Chapter 22

Erhan

Erhan gazed toward the horizon, watching as the sun slowly edged its way downward. The first hints of orange had found their way into the light, and with each passing moment, his chest constricted a little more.

He still didn’t know where Kleena was.

“Come on,” he muttered under his breath.

In spite of himself, he had been thinking of her all day, willing her to come back after their fight by the well. But she hadn’t returned, and although he didn’t like to admit it, he was worried for her.

He glanced behind him at the door to Calla’s home, wondering if he should simply go inside and wait for her. Calla had already begun to prepare dinner, and Erhan didn’t want to believe that anything but a normal meal would take place.

But he knew that even if Kleena did return soon, it would be a tense affair.

I shouldn’t have been so harsh with her , he thought, gritting his pointed teeth. She didn’t deserve my temper.

But his concern about an awkward meal grew smaller and smaller as the minutes ticked by. There was still no sign of Kleena, and by now, it was approaching sunset. Erhan was wrestling with the prospect of going to look for her when a sudden, deafening noise from overhead broke his concentration.

It took only a split second to recognize the Jorvlen ship, and Erhan slipped behind a nearby tree, out of sight from the village square where the vessel was landing.

As soon as it did, though, chaos broke out. Villagers who, moments before, had been playing with their children or tending their gardens, suddenly scattered. Their cries mingled with the shouts of the Jorvlen thugs who emerged from the ship with menacing scowls and even more menacing weapons.

A small herd of caseen scattered, their hooves kicking up dust in their wake. A young woman screamed and fell to her knees as one Jorvlen caught her by the wrist and began to threaten her.

Erhan’s heart raced as he watched the scene unfold, but he already knew what he had to do. The villagers had been nothing but kind and helpful to him and Kleena. They didn’t deserve to suffer.

“Let go of her, you scum!” Erhan shouted, stepping out from behind the tree. “Come and get what you really came for!”

The Jorvlen suddenly dropped the woman, who scrambled to the safety of the nearest hut. Erhan had succeeded in catching his enemies’ attention. Now he only had to outpace them long enough to hide.

With one last look of challenge, Erhan turned, slithering swiftly toward the open fields and away from the village. He could hear the heavy crash of boots on cobblestones, turning to dense thuds as they met the open earth. It told him the Jorvlen were following close behind and that, at the very least, he’d managed to draw attention away from the villagers.

Bowing low to the ground, Erhan picked up his pace, slithering through the tall fields of grain as the Jorvlen struggled to keep up. He wanted to give them just enough of a glimpse of him to keep them on his tail but not enough that they might try to fire at him.

It didn’t take long for him to cross the fields, and soon, Erhan was leading them into the forest. As he went, he thought of Kleena. If she had made it back to the village by now, she would be safe. He was sure no Jorvlens had lingered behind. It was clear they’d need all their forces if they wanted to capture him.

If Kleena had made it back, Erhan was certain Calla and Marcus would swiftly keep her out of sight until the threat had blown over.

And if she hadn’t…

Erhan tried to push the thought from his mind as he slithered into the cool air of the forest. Behind him, he heard the Jorvlens shouting as they hurried to keep up. Then a crack pierced the air.

One of the Jorvlens had hurled a massive hammer toward him, and it had struck a nearby tree. The weapon had been thrown with such force that the trunk split and splintered.

Erhan hesitated for a second, shocked by the sudden attack, but that was a mistake. Two of the Jorvlen were upon him while the others hurried to catch up.

Instinctively, Erhan hissed and showed his fangs. He could taste the venom beginning to drip from their points already and his hood flared in a show of warning.

The Jorvlens backed off momentarily, which gave Erhan just enough time to snatch a large branch that had been knocked off the tree when the hammer struck. With a cry, he swung it wildly, fending off the two Jorvlens and almost knocking the weapon from one of their hands. Another swing had them stepping back again.

However, it was only a few moments before the rest of them caught up, and when they did, Erhan knew he couldn’t fight them. Not without a real weapon. Instead, he hissed a warning at them again, taking off while he still had them at a distance.

The sound of sticks and leaves crunching underfoot followed him as he slithered deeper and deeper into the forest. The only thought that kept him going was the knowledge that he had spared the villagers—and Kleena—from their wrath.

Suddenly though, another sound pierced the forest—one that made him question whether he had really done what he’d thought.

“Let me go!”

It stopped Erhan in an instant, even though he knew the enemy was just behind him. But the voice was unmistakable. It was Kleena.

With renewed vigor, he sprang forward, following the voice, but even before he reached her, he knew what he was stumbling into. He heard other voices too—deep male voices, speaking with the clipped guttural tones of the Jorvlen.

“Giving orders doesn’t suit you,” one of them grunted while the others laughed. “You’ll have to learn your place all over again.”

Erhan heard a small cry, and when he made his way through the trees, he saw her.

Kleena was in the clutches of two huge Jorvlen guards, her hands held back in such a way that made her grimace from the pain. Her hair was tousled and matted from what Erhan assumed was a struggle, and her cheeks were flushed.

He wanted to take her into his arms right then and there, but the Jorvlens ahead had already spotted him. A second later, the rest of them came up behind him, hemming them both in.

“Well, well,” one of the Jorvlens snarled. “Nice of you to show up and try and reclaim our property.”

The Jorvlens sniggered, but Erhan’s blood boiled.

“Watch your mouth,” he warned, slithering forward and baring his deadly fangs, venom dripping from their tips.

The laughter died out as one of the guards shot Erhan a menacing look. “You watch yours.” The Jorvlen grunted before pulling out a long, slick knife and holding it up to Kleena’s throat. The look of terror in her eyes was enough to still Erhan, though he kept his fangs exposed as a warning. “That’s what I thought,” the Jorvlen sneered, a smug look spreading across his face. “Now you’re gonna come with us or the slave gets it.”

Kleena shot him a look that said “no,” but there was no way Erhan would leave her to this fate. He had saved her once, and he could— would —save her again.

For a second, he considered trying to fight his way out and rescue Kleena that way, but he didn’t need to be a trained soldier to know it was a futile task. He was surrounded and outnumbered, not to mention, he had no weapon.

“Fine,” he spat at the guard. “I’ll come with you.”

The guard grinned and slowly lowered the knife from Kleena’s throat. The relief in her eyes was palpable, but so was her guilt. Erhan knew there was no other way, though. She was safe—for now.

“Get him in chains!” the guard shouted to the Jorvlens behind him. It took only a second before Erhan felt their rough grip on his shoulders and wrists. It was clear the Jorvlens enjoyed binding him, and a pair of shackles clamped down on his wrists, a little harder than was necessary.

Erhan hardly felt it, though. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Kleena, who was undergoing the same treatment. It wasn’t until they had been hauled into the enemy ship and thrown into a cell together, though, that she brought herself to return his gaze.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean for you to—”

“Shhh,” Erhan interrupted, hoping his care was conveyed in his eyes. “It’ll be okay.”

In the silence that followed, they simply stared into each other’s eyes. Erhan hoped Kleena believed his words.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure if he did.