The sun had completely set; stars were beginning to dot the sky when the first lonely howl echoed across the land. Tempest froze, her head turned to take in the sea of white surrounding them. “Wolf?” William inquired.
“I’ve never seen a wolf up here. Bears yes, but not a wolf.” From somewhere across the vast, empty landscape another howl sounded. A rock settled in the pit of her stomach when she realized it wasn’t the cry of a wolf echoing around them, but the cry of one of those demented vampires wandering the night.
William took hold of her arm; he pressed her closer against his chest and the rock wall of the mountain. He didn’t say she had to find the way soon, he didn’t have to; they both already knew it. “Keep moving,” he urged.
She trudged forward through the snow. Her hands ran over the mountain, searching for the entry point she knew was there, somewhere. They could be miles away from it still; she had no idea how far she’d roamed once she had exited the cave.
Helplessness began to swarm her. Stay calm, she told herself. For all she knew they were going in the complete opposite direction from where she’d originally exited.
“You are going to find it,” William said from beside her. “Relax.”
Throwing her shoulders back, she closed her eyes and took a minute to steady herself before continuing onward. Another lonely howl rang out, this one sounding much closer than the last two. She turned her head toward the noise, William stiffened beside her. He pulled his bow around and slipped an arrow from his quiver.
“Do you seen anything?” she whispered.
“No, not yet,” he murmured.
That not yet spurred her into motion again. She lost track of where they were between the gloom and the endless white. The rough and jagged formations of the rock scraped against her palms, creating nicks and cuts that healed almost instantly. The cold had seeped into her bones when she discovered an entrance into the mountain.
Her shoulders sagged; relief filled her. If it wasn’t the entry she sought, it would at least offer them some form of shelter for the night. Grabbing hold of William’s hand, she gave it a tug to alert him to what she’d found. “I’m going to go in and check it out.”
“Let me know what you find.” A gust of wind caught hold of his words, but she’d been able to make them out.
“I will,” she said before slipping inside. The moist scent of the cave filled her nostrils, but beneath that, she detected the familiar odor of her home on the other end. Fresh air flowed through here. It carried with it the smell of crisp lake water, snow, and the mountains she’d always known. It was so subtle someone who hadn’t grown up here probably wouldn’t have detected the different aromas, but she recognized them instantly.
A pang stabbed her heart. She almost bolted across the cave to the other side and out onto the trail lining the mountain, but she somehow managed to keep herself restrained. Turning around, she stepped back outside and gestured for William. “This is it,” she murmured.
Tugging on Achilles’s reins, he followed her into the cave.
***
William surveyed the walls surrounding them before focusing on Tempest again. “Is it safe for us to stay here tonight?” he inquired.
She glanced around the cave, then back toward the entrance as another echoing cry resonated across the rock walls. Turning away, she looked down the lengthy, slender cave. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I don’t think the soldiers in town would have found this. It branches off in a bunch of different directions once you enter on the other side.” She turned back to him, her eyes a deeper color in the darkness around her. “If you don’t know what you’re looking for you could spend days exploring the different routes. I don’t know if those things out there will follow us in here.”
“They might follow our scent, but it sounds as if they’re still at least a mile or so away. I’d like to try to make it to your town tonight, but I think we should get some rest.”
“I’m fine to go on, if you think it best.”
No, he didn’t think it best. He could see her exhaustion in the shadows circling her eyes, in the slump of her shoulders and the way she leaned against the cave wall for support. He couldn’t expect her to keep going. He knew she would if he asked her to, she trusted him. He recalled the feel of her in his arms, curled so innocently against him. He couldn’t shatter that innocence. He couldn’t let his need for revenge put her in danger.
“Can we move further in, somewhere more sheltered to get out of the way of the wind and anything that might follow us in here?” he asked.
“I know of a sheltered alcove,” she replied. “Achilles will be able to fit in it too, and there might be some water there.”
“Perfect,” he replied.
He kept hold of Achilles as he followed her further into the cave system. They walked through a series of intricate turns that would have completely lost someone else, but having grown up in caves, he was extremely adept at finding his way in and out of them. He mentally marked certain grooves in the rocks, different patterns in the floor, and odd rock formations they passed to remember in case he had to find his way out without her to guide him.
Halfway through the twists and turns, and away from any light, she stopped and pulled out the torch she’d kept all this time. He handed her a rag he’d made from one of his shirts. She wrapped it around the torch before lighting it. The small fire illuminated the gloom of the cave, causing the shadows to dance away. Lifting the flame high, she turned around and once again led the way.
Achilles nudged his shoulder, looking for food, but he’d have to wait until they were settled before he could have his dinner. Finally, Tempest made another turn into a large alcove that went about fifteen feet back before ending in smooth rock. The tinkling sound of water filled the alcove as it trickled down the back wall from somewhere up above. Achilles’s ears pricked forward; he practically shoved William out of his way to walk toward the back wall. The water had carved a round spot into the floor where it pooled before running downhill and vanishing from view.
The horse lowered its head before William could take the bridle off and began to drink the water. “This will be a good place to keep him while we continue on,” he said as he rubbed Achilles neck.
“In the dark?”
“He’s not going to make it through the trails and mountains you described on the other side. I can’t leave a fire burning; it could attract some of those things to him. He can’t stay outside and he can’t go forward. There’s fresh water here; we’ll leave him with plenty of food, and we won’t be gone long.”
She stared at him for a minute before rubbing Achilles’ neck. “Will he stay here?”
“He’ll stay close to the water.”
He didn’t like the idea of leaving Achilles here anymore than she did, but the horse couldn’t continue with them. Walking forward, he untied the saddlebags and placed them on the floor before unbuckling the girth and pulling the saddle free. Achilles released an audible sigh; he lifted his head and turned to look at him. William rubbed the white stripe on his forehead before removing the bridle and placing it on top of the saddle. He finished getting Achilles settled before turning to Tempest.
She leaned against the rock wall as she watched him. Her eyelids drooped, but she forced them back open as she fought against the sleep trying to pull her under. “Would you like me to start a fire?” he asked.
She shook her head and brushed back the strands of hair that fell forward with the motion. “It’s warm enough in here.”
And it was. Sheltered within the middle of the mountain, out of the way of the whipping wind, it was actually almost pleasant. “We’ll move again tomorrow after the sun sets,” he said.
“I hope the guards aren’t out there,” she murmured.
“I’ll take care of them if they are.”
“What if there are a large number of them?”
“Then you will run as far and as fast as you can, and you will go straight to my sister,
my brother, the king, or his brother, Jack. The best place for you to go first will be the town of Chippman. It’s closer than the palace, it’s the last place Aria and Braith were. If they’re not there, Jack will help you, and he will get men to the palace quickly.”
“No one is going to allow me near any of them,” she replied.
“They will if you tell them I sent you.” From the saddlebags, he tugged free his extra cloaks and spread them on the floor. He tore one of the wolf patches from it and walked over to hand it to her. “Keep this on you. If we are separated and you have to run, give this to the first vampire you see wearing one of these cloaks. Tell them William has sent you to speak with Aria, Daniel, Jack, or Braith.”
Her fingers trembled when she took the patch from him. “Are you sure they’ll take me to one of them?”
“Yes. Even if they don’t recognize my name right away, they’ll recognize that patch, and Aria and Braith’s names. They’ll make sure you’re taken to someone who will know me.”
“And how am I supposed to convince any of them I actually know you, if I do get within a hundred feet of them?” she inquired.
“None of them are like that; they don’t keep themselves away from people or vampires. You’ll get close to them.”
“And will they believe me?”
“Tell them I sent you and tell them I said, the banquet tree. Not many know about it, but they all do.”
She folded her hands over her chest. “What does that mean?”
“It’s an apple tree we used to go to as children; it would keep our bellies full for weeks. It meant a lot to us, and it has a different meaning for Braith and Aria. If you tell them that, they’ll know I sent you.”
Tempest tucked the patch into the inside of her cloak. “Sounds like it was a special place for you.”
“It still is.”
She didn’t say anything more; he adjusted the cloaks on the ground before kneeling across from her and placing one of the saddlebags down as a pillow. He hesitated for a minute before opening his arms to her. He had to hold her again tonight, to smell her and feel her against him once more.
She hesitated for long enough that he almost dropped his arms, but then she crawled forward to lay beside him. Her delicate hand rested on his chest; her head tucked neatly under his chin again.
CHAPTER 18
Tempest stirred but didn’t open her eyes. She already knew William wasn’t beside her; she didn’t have to know anything more than that. A strange scraping noise pierced through to her. She tried to ignore it, but then she recalled exactly where they were and those things out there. She bolted upright; her eyes shot wildly around the cave before finding William standing by the water trickling down the cave wall.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded.
“I heard a… ah…” her voice trailed off when she spotted his bare cheek and the lower half of his jaw. Her mouth parted, then closed again when she saw the knife in his hand. “What are you doing?”
He grinned at her before dipping the knife he held into the water and lifting it to his cheek again. Across from him was a small piece of metal he was using as a mirror. While she watched, patches of hair from his beard fell away to land on the cave floor. “I’m making myself more presentable, since it’s impossible to make myself more handsome.”
A small smile curved her mouth at his unabashed confidence. A teasing gleam lit his eyes when he looked at her in the surface of the metal. He shook the blade of the knife off before dipping it into the water again.
“But why your beard?” She’d liked the way it tickled as it rubbed against her skin when they were kissing. You’re not supposed to kiss him anymore, an inner voice admonished her.
“The last time Kane saw me, I had a full beard. He may have stabbed me in the back, but he’d still recognize a redhead with a beard.”
Her smile vanished at his words; a chill slid down her spine. The calculation and intent behind the removal of his beard made her stomach turn. What would happen when they got into town? What would happen when he saw the man who ended his mortal life?
“I’m hoping he won’t recognize me now.” William placed the knife on a rock outcropping and lifted a rag to his face. He wiped away the water from his cheeks before turning to her. “What do you think?”
He looked about five years younger without the beard shadowing his face, maybe early twenties despite the lines crinkling around his vibrant eyes when he smiled at her. She didn’t think he looked more handsome. He’d been right, that was impossible, but he definitely looked more approachable.
Something within her heart swelled; she longed to run her fingers over his freshly smooth skin. At the same time something within her withered. She couldn’t stand it if his cocky grin was stomped out, and she was extremely afraid it would be if they continued on to Badwin. He’d become kinder toward her since they’d first met each other in the snow, and even though they had some sort of relationship between them, there was still one main thing driving him forward. Revenge.
“You look nice,” she murmured.
“You’re not much of an ego boost.”
“I don’t think you need one.”
His jovial laugh resonated through the rocks surrounding them. The lively sound of it did nothing to melt the ice encasing her heart. “Maybe not,” he replied. “But it’s still bolstering to hear something better than nice. I’ve gathered some dirt for us.”
“For what?” she inquired.
“To darken our hair. Not much as we don’t want to look obvious, but if we get close enough to your town, we can’t be recognizable and your hair and mine tend to stand out.”
“Are you going to go for Kane as soon as we get there?” she blurted before she could stop herself.
He froze in the middle of bending over to grab something off the floor. Slowly, he rose back to his full height and stood before her, somehow more alluring than he’d been before. Or maybe not more alluring; maybe she simply just yearned to touch him again.
“No.” His voice sounded as detached as it had the first time she’d met him. “We’ll see what is going on, and I’ll let my family know about it before I confront Kane.”
She wasn’t so sure she believed him. There was no way he could hide his volatile reaction every time she mentioned Kane’s name. “I’m frightened that if you see him, nothing will stop you from going after him. I can’t be the one who leads you there only to have you end up getting hurt, or worse, killed for good this time.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” he said as he bent and scooped some dirt from the pile she hadn’t noticed by his feet.
“And why not?” she demanded. “You may be immortal but you’re not impenetrable.”
He came toward her with the dirt in his hand, a smile playing across his mouth as he stared at her. “Because I’m not leaving you unprotected.”
“How do you know you won’t react when you see him? The mere mention of his name makes you angry. What is the sight of him going to do to you?”
She tilted her head back to look up at him when he stopped before her. “I may have a temper, I admit it, but I can control myself. Sometimes,” he added in a teasing tone of voice as he winked at her.
“William…”
Before she could say anymore, he released the handfuls of dirt and seized hold of her cheeks. She didn’t have time to react before his mouth claimed hers. A startled sound escaped her; her hands instinctively curled around his thick wrists as heat sizzled like lightning through her body.
All of her concerns faded away to nothing when his tongue slipped inside to take firm possession of her mouth. He pulled her closer, dragging her body up against him as he deepened the kiss. She gasped when he moved her against the wall and pinned her there. His powerful body pushed firmly against hers as his tongue continued to taste her in deep thrusts that left her limp. She found her legs wouldn’t support her. The cave around them faded away until he was her entire world.
His
face was smooth against hers; she missed the prickle of his beard, but loved the sensation of feeling more of his flesh. One of his arms slid around her waist; his thumb stroked her cheek before he broke the kiss. Eyes the color of a sapphire blazed down at her as his mouth hovered inches from hers.
“I just can’t control myself around you,” he murmured, that teasing smile curving his mouth again. Excitement burst through her chest. She couldn’t bring herself to release him as his lips lightly grazed hers. “You can trust me around Kane, because I will make sure you stay safe. You have my word on that.”
Unexpected tears burned her eyes. Did he mean it? She wondered as she searched his face. His eyes didn’t waver as they held hers; they burned with intensity, silently imploring her to believe him, to trust him. If she did, her heart could end up smashed into so many pieces she feared she’d never be able to put it back together.
While he continued to stare at her, his hands tender against her face, she found her resolve to keep her distance melting away. He was a warrior, a man of his word, and he wouldn’t be saying these things to her if he didn’t mean them. He had no reason to lie to her, no reason to tell her these things. Truth be told, she’d lost all sense of restraint against this man already, and possibly her heart too.
“Tempest…”
“I believe you,” she murmured.
His eyes closed, he took a shuddery breath, something she’d come to realize was a habit left over from his human days. His eyes sparkled when they opened again; he bent and pressed a kiss on the tip of her nose. Disappointment filled her when he stepped away from her.
“We have to get going,” he said. “And as much as I don’t like it, we have to try and darken that beautiful hair of yours.”
Beautiful? Her hand instinctively flew up to her hair, a flush of pleasure slid through her at his words. He thought her hair was beautiful; she felt like a silly child, but the sweet compliment delighted her more than she’d ever believed possible. Bending, he grabbed handfuls of the dirt and approached her again. Ever so tenderly, he took hold of strands of her hair and carefully ran the dirt through it.