Never Yours ✔️

Ch. 33

She woke up with a pounding headache. Everything inside of her ached. Ropes rubbed at her wrists and ankles and she tested them as she cracked open her eyes.

The three dusk riders sat a few feet away around a dim fire. The day had long since passed and they spoke quietly to each other under the starlight. Arysa tugged at the ropes, but whoever tied them knew what they were doing. She couldn't get out of this one. Her heart pounded in her chest and she strained her ears.

"--won't be happy about this." One of them said. His voice was strangely human, so ordinary that it unnerved her.

Another answered softly words Arysa couldn't pick up.

The one who spoke first stared into the flames. "He's using us for his own personal reasons, you and I both know that's not going to go over well."

The second nodded. "We should just kill the girl and be done with it."

Arysa's stomach pitched and her breath caught.

The third rider had been staring into the distance as the others spoke, but at the second's words, he turned his head slowly to face them.

"We have our orders." He said lowly. "He is to be as respected as he is. He's his closest ally. We have no right to question either of their judgement."

The first grumbled, but nodded his head.

Suddenly all three of them looked up into the distance and Arysa propped herself up on her elbows as the sound of hoofbeats thundered through the night.

The second glanced back and caught Arysa's eye. His narrowed.

"She's awake." He said.

The first turned back and the two approached her. She sat up and twisted away from them as they grabbed her arms roughly and hoisted her up between them. They dragged her forward and she struggled vainly against them. The third stood and the other two held Arysa between them behind him.

A rider approached, cloaked in black on a midnight horse. Arysa can't see clearly from behind the third rider. The newcomer reined in his horse and swung himself over the side, landing with a quiet thud on the ground. The third rider stepped aside and the other two threw Arysa down at the newcomer's feet. She hit the ground with a gasp and picked herself up on her knees. Her eyes liftedfrom the black boots to the slick black trousers, up the inky tunic embroidered with gold, to the cold yellow eyes. Her hair fell into her eyes, but she didn't move it away, turning away from him to spit at his feet.

He only sighed and leaned down, taking her arms and lifting her to her feet.

"Thank you." He said to the riders. "Your service will not go unrewarded."

Arysa jerked at his hold and his fingers tightened, his jaw clenching. He lifted her onto his horse and climbed up behind her. She wouldn't look at him, staring straight ahead, even as his finger ran down her cheek and his chest pressed into her side, his arms circling her to reach for the reins.

He kicked his heels into the horse's sides and turned him around, forcing them into a gallop back towards Raida.

But they never reached the city.

Serden brought her to an old house, long abandoned and dusty from disuse. He dismounted and pulled her down, ignoring her attempts to get away and dragging her inside.

Her heart pounded as her eyes flit around the space. It was completely empty, no furniture, nothing. What was this place? And why was she here?

He shoved her to the floor and stood over her, his yellow eyes flaring with anger.