and bile rose in my throat. I rolled my head to the side and pinched my eyes closed.

“
Cheyenne?” Matt called out. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.” He brushed my hair, smoothing it to the side. “I’m going to help you. You need to let me help you, all right?”

I nodded, still uncertain how he’d found me. And how did he know Maes?

“
Maes,” Matt said. “Help me pull her further away from the brush. I need to get a good look.”

Together they lifted me, and I whimpered.

Matt traced his fingers over my elbow. Suddenly my fear came back, and I tried to struggle free. He’d figure out I was different, Timeless…I’d heal much quicker than I should. And what about Marcus? If Marcus found me, he’d hurt Matt without a thought. I couldn’t have this mess on my shoulders. He’d been a caring friend; I couldn’t let him suffer for my sake.

“
Matt, you need to go,” I croaked. “Maes will help me.”

He sat back, the moonlight reflecting off his hair. “I’m not leaving you here like this with him.”

“
It doesn’t matter. Callon’s a doctor, and he’ll come for me. He’ll take care of me.” I glanced towards Maes, seeking his support, but he said nothing. “Please, Matt. I don’t want to see you get hurt. You should never have befriended me in the first place.”

“
No. I don’t care that Callon’s a doctor. I’m trained as well.” Matt turned to Maes. “Go find me a branch to use to brace her arm.”

“
Maes, no! Make him go, please.” I tried to sit up, only to be pressed back down.

“
It’s going to be okay. Just calm down.” Matt leaned over me. I began to shake.

The tears began to stream down my cheeks. “Please, Matt,” I begged. “Listen to me. I’m your friend. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

He stroked my cheek. “I’m not going to get hurt. It’s all going to be okay. Trust me, all right?”

I inhaled a shaky breath. “How did you find me?”

Matt ignored my question as Maes returned with a branch. Matt placed it next to my right arm, and then snapped off a piece. “Down here, Maes,” Matt moved so he was above my head, and Maes was now straddling my lower half.

Maes’s jade-rimmed eyes met mine in sympathy.

“
Cheyenne.” I looked up toward Matt. “Maes is going to hold you down while I shove your shoulder back in place. It’s going to hurt, and he’s going to cover your mouth. You need to trust us.”

“
Callon’s coming,” I replied unsteadily. “He’s coming, Matt.”

“
No, I’m taking care of you.”

With those words, Maes covered my mouth. Seconds later Matt grasped my shoulder, and with a hard shove, he pushed it back into its socket. A bellowing scream rose from the pit of my stomach, and I snapped my eyes closed. I sucked in air and began crying as the intense pain threatened to drown me.

Matt moved down my elbow and pushed the bones back in place there. Another scream escaped my lips before dizziness and nausea sent me spiraling down to near unconsciousness. He tore a section of my t-shirt and tied it around the branch at my elbow.

Maes removed himself, and Matt took his place. He gently stroked my cheek. “It’s going to be okay now, Cheyenne.”

“
Callon’s coming,” I whispered.
Callon was coming
…my mind began to grow hazy. I felt like I was floating in a strange emptiness. None of this seemed real. Was I dreaming? Had I fallen asleep on the forest floor?

The heaviness threatened to push me under for good. I was floating, or at least I thought I was…

“
Put her down!” The words rolled like thunder through the forest.

Callon was coming…

I came back to consciousness slowly. I inhaled, and pain shot to life in my elbow. Someone was inspecting the injury.

I focused on my surroundings. I was on horseback, and we were passing through a forest. I was sitting in front, leaning against the rider’s chest. Snapping twigs nearby told me other riders were following, but they were keeping their distance.

“
Your arm’s healed nicely,” a sympathetic voice said. “But I’m afraid your wrist will have a scar. I’m sorry.” The speaker paused, contemplating his words. “This was the only way to get you away from them. I didn’t mean to frighten you. You don’t need to fear me, Cheyenne. No one will ever harm you again.”

“
Matt?” This wasn’t right…why was I still with him? “Matt, what’s going on? What are you talking about?”

“
I’m removing you from a dangerous situation.”

I shook my head, trying to clear the haziness. “I don’t understand. Callon was coming.”

“
Yes, Callon came.”

I furrowed my brows. “Then you met him?”
Why did Callon let me go?

“
Yes.”

“
Where is he?” I attempted to turn and face him, but a twinge in my right shoulder made me hiss.

“
Just stay still.” His arm came around my waist. “You haven’t healed completely yet.”

I haven’t healed completely? How long had I been out? Did he know I was Timeless? And why were we riding a horse? A car moved faster, unless…

“
Let me down now, Matt.” My voice shook with the unsteadiness I was feeling inside.

“
What’s wrong?” he asked.

“
I’m here with you. That’s what’s wrong.”

His horse came to a halt, and I struggled to dislodge myself from the saddle. He caught my upper arm as I was about to fall, and I screeched. I dropped to the ground, grasping my arm.

“
Cheyenne!” Matt jumped down beside me. He reached out, but I shirked away. “I’m not going to hurt you. Let me help you.”

Shaking, I forced myself to take deep breaths. I needed to get on top of the pain. Slowly, I rose to my knees.

“
Where am I, Matt?”

“
Heading towards the Canadian Rockies.”

“
Why?”

“
Because it’s not safe for you to stay here.”

“
No.” I began to gasp for air as I crawled to my feet. His hand came out to help me, but I moved away. “This isn’t what was supposed to happen. Callon was coming. You were supposed to let Callon find me.”

He didn’t reply.

I turned away, cradling my arm to my chest. There was no going back now. I had no idea how long I’d been unconscious, but all I could see was forest and rugged mountains. The grass swayed in the breeze, and I searched the trees. As if on cue, three riders emerged from the shadows.

My eyes went wide. These were the same men who’d attacked me on our return from Dex and Lilly’s. The same three men who had thrown me around like a rag doll and used me as bait for my guardians. The blond Tracker’s eyes remained on me, determined.

My heart began to race as all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. No…it couldn’t be…it couldn’t be!

“
Who are you, Matt?” I already knew the answer, and it renewed my trembling.

“
Who do you want me to be, Cheyenne?” Matt replied.

“
Marcus,”
I whispered. My stomach churned, and I had to swallow back the urge to vomit. The man that’d I befriended, trusted…he was the same man who had murdered my parents. The man who had been chasing me, forcing me to live as a prisoner. The man I was betrothed to…

I turned on him, a fire blazing inside. “You killed my parents!”

Without thought, I thrust my hands out, attempting to send a burst of air his way. Seconds later, I was knocked to the ground. My shoulder jarred, and I whimpered. I lay on my back, stunned while Matt—no, Marcus—moved closer.

“
And your father killed my father,” he replied calmly. “Is there anything wrong with me wanting revenge?”

“
You’ve destroyed everything worth anything in my life!” My left arm reached out towards the trees as I fought to uproot one to hurl at him. One simple movement of his hand, and I was crushed back into the grass, an invisible weight pinning me down.

“
And I was destroyed when your mother ran from me and her responsibilities. She gave in to her selfishness and ran off with your father. You should be blaming Sahara and Qaysean for what’s become of your life.” He began to circle me. “Sahara wanted power as much as I did, and ran to Qaysean.”

“
No, she wasn’t like that! She wanted peace!” I screamed.

“
And you know this because
they
told you? They’ve probably told you that I’m evil as well.”

“
You are evil…”

He stopped, his eyes turning darker. “Who’s right and who’s wrong, Cheyenne? I’ve been wronged just as much as they have. They’re hypocrites for calling me evil after what they’ve done.” His heated gaze moved off towards the trees. “The clans have been separated for many years. My father had good intentions of bringing them all together, even with the bloodshed.” He turned back. “And now you will help me rid this world of them once and for all. My father wanted peace and got war. I will finish this and put into place what should have been done long ago. The Sarac will rule and all others will submit…Timeless and humans alike.”

“
Liar!”

I managed to roll to my side and scrambled to my feet. I had to get away. But I hadn’t taken a single step before I was thrown into the air. I hit the grass again, the wind knocked out of me, but I was too enraged to stop. Adrenaline numbed the pain, and I staggered up to a run. The same invisible force grabbed my ankles, slamming me back down, right onto my shoulder. A piercing scream left me, and I lay motionless, hot tears rolling down my face.