She bites her lip, her entire frame trembling, but she says nothing. Not a single word.
I exhale through my nose, and my decision is made. Gently, I pull her toward the nearest tree. She resists, but there’s no real strength behind it.
Then I leave her there, waiting, as I gather supplies. I take my time, setting up a stone at the base of the trunk and covering it with her sleeping mat, so that she might sit. Next, I tie the rope around her wrists and position her back against the tree. Once she is comfortable, I secure her torso to the sturdy trunk.
The moment retreat, she lowers her head, her shoulders trembling. A choked sound escapes her, and my stomach twists.
She’s crying.
Damn it.
I kneel beside her, wiping the tears so they don’t freeze on her cheeks.
“Arlet, please don’t weep.” I cup behind her neck. “I don’t want to be cruel.”
“It is all right, Vann. I know this is all we have to keep you safe.”
I step back, mind churning over the conflict in her.
“I’ll start smoking the meat and then I will keep watch,” I murmur. “Get some rest and try not to…”
I trail off, not wanting to be crueler than I already have been.Igrab a few more blankets, covering her face, legs, and hair. Everything should be insulated enough not to melt the snow around her.
Once I’m finished, she doesn’t speak, and instead turns her face into the coverings.
I sit beside the fire, knife in hand as I begin to cut strips of meat.
After a few hours, I hear her snore softly.
Then I retrieved a rock, and begin carving my Adra’s name, all the while, thinking of Arlet.
Chapter 19
ARLET’S CURSE
Iawake for the first time in several days, tied to a tree and sitting in front of a fire burning low.
More cursed light.
Meat is being smoked alongside the flames.
Where am I?
The cold bite of the rope restraints cuts into my wrists, the bark of the tree is rough against my back, and my breath comes out in ragged snarls. My body is soft and weak.
I cannot break free, despite the need to move. To run. My legs and feet tense as I fight against the restraints. The world around me blurs, pulsing with red light, shifting between shadow and fury.
The forest is vast, and the trees stretch upward around me. The air smells like frozen earth. Wind rustles the canopy, sending fragmented beams of moonlight dancing over the area where I am tethered, and every flicker of light feels like a predator moving just out of sight.
I need to break free and go south. It is a direction that I would understand even if my eyes were closed. I will go as far and as fast as necessary, tear down any pillar of flesh that stands in my way, until, at last, I reach my destination.
A voice slithers through the darkness.
"Arlet."
The sound cuts through the haze of instinct and rage. A masculine tone momentarily calms the wretched, hunger gnawing at my belly and the urge to run.
“You wake at last. It is good to feel you. Continue your path, darkness will guide your steps.”