Shadow Fire (16 page)

Zane and Oscar head inside to procure rooms while I go over to help Emma with the three sleepy children. She's standing with a child hanging from each side of her long skirt. The youngest girl is curled up on the ground next to Shadow. Picking up the little girl, I cradle her in my arms, cooing softly to the sleepy child. An adorable little grin spreads across her face. She seems unaffected by her earlier ordeal, and I'm glad she wasn't traumatized or injured. Her tiny arms wrap around my neck and she nuzzles into my shoulder.

"Miranda seems quite taken with you," Emma murmurs. "I just can't thank you enough for saving her from the monsters." Unadulterated joy is reflected in her vivid emerald eyes.

"Well I'd say you're welcome, but all I managed to do was get pulled into the river," I say with a self-deprecating snort. "Zane's the real hero."

"There's no doubt Zane's a hero," she says, her lips curling into a half smile. "However, you shouldn't sell yourself short." She pauses and gazes at me through sharp, knowing eyes. "I know who you are."

"What do you mean?" I ask, my eyes narrowing. I'm sure I've never met this woman before in my life.

"You're the Chosen of Verdane, are you not?" she asks with a raised eyebrow. Staring into her eyes, I feel my adrenaline surge, my pulse pounding in my head. Something just doesn't feel right, and my legs are twitching with the need to run away.

"What makes you think that?" I ask, trying to appear confused.

"I was in the audience the day you were announced as Chosen. Oscar and I are merchants so we travel quite a bit," she replies. "We hail from Algora."

I'm unable to hold back a gasp of surprise. The town that caused the whole mess leading up to my quest. She and her family are Algorans? I try to think of something to say but the shock is too great. Zane and Oscar return, saving me from any further discussion. Zane seems to notice my discomfort when he reaches my side.

"Are you all right?" he whispers. I manage a weak nod. He takes the child from my arms and hands her to Oscar. "Ashlyn needs to get some rest so we'll take our leave."

Zane picks up our packs from the ground and slings them both over his right shoulder. He leads me toward the main doors of the inn, his arm curled around my back.

"Wait!" Emma cries. "Please Ashlyn, I'd like to talk more. I have several important things to tell you."

I stop but don't turn to face her. Zane senses my hesitation, though he doesn't know the cause. My heart melts under his concerned gaze. Deep down I know Emma and Oscar are not bad people just because they're Algoran. But, it's hard to set aside a hatred nurtured by an entire village for a lifetime. Besides, something about this whole situation seems suspicious at best. Gathering my courage, I take a deep breath and turn to face her.

"I'll meet you for lunch tomorrow at noon," I say, flinching at the catch in my voice. "But I want Zane there with me."

"That's fine. Thank you for agreeing to talk with me. I know you can't be too happy with this whole situation right now," she says, bowing her head.

Turning away, I allow Zane to lead me into the inn. It's obvious he's quite curious about the exchange, but he doesn't ask about it. I take time during the walk to our room to gather my thoughts. Why was an Algoran in Verdane anyway? Was our meeting tonight accidental or did they plan it? Well I doubt they would put themselves in such danger just to stop me from completing my quest. Moreover, Oscar did help Zane rescue me from the river. He could have released the rope, letting us drown.

My thoughts are still racing as Zane ushers me into our room. It's almost a mirror image of our room at the last inn. I walk over and collapse on the soft king size bed while Zane opens the patio door to let Shadow into the room. The ebony wolf drops to the floor and curls up in a ball by the bed. Shadow closes his eyes and appears to fall asleep within moments. Perhaps Shadow has the right idea. It's been a long, tedious, over all horrible day. All I want is to curl up in a nice warm bed wrapped in Zane's arms.

"Would you like a shower before bed?" Zane asks in a soft whisper.

"I think I've had enough water for one day," I say, managing a tiny smirk. "I just want to go to sleep."

"Then perhaps you'd be more comfortable under the covers instead of sprawled over the top," he suggests, smirking back.

He starts to remove his armor and I prop my chin on my hand to gaze at him. My eyes follow his every slight movement, drinking in the play of muscles beneath his clothing. When he finishes with his armor, he sits down and pulls my gauntlet off, tossing it into the corner. I allow him to pull off my wet boots before climbing under the soft covers, collapsing on my back.

He turns off the two gas lamps on either side of the bed before crawling under the blanket with me. Lying on his side and supporting his head with his hand, he gazes at me, his fingertips running across my cheekbone then down my jawline. The glow from the gas lamps outside filters through the curtains on the far window, leaving the room bathed in dim light. He continues to stare at me, his eyes glowing, curiosity and worry reflected within their depths.

"So are you going to tell me what Emma said?" he asks, brushing some stray hair from my face with a light caress of his fingers.

"She and Oscar are from Algora."

He continues to run light caresses up and down both sides of my face. My eyes flutter closed as I lean into his hand.

"I see."

My eyes are still closed when I feel his lips brush against mine. The kiss is gentle and quick and not at all what I was expecting. When he pulls away my eyes fly open to meet his. Concern is etched in the frown lines marring his forehead.

"Come here, Love," he says, lying down on his back, arms extended.

Did he just call me Love? My heart feels like it just might explode from happiness. Unable to conceal the brilliant smile, which replaces my earlier scowl, I curl up in his arms with my head on his shoulder.

"Sleep," he commands in the barest of whispers.

I start to drift off, all thoughts of Emma and Algora banished. Instead, my mind is filled with images of dark auburn hair and glittering garnet eyes.

****

My mind alerts me to the morning before my body is ready to respond. A slight shift in my position sends waves of pain shooting throughout my body. The arms encircling me tighten, and I grimace when several new throbbing aches surface. Hopefully this place has a hot spring. I'd sell my soul for a soak in some hot water right now.

Lying still for a moment, I listen to Zane's steady breathing. He's still asleep. Goddess only knows how long he kept watch the night before last. Poor guy must be exhausted. Well, poor guy or not, I need to soak these aches and pains away. He's curled up behind me on his side with my back flush against his chest. His legs are entwined around mine. I try to get up without disturbing him, but he seems to have no intention of loosening his grip on me.

"Zane?" I call, wriggling in his embrace. "Zane, wake up," I say a bit louder, squirming against his iron grip.

"Dear Goddess, Ashlyn," he chokes out as his body tenses up. "Don't squirm like that. You'll be the death of me."

When the meaning of his words sinks in, I can feel my face begin to burn. Thank goodness I'm facing away from him and he can't see my embarrassment. Or rather excitement.

"Sorry," I squeak out. A few deep breaths later, I'm able to regain my composure. "My muscles are really sore. I don't suppose there's a hot spring here?"

"Hmm," he mutters.

He hasn't let go of me, and it appears he somehow managed to go back to sleep. Craning my neck around, I gaze at his sleeping face, noting the bright pink flush staining his cheeks. Maybe I should just let him be for a moment. Nah, what would be the fun in that? Ignoring my achy body, I writhe a bit in his arms trying to get his attention. His arms tighten around me then I feel his lips on my neck. It's now my turn to tense in his embrace. His teeth graze my neck right at the pulse point. My back arches which thrusts my hips into him, making me gasp at the riot of sensations coursing through me. The contact evokes a loud moan from Zane. He bites and sucks at my neck eliciting tiny sighs of pleasure from my throat. His deep chuckle reverberates through my body, causing my stomach to clench with desire. A loud knock at the door interrupts a rather passionate kiss. I struggle to rise, but Zane pulls me down against him.

"Ignore it," he commands.

I'm more than happy to oblige, and I turn in his arms to capture his lips with mine. The rapping on the door continues, gaining in frequency and duration. When I try to pull away Zane grabs my hair and holds me against him. Shadow's whining joins in with the knocking, creating an impossible-to-ignore cacophony.

"Great, just great," he mutters before releasing me and stomping to the door. With a growl worthy of a lion, he jerks the door open. "Yes?" he roars.

Oscar bursts into the room. His gaze moves from Zane's flushed face to my form curled up under the blanket. Shaking his head, he walks over and collapses on the edge of the bed. His hair is a disheveled mess and his clothing is askew.

"Ronan is missing!" he cries, dropping his face into his hands. Crawling to the end of the bed, I sit next to him. Zane sits on his other side.

"I assume he's your son?" Zane asks. Oscar nods. "How long has he been gone?"

"Several hours at least," he says, misery seeping through his voice. "He fought with us at breakfast and stormed out."

"Well, he couldn't have gone far. I mean this inn is gated isn't it? The guards wouldn't let a child leave alone," I say, trying to comfort Oscar. Though, one glance at the man is enough to see my placating words offer little solace.

"Hmm," Zane seems to be deep in thought, "I'll take Shadow and speak with the guards." He turns to Oscar. "Do you have anything with the child's scent for Shadow to track?" Oscar holds out a small jacket to Shadow. The wolf smells it then glances around confused.

"We'll need to take it with us," I say softly. "Shadow will need to be reminded of the scent periodically."

"Stay here, Ashlyn," Zane insists. "You're in no condition to traipse around. Go to the bathhouse and take a hot bath. I'll find the child before you know it."

"No. I can't relax while a child may be in danger," I say as I pull my boots on, sighing in relief that they're dry now. "I'll come with you." I watch him put on his boots and attach his sword to his belt. "Do you really think you'll need the sword?"

"I hope not," he says, pulling me off the bed. "If you want to accompany me you need to arm yourself." I attach my dagger to my thigh and grab my bow and arrows. "Better," he concedes, "let's go." Oscar follows us out the door. "Make sure someone's in your room in case the boy returns."

"Emma's there. I'll keep searching in here," he says motioning to the inn.

As Shadow and I follow Zane outside, my eyes dart around. This place is huge! In my exhausted state last night, I didn't notice how vast the grounds are. Zane holds the jacket out to Shadow again. The black wolf sniffs it, mouth hanging open to inhale the scent. He snuffles at the ground and the air then lopes off. We follow a short distance behind. I'm dismayed when we reach a hedge in front of a section of the outer stone wall. Shadow burrows into the thick brush then whines and backs out. Zane kneels down and crawls into the space Shadow made.

"The mortar's crumbled," he mutters while crawling back out. "There's a hole just big enough for a child back there. It appears he left the grounds."

My heart sinks when I recall the number of monsters we encountered last night on our way here. The boy must've been aware of the danger, especially after the ordeal the previous night. What would make a child run away onto the dangerous plain? Oscar stops us just as we reach the gate to leave the grounds.

"He ran away out there, didn't he?" Oscar asks, pointing out to the plains. I merely nod in response and he lowers his head, staring at his feet. "I was afraid of this. Stay here, I'll bring the horses. You may need them since Ronan has at least a two-hour head start on you." Zane and I watch in silence as Oscar races off to the stables.

"How far do you think Ronan went?" I ask Zane when Oscar's form disappears around the corner.

"I have no idea," Zane responds, staring out toward the plains. "The horses will be a big help though. We'll make much better time and cover more ground quickly. I just don't think he's hiding nearby."

Oscar returns, leading the two white horses by the reins.

"I hope you can ride bareback," he says, turning the reins over to Zane. "I seldom ride them so I don't have saddles."

Zane glances over at me and I nod my head. I can ride quite well, and I always ride without a saddle.

"It'll be fine," Zane replies, guiding the horses out the main gate. "We'll be back soon. Try not to worry." He leads the horses along the outer wall until we reach the small hole he found earlier. "Okay Shadow, find the boy," Zane orders. The wolf sniffs the ground then races off toward the river.

We quickly mount the horses then chase after Shadow through the tall verdant grass. My eyes dart around searching for any signs of monsters. Thankfully, all I see is the vast plain stretched in all directions. We ride hard for quite a while, chasing after the wolf. The horses seem happy to run across the prairie. I doubt they get much chance to gallop since they're always pulling the wagon. Wind whips across my face, pulling strands of hair free from my long braid. This ride is exhilarating, had I been doing this under other circumstances I'd be ecstatic. However, worry over the lost little boy weighs on my soul.

Somewhere along this mad ride, I begin to wonder if a small child could travel this far in only a couple of hours. I hope Shadow is still following the scent and not merely racing with the horses. Before long I hear the roaring of the Daniale River ahead. Shadow stops at the bridge we fought on last night and paces back and forth sniffing the ground. This isn't a good sign. Has he lost the scent? Perhaps the scents from last night and today are intermingling. Shadow snuffles at the air then sits on his haunches releasing a soft whimper. I guess the scent ends here.