Shadow Fire (2 page)

My lips curl up in a wry smile, pleased to see my tormentor tremble before Zane. I bet this is the first time Cory has ever felt the terror he instills in others, the complete helplessness of being at someone else's mercy. Cory stands still for several moments, his eyes unfocused, before fleeing back toward the village like someone lit a fire under his feet.

"Thank you, Zane," I whisper once Cory is out of sight. "I don't even want to think about what might have happened if you hadn't arrived when you did."

His molten garnet eyes stare languidly into my golden orbs. My body trembles and he pulls me into a loose embrace, his eyes never leaving mine. He reaches up and brushes some stray hair from my cheek, the light touch of his calloused fingers along my skin flooding my body with delicious warmth.

"Did he hurt you?" Zane asks, breaking the mesmerizing hold his eyes had on me. He pulls back to inspect my body for injuries while I fidget under his scrutiny.

"I'll survive," I reply without thinking, though when I notice the angry red welts around my forearms I realize I'll have some nasty bruises. Zane takes my hands in his, brushing his thumbs over my injured wrists.

"I'm sorry, Ashlyn," he murmurs as he continues to caress my wrists.

"How do you know who I am?" I ask, a hot flush rising to my cheeks from his touch. "I'm sure I'd remember meeting someone as… interesting as you."

Dear Goddess, I almost said gorgeous instead of interesting. I can feel the blush on my face deepen when his molten gaze moves from my wrists back to my face.

"You're the Chosen," he replies as if the phrase alone answers my question, and I suppose it does.

Three weeks ago I was a simple seventeen-year-old girl spending my days hunting in the forest to support my large family. Once I was announced as the next Chosen, I became a celebrity of sorts in our small town. Well, not just in our town. People from other villages flocked to Verdane to gawk at me. The worst part is the gambling, so many people placing bets on where, when and how I'll die. Not if… when.

"I'm a mercenary. I arrived in town a few days ago with the merchant caravan." Well that would explain why I didn't recognize this handsome man. "Are you ready to head back to town?" When I nod, his eyes fall on my valuable forest leopard. "Please tell me that beautiful creature attacked you, and it was killed in self-defense."

"Of course," I exclaim. "I would never hunt such a rare animal, no matter how much it's worth. Now how many girls do you know who are thrilled to be attacked by a leopard?" I ask, laughing at the absurdity.

Just another of my boyish qualities Cory was complaining about. What a jerk. Perhaps leaving on this quest won't be so bad after all… at least I'll be free of Cory once and for all.

"That would be one, you apparently," he says with a soft chuckle. Leaning over he picks up the leopard and hoists it over his left shoulder. "Excellent shot," he adds, admiring the arrow through the eye of the leopard.

"Well it was only about eight feet away and running straight at me when I shot it," I reply, surprised at the swell of pride I feel from his compliment.

"Just makes it all the more magnificent doesn't it? Shall we?"

Grabbing the bloody sheet from the ground, I wad it up and stick it in my navy pack relieved I don't have to drag the heavy leopard any farther.

"Yeah, thanks for everything, Zane," I murmur, glancing at him from beneath my fall of red bangs.

"You're welcome, Ashlyn," he says with a rakish grin, making my heart flutter in my chest. "Come, let's go before we lose the remaining daylight. "

He takes off at a brisk pace forcing me to jog to keep up with him. I've spent so many sleepless nights the last three weeks wishing to the Goddess I hadn't been chosen by the town to recover the stolen Goddess Statue. Now as I gaze at the handsome man walking ahead of me, I lament my Chosen status once more.

Too bad I can't stay in town to get to know this gorgeous, enigmatic mercenary better
.

Chapter Two

Home

Mom's gray eyes widen when she opens the black velvet pouch I dropped in her hands. Inside six gold coins shimmer and wink in the candlelit room. Dad gasps, staring over her shoulder at the unexpected bounty.

"Ashlyn, how?" he asks, his finger tracing the image of the Goddess Reiki embossed across the surface of one of the coins.

"I was attacked by a rather large forest leopard right after I found a hidden bed of nightshade," I reply, plastering a big grin on my face, despite the feeling my chest is being crushed in a vise, inch by slow inch. "Kinda feels like maybe my luck is changing."

Dad's bright blue eyes meet mine; hope shining within their depths. Though my Chosen status has been difficult for me, I think it's hardest for my parents. Whenever they gaze at me their eyes are so desolate, like they already view me as dead and are steeling themselves for the inevitable announcement of my unavoidable demise. The last four Chosen met hideous deaths at the hands of bandits or the claws of monsters.

How can my parents expect me to survive such a dangerous quest when the others met such gruesome ends?

Yet I can't help but feel I'll be different, that I'll succeed where others have failed. Though it's buried deep, raw hope still glimmers from within. Without hope I doubt I would've survived these last three weeks. Every waking moment was a constant reminder of my fate, from the whispered murmurs on the street to the exhaustive sword training with the blacksmith's son, Seth. Worst of all, the forlorn expression in my parents' eyes when they thought I wasn't watching. The only escape I had were the hunting trips into the peaceful forest, which became far too infrequent due to my new responsibilities.

"Sweetie, what happened to your wrists?" Mom asks, capturing one of my hands in hers.

"Oh, just a reaction from the nightshade," I say, ashamed at just how easy the lie rolls off my tongue.

Nothing good would come from her knowing about Cory's attack. Though she doesn't appear to believe me, she still releases my wrist and takes a step back, her lips set in a grim line.

"You should get ready for your party. Brinda and Celeste are waiting u-upstairs." Her voice breaks a bit on the last word betraying the calm exterior she tries to project.

Though I feel the need to say something reassuring, my mouth is dry and I can't seem to form any words. I turn and run up the wooden stairs, taking them two at a time, desperate to escape her sorrowful eyes. When I reach the top of the staircase I pause, glancing over my shoulder at the flickering candlelight down below. My heart constricts in my chest, and I race back down, almost falling in my haste. Without slowing, I throw myself into my mother's arms.

"I love you, Mama," I whisper into her shoulder, clinging to her like an anchor amid my sea of emotions. "I'll come home, I-I promise. Don't worry… I'll make you proud."

"Oh, baby, we're already proud of you," Dad says from behind me. "You are strong, of body and soul. Deep inside I know you'll succeed." Releasing my mother, I face my father, my pillar of strength.

"Do you really believe that?" I ask, my golden eyes wide in amazement. A couple tears manage to make it past my futile attempt for control. Once the first few drops escape, it's like a dam burst and more pour out from my burning eyes.

"Yes," he murmurs, pulling me into his arms and kissing the top of my head before releasing me. "Now get ready for your party. We'll see you at the tavern."

They both pretend not to see the silent tears coursing down my cheeks in twin rivulets. With one last glance at my parents, I wipe the wet drops from my face before retreating. Returning to the staircase, I ascend slower this time, no longer running from my demons.

When I reach the door to my room it's standing wide open. I pause in the doorway for a few moments, wondering if I can make a break for it before my sisters notice my presence. They seem wrapped up in their current activity, which involves throwing every garment we own from the small closet. Just as I'm about to run, Celeste notices me in the doorway and grabs my arm to pull me into the room.

"It's about time you got here!" she says, releasing my arm and glaring at me with her hands on her hips. "Now we only have a few minutes to get you ready for the party! You know how important this is right? This may be your last chan…"

My mind tunes out her incessant chatter as I cross the room to sit on the edge of my bed. Running my hand over the downy blanket, I realize this may be the last time I ever sit on my bed again. I haven't told anyone yet, but I plan to leave tonight, right after the party.

There's no way I'm staying for the mayor's ridiculous celebration tomorrow. Not only will Cory be there, but so will the whole town. I've already felt like a freak show the past three weeks. Mr. Markim's two-headed foal didn't even get as much attention as I do. The mayor is not going to put me on display for the whole town to stare at.

"I'm leaving tonight after the party," I blurt out, ending Celeste's tireless rant.

"What?" Brinda gasps as her hand tugs at her long brown hair, twirling a strand around several slender fingers. "Mayor Franklin'll be mad."

Her chocolate brown eyes stare at the floor while she fidgets with the hem of her white dress. Brinda never was one to break any rule imposed by an elder, whether said rule was sensible or not.

"Cory attacked me in the forest today," I say, my face reddening from a dizzying combination of fury and humiliation. "There's no way I'm going to some asinine celebration tomorrow only to see him again."

"That yellow-bellied rat!" Celeste all but screams in her outrage. "I hope you put an arrow through him." Her cobalt eyes are sparking in fury as she begins to pace the small room.

"You know very well I couldn't do that," I say, though I can't help but agree with the sixteen-year-old blonde. "I did fight him, but I was exhausted from hiking through the woods all day."

Flopping back on my soft bed, I stare up into the faces of my sisters, one spitting mad and the other terrified.

"I was rescued by a mercenary… the most handsome man I've ever seen in my life." His soulful eyes invade my thoughts, sending a tiny involuntary shiver from my head to my shoulders.

"Zane?" Celeste asks in a breathy whisper.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I ask.

My heart starts racing and another tiny shiver courses through my body, raising goose bumps on my arms. Whether from reliving the attack or the thought of the gorgeous mercenary, I'm not sure.

"He came to town a couple days ago with the merchant caravan. He's in Verdane, oh, four to five times a year," Celeste says with a wistful sigh. "Just about every girl in town has hit on him at one time or another. He's never shown the slightest interest in any of us. Even me! It's those dark red eyes of his, so soulful. You just want to wrap your arms around his hunky goodness and kiss away his troubles."

"How did I manage to miss seeing him before?" I ask, surprised that I never noticed such an attractive man.

Celeste has never seemed this smitten about anyone. She prances and spins around the room, continuing to list his assets. It becomes an extensive list before she answers my question.

"You spend way too much time alone in the woods," Celeste replies with a dismissive wave of her hand. "And you stopped going to the tavern with me two years ago when the boys wouldn't leave you alone. When Zane's in town he's usually in the tavern at night. He's a big tipper. I always have to fight with the other barmaids to wait on him. Don't know why they bother since I always win."

She drags me from the bed, forcing me to put my feet on the floor or fall on my backside, before circling my body like a bird of prey.

"You need to get ready for the party. You'll want to look gorgeous if Zane'll be there," Celeste says, lifting my matted hair in her fingers and dropping it with a loud snort.

"He already saw me like this," I reply, gesturing at my less than feminine attire.

Cory is right. Without my fiery mass of long copper hair, I could be mistaken for a boy dressed like this. The tunic is several sizes too large, though at least the leggings fit.
When did I start worrying about my appearance?
My eyes widen when I realize I do care what Zane thinks.

If only I was a normal girl with a normal life who could wear a normal dress to the party.

"I don't think putting on a pretty dress will help at this point. Besides, I need to wear my travel clothes so I can sneak away tonight," I say, trepidation at my impending departure making it difficult to breathe.

The air feels too thick, each breath a struggle. The chatter in the room sounds distant and hollow as darkness begins to form at the edges of my vision. It takes everything I have to calm my nerves enough to even out my breathing. My sisters seem oblivious to my plight; their conversation continues uninterrupted.

"I already put your bag together," Brinda says in her usual soft manner. "Everything you laid out last night is packed in the brown leather backpack." She pauses, eyeing me with curiosity. "The map of the ruins, you know the one the town paid a small fortune for from that wandering monk. Do you think it's real?"

"No, but I'll take it anyway," I reply shrugging. "If I make it as far as the ruins, I'll finally have proof Mayor Franklin is a full-fledged idiot."

"Ashlyn," Brinda gasps at my disrespect. "You shouldn't talk about the mayor like that."

"His son forced me to kiss him in the woods," I say, biting my lower lip to control my building fury. "I don't have any respect for a man who raised someone who would do something like that."

"But…"

"No, Brinda, don't defend him," I say, emphasizing each word. "Cory has never been responsible for his actions. He fancies himself better than everyone else and above the law. He certainly wasn't born that way… his father made him like that."

My words silence her. But I'm not finished yet. Three weeks of pent up emotions have broken to the surface and if they aren't freed I'm afraid I'll burst.