Broken Forest: Book One of the Daath Chronicles (7 page)

One patron went over and whispered in her ear. I could tell he was irritating her. I walked over, deciding that, whoever she was, she didn’t need to be pestered by a drunk.

“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you! Excuse me sir.” I pushed the guy aside. “I hope you weren’t waiting very long.”

Her thin lips curved into a smile. “Not very long.”

The drunk stumbled off to the side, and I sat on the stool next to her, instantly hypnotized by her brilliant blue eyes.

“Thank you,” she said. “He was a bit too rude for my liking.”

“You’re welcome. The name’s Avikar.” I dipped my head in a slight bow.

She held out a delicate hand and I reached for it. “Lucy. A pleasure to meet you.”

I kissed the top of her soft hand, which smelled like roses. “The pleasure is mine.”

Lucy shifted on the stool. One of her slender legs slipped through the slit of her dress. “How about you order us a drink?” she said.

Holy heifer, those are nice legs.
I tried not to stare at her smooth skin, or voluptuous body, but it was right there. I left another coin on the bar, never taking my eyes off hers. The server came over. “A drink for the lady and water for me.” After the server left, I inched a bit closer. “What brings you to Bogtown? This doesn’t seem like your kind of place.”

“What do you mean?”

I noticed her decorative bodice. “You’re dressed for castle life. Are you a noble?”

She smirked. “I’m no one of importance.”

“And you came all the way to this filthy town for…?”

Lucy’s hand grazed my forearm. The sensation filled me with hundreds of inappropriate ideas. This wasn’t the time for flirtatious fun, but I couldn’t pull away, even though I knew I should.

“Enough about me. I’m much more interested in you. Are you travelling alone?” Her delicate fingers trailed up my arm.

I watched them, praying she’d never take them off. “No,” I said, glancing over at Derrick who stood between Rudy and Steven as they argued.

Her gaze followed mine. “Quite a bunch you’re with.” She gently tugged on the tawny cloth of my shirt. “Where are you headed?”

“I’m on a quest.”

Her face brightened, and I regretted blurting it out.

What’s the matter with me? I should be focused on Jeslyn.

“Really, sounds exciting. What kind of quest? I find them exhilarating, especially when such a handsome man is involved.”

Her floral scent surrounded me and I couldn’t help myself. I leaned in and whispered, “I don’t know if I can tell you.”

“You can trust me.”

I never wanted to kiss anyone as bad as I wanted to kiss her. The desire overpowered every other thought in my mind, but before I could act, Derrick appeared at my side.

“We’re ready to head out,” he said.

Lucy pressed her hand against my chest. “So soon? I hoped we could get more acquainted.” She swept away a lonely strand of hair covering my right eye and stared at me with an intense hunger.

In any other instance, I would have said yes. “I wish I could, but I can’t. It was nice meeting you, Lucy.”

“Wait,” she said, and stood. “For your kindness, allow me to thank you with a song before you go. It will be a blessing for your journey.”

“I’d be honored.”

Lucy smiled and waltzed into the center of the room.

Derrick grabbed my arm as I headed to a table. “What are you doing?” he hissed.

I nudged him away. “She wants to sing us a song.”

“We don’t have time for this.”

“Maybe it will bring us luck,” I said, sitting. “We could use it.”

Derrick sat across from me and folded his arms. “Fine. One song.”

The tavern was disorderly, but when Lucy opened her mouth, everyone quieted. Her hips swayed and the glow of candlelight highlighted her curves. Words from a strange language poured out of her petite lips, sounding like a hundred birds harmonizing at once.

Her body moved, slow and seductive. Each graceful step matched the tempo of the song. The corners of her mouth curled up as she circled the room, her attention on me. She glided to me and sat on my lap, never once missing a beat.

Sweat slid down the back of my neck, and a wave of exhaustion hit me. I blinked twice, my vision blurred for a brief second. I grabbed Lucy’s arm, trying to keep myself awake. Her soft hand caressed my cheek, and the last thing I saw was her wicked smile.

Cold water slammed my face, waking me. Davin stood next to the table holding a bucket. I lifted my head from the table and pressed my palm against my forehead. Moving shot pain into my head.

“What happened?” I asked, noticing we were all still in the tavern.

Davin dropped the bucket and wiped his hands against his pants. “You’ve been out all day.”

Derrick and I jumped to our feet.

“We’ve been trying to wake you guys,” Nathaniel added. “I thought you’d be sleeping forever. That’s the fifth bucket we dumped on you.”

“It was that woman,” Rudy replied. “She’s some sort of enchantress. Put us under a spell by that singing of hers. Knocked everyone in the tavern out cold!”

Derrick kicked the table. “They could be days ahead of us!” He glared at me with that fiery death stare.

“I didn’t know she would put us under a spell!” I said. “Only The Order can use magic!”

Derrick stepped around the fallen table, his eyes wide with fury. “For all we know Jeslyn could be dead. All because you had to listen to some wench sing.”

His words were daggers, slicing into my soul. I pushed him back. “Shut up!”

Derrick charged at me, pummeling into my chest. We crashed into a nearby table, knocking it over. I twisted out of his grip before he could get a lock on me.

“Fighting isn’t going to get anyone, anywhere,” Rudy said as he pulled us apart. I tried to break free, but age had given that man a bearlike strength. “Let’s be on our way. No more fighting, unless it’s with the enemy.”

He released us and we both grunted in agreement.

“And you.” Rudy pointed a stubby finger at me. “Don’t ever trust a woman that beautiful, especially if she’s taken an interest in you.”

Derrick picked up his pack and shoved past me. I watched him leave the tavern. I’d always gotten us into trouble, either with a stupid prank or a crazy idea, but this was different. For the first time, I realized how much he was right.

The world inside this wagon became the only reality I knew. Bread and water twice a day and nothing more. I longed for the suns and a bath and for home. The girl in the wagon spoke very little. I don’t think she was well at all. Her wheezing gave me shivers.

We stopped. I prayed we were finally at our destination. I didn’t care where we were going as long as I could leave the horrible stench of this prison. Anything would be better than sitting in here.

The dark material covering the wagon window flapped with the wind. A breeze blew in and I inhaled the sweet fresh air. I could hear the sound of rushing water, loud and powerful, like thunder. I desperately wanted to see outside, to see anything.

My hands trailed the wall until I grasped the small bars. I squeezed my hand through, and pushed the fabric to the side. A dark face scowled at me.

I stifled a scream and jumped back.

The door unlocked, and the captain stood before me. “Come,” he said. “And don’t try to escape or we’ll slit your throats.”

I was too stunned to obey.

“I said, git.” He grabbed my leg and dragged me out. The girl with me screamed as the next guard pulled her out as well.

It took a moment to readjust to the bright sunlight. I shielded my eyes.

“Over here.” A man dragged me to a huddled group of girls. He pushed me onto the grass.

“They smell like dogs,” said one of the guards, covering his nose while another brought over a bucket of water.

The captain was as tall as my father and just as frightening. “You three,” he said. “Start cleaning out the wagons. We can’t be bringing them in with that stench.”

Outside, the sound of water thundered. I tried to pinpoint our location. The Great River ran through the center of Tarrtainya. We could be in ten different territories, ranging from the royal lands of King Corban to the low marshlands of Hasideon. The options were too many and entering in the wrong territory would be deathly. With no weapon, I’d be a walking meal for some horrible beast.

One by one the guards dumped cold water on us, seeming annoyed by the task. Four girls cried from the cold while others screamed. I covered my ears, shivering and dreaming of home. A cold body huddled next to me. She wheezed. I recognized the sound and allowed her to lean into me.

Even covered in grime, she was pretty. In fact, all the girls were beautiful. I counted nine altogether. I shuddered at the thought of what was to become of us. Who would kidnap girls? And in this number? I recited the prayer for protection—and repeated it over and over until the warmth of the suns dried my skin.

We rode hard, only stopping to let the horses rest. The twins were ahead, scouting the area. The caravan led us towards the Great River. Few bridges would be big enough for them to cross. On horseback, we saved a day and a half of riding by taking a smaller path. We would cut them off at the east bridge.

I kept thinking about Lucy. I had never met a mage before. Anyone showing magical abilities was sent to The Order. There they would be tested and trained. You only had two options as a magic user: work for The Order or join the king’s army. I’d rather be in the king’s army. King Corban had kept Tarrtainya peaceful for the past thirty years. He ruled the various lords justly, and the drifters across the seas hadn’t returned in generations.