Chapter 35

When the gates to the village opened, Nathair stuck his snout between the folds of his tail. He flicked his tongue forward, tasting who approached, and gave an irritated, yet quiet hiss.

More soldiers.But no Anzúli this time.

He made sure they weren't attempting to leave. Until his little female was returned to the security he offered her, no one was allowed to leave. Until she was utterly safe in his arms, every passing moment they courted their deaths by making him wait.

It had been a day since the Anzúli leader had approached him. He was growing more frustrated with every hour that went by, and no one had deigned to give him more information.

She was alive and recovering; that's all he knew.

The two soldiers approached him, leather creaking as their weapons thumped against their sides.

He retracted his head so he could pop out the top of his coil and face them.

He examined their dull expressions, both with cleanly shaved faces. Both wore a metal breastplate and hide armour, and appeared to be well composed. Their scents were new to him, as if they were drawing straws or daring each other to see who was courageous enough to face the ‘Duskwalker.'

Nathair played nice – there was little other choice.

Are these two soldiers or bandits? Right now, everyone was suspicious to Nathair.

His orbs shifted red the closer they came until they were directly before him. He waited for them to speak.

"We've been advised by the mayor to ask you to leave," the one on the right stated, placing his hand on the pommel of his sword.

Nathair gave his usual response: a rolling, growling, low hiss.

"You won't let anyone leave to obtain supplies, and there are sick people here. You've been here for three days. At this point, we're going to start needing food."

Nathair gave a small chuckle and was purposeful with his sniffs. I smell plenty of food coming from your town, human. Lots of animals, and smokes with herbs on the wind.

Folding his arms across his broad humanoid chest, he settled back on his tail. Nathair tilted his head, waiting for a better excuse.

The other soldier shot his companion a ponderous look. "Look. We appreciate you bringing the lass here, but you're frightening everyone. The children are terrified, the women refuse to leave their homes. You won't let men leave to chop firewood, and you're essentially choking the village of necessities."

Nathair shrugged before pointing to the town.

"We won't give you the girl, Duskwalker," the man to the right firmly stated.

Just as he was about to growl in response, the left said, "She's asked for you to leave."

That immediately quietened him. Linh asked for me to leave?

Agitated, his gestures were jarred and sharp as he signed, "She's awake? Why did no one tell me?"

How long had he been sitting out here patiently while his female was awake?! It was concerning that she hadn't come out here, especially since it was likely she knew he was here... waiting for her.

"Did you not hear us?" the one on the right asked, his tone growing deep with annoyance. "She's asked for you to leave. She doesn't want you here, doesn't need your help. She doesn't want to go back to whatever hovel it is you call a home."

Nathair raised his hands, but the left stated, "Now that she's safe and with her family, she wants to stay with them. It's ridiculous for you to keep waiting here for a woman who isn't interested in being your friend."

She's more than my friend.She would, hopefully, be his bride. But is that what she told them? That they were nothing but platonic companions, even after everything they'd achieved together? Even after all the ways he'd savoured the little female?

"She's scared you'll hurt her again. She almost died because of your venom." The one on the right tsked, only to fold his meaty arms across his chest. "You're a Duskwalker. To us, to her, you're no better than a Demon."

"What if you do it again and the occult can't save her?"

"Going with you will just end up being a death sentence for her, and she's not willing to risk it again. Let her be with her family."

"She has a little sister–"

They continued to talk over each other, speaking fast and low, making Nathair snap his skull one way and the other. He couldn't deny what they were saying.

I always knew there would be a possibility she may not want me once she was with her people.He'd known it when he brought her here, but he'd taken that risk purely to save her life. It was true she'd almost died because of him, but she would have to know that was an accident.

He had vague memories of that morning; he remembered enough.

The human males sped up their discourse, muttering loudly and then quietly, and the sound of their colliding voices clashed with those already swelling in his mind. He groaned and clutched the side of his skull, trying to keep them at bay.

He'd slipped into many fragments in her absence.

The removal of his sound barrier – his coils – only made the chatter from the village mingle inside his head. Many scents flittered through the air: a light tangle of fear, food, plants, and creatures. There was even blood, forcing him to drown his tongue in drool and breathe through his mouth to combat how it made his orbs brighten in their red hue.

It's dangerous for me to remain.

Yet Nathair produced a dark, possessive chuckle, and gave a universal hand gesture. One he'd seen his many fragments produce, no matter what land they came from.

He lifted his right hand, gave them his middle finger, and they both shut the fuck up. One's eyes even widened in surprise.

I'm not leaving until that female comes out here herself.Until then, these people could send out whatever messengers they wished, and they would get the same response.

The only creature he trusted was his little nightingale. Not her father, the Anzúli that tried to make him leave as well, and absolutely not these men. Whether their words were the truth or lies, he wouldn't follow anyone's orders.

They both pulled out their weapons, two swords that glinted in the muted lighting from the heavy clouds above.

"We told you to fucking leave!" the right one stated, foolishly coming forward to kick at his tail with the bottom of his boot. "She doesn't want you! Leave us be!"

He chuckled harder. It was the only thing keeping the rage at bay. It was the only thing stopping him from darting forward with his claws bared and rending these two in fucking half.

He released the tip of his tail and slipped it to the side. It caught the sides of their feet and sent them straight to their arses. As they were fighting to get up, Nathair reached down and grabbed the back collars of their metal-and-leather armour. They roared yells when he lifted them off the ground, their meaty legs dangling as they kicked, and he slithered towards the village gate.

He didn't dare get too close, but he threw both men towards the partially open gate. They rolled, thumping and clattering against the dirt. The one that slid across the dirt on his front almost had his feet touch the back of his head, while the other skidded on his side.

Nathair turned, giving them his back as he moved a safe distance away. He returned to his place of rest, and once more waited, wrapping his tail around himself tighter when the space felt emptier without his warm, soft female.

You are running out of time, Linh.Because Nathair was patient, but he wasn't that patient.

A hand slapping over Linh's mouth shoved her into alertness within seconds. Blinded by the darkness of night, Linh struggled just as a scream to her right cut short.

An oil lap being lit brightened the infirmary and revealed four men.

Her stark expression and wide eyes flicked to Glenda, who lay in the other bed. With a knife held to her throat, the wielder placed his index finger over his lips to quieten her.

"Be quiet, Priestess." He reached for the bottom of her mask to push it off. "I've always wanted to know what you guys look like under your masks."

With a hand still over her lips to stop her from crying out, Linh wiggled in a poor attempt to help. Oh no. They'll see she's not human!

When the mask was pulled away, Glenda had her eyes clamped shut, likely to hide whatever glow they had. A head cap was tied around her hair just above her brow, hiding her third eye from view.

Linh settled at the realisation that the Anzúli people were wise enough to cover themselves even beneath their masks.

"I thought she'd be ugly, but she's actually rather cute," he stated, before one of his waiting companions grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't. They're not to be messed with," he stated, eyeing her warily. "Apparently they leave curses on people. Turn them into harbingers of bad omens. Best to do what we came here for."

The bandit with the knife to Glenda's throat sneered but nodded. He was given a long strip of cloth, and he shoved it between her teeth before they bound her wrists and ankles together. They tied her hands to the headrest of the bed.

Forcibly flipped to her stomach, Linh's heart raced when they shoved her arms behind her back.

"Please," she begged.

The bandit holding her down leaned over her. "Shut up." Her wrists burned when he knotted a strip of material too tight around them. "You knew Bragg would want you back when he heard of your return."

Huffing against the pillow, she shifted her face towards the window. Night was upon them.

"I-I can't leave. Not in the dark." Not at all! She didn't want to go back to Bragg.

Fearful tears instantly welled, and her throat thickened as she wept. Linh trembled and fought when he tried to pull her to her knees.

"This one over here thought telling us you're menstruating and sleeping in here would protect you, but you forget what we are, lass."

Another bandit gave a mocking laugh. "We may not be Demonslayers, but we're hunters of the night."

"Let the Demons come for us," the bandit across the room said as he rose away from Glenda. "Just more for us to kill."

Barefooted and in her white hospital gown, Linh was dragged off the bed until her hip hit the ground. They quickly yanked her to her feet.

"M-my people will riot." She was willing to say anything to stop them.

"They won't." One laughed, grabbing her by the arm to shove her against a different bandit. "They can threaten it all they like, but your father won't risk the women, children, and invalids of this village by bringing Demons upon them."

"How else do you think we take over other towns? Their fear of retaliation doesn't come from us, but monsters."

"The Duskwalker will come for me!" she shouted, just as cloth was shoved between her teeth and muffled her protests.

"That creature will leave when you don't show. It's already proven it won't enter the village, so it'll eventually get the point."

"We've already told the Duskwalker you don't want to see it again. And we'll keep doing so until it fucks off. We'll even make your father help us, if need be."

No,she mentally cried. Please, Nathair. Please don't leave. Please don't let them take me.

"Even if he does come to our camp, the pits will get him," one said with a chuckle. "We were surprised we weren't dragging your corpse off of spikes the night you left. You almost ran straight into one, you silly woman."

The blood drained from her face, and she was unsure if it was because she'd been close to falling to her death the night she escaped, or from fear that Nathair would fall into one.

She squealed as she was hoisted over one of their shoulders, and her hair fell around the sides of her head, blocking her vision. Linh kicked her legs in a futile attempt to escape.

"Are Johnathan and Daniel ready?" the one holding her asked.

"Yeah. They've already scouted and it's all clear."

They all gave a grunt of acknowledgement and swiftly moved out of the building. The early hour of the morning ensured no one had left their homes. The bandits travelled through the village in the darkest and most shielded alleys as possible, heading for the southwest region of the village.

This isn't the way to the front gate.Why go this way? There was only one exit to and from the village, and she'd been hoping Nathair would see and stop them from taking her.

She managed to look up and accidentally caught the gaze of a man running behind them. With her brows furrowed, she noted the way humour seemed to light up in his eyes.

"You didn't think we were going through the gate, did you?" he whispered. His following chuckle was cruel. "We always make our own escape routes out of towns."

Her heart doubled its frantic pace, and her struggles renewed in strength. Linh wiggled and squirmed, doing anything and everything to be put down.

"Just hold fucking still!" the bandit carrying her bit out, only to bounce her.

Her diaphragm came back down on his shoulder so hard she choked out a grunt. Pain made her eyes water even more, and bile rose to her throat at the intense hit. Linh coughed, gagging as her mouth drooled, only for her saliva to be soaked up by the rag quietening her. Her lungs seized, and she grew lightheaded.

A fifth man joined them. Her hazy eyes found his face, and he looked young and unsure.

"I don't see why we're doing this," he whispered, looking around as if he expected something to come along and stop them. "She's one woman. Is it really worth the risk?"

The man at the rear stepped closer so he could speak in a hushed tone. "Listen, lad, Bragg doesn't ask for much. He doesn't keep any coin, gives the best food to others, and takes care of us. All he wants is a woman and kids. I don't think it's much of an ask, considering he's been butchering Demons for others his whole life."

"Yeah, but she doesn't–" A choke grunted out of him when his throat was grabbed.

The troop carting her through the back end of the village moved on, while the two men stayed behind. She caught the first half of their conversation before the rest was lost to the distance between them.

"We're leaving tomorrow," the man grated down to the younger bandit. "We've had it with the villages in this area; they're people who have been hardened by the mountain Demons. Her father is the worst of them, and Bragg wants to take her with us. So, you can complain all you like, but you're either with us, or you're fucking dead. Pick one, because–"

When they reached the wall next to the mountain cliff, they halted. One of the wooden stakes protecting the village groaned and creaked as it tipped forward, and Linh realised they'd removed nails and bolts so it would move like a hinge. The gap was narrow. One bandit stepped through sideways, squeezing his thick body past before they tossed her into his arms. The rest followed behind.

Her breaths only grew stronger so she could suffocate on them. Anxiety clawed when she couldn't see the village gates from here; therefore, Nathair wouldn't spot their escape.

Skittering in the distance only made her aware that she was out in the open, with six guards, and bleeding between her legs like a piece of bait. She resumed her kicking as the village began to fade from view.

Oh gods. Someone help me!