Chapter 5

5

REYA

O kay, this is bad. Really bad. Originally, climbing a tree seemed like the best way to make it through the night with my life intact. Now, I'm not so sure. I look down as one of the snarling beasts glares up at me and digs its sharp claws into the cold, dark soil at the base of the tree. I've never seen a night mutt this close before. And I've certainly never seen a pack of thirty of them. I startle when one raises its head and howls deep and long into the night. My poor heart plummets when it hears resounding replies from all directions of the realm. Yes, this is really about the worse situation I have ever found myself in, and Arkynn and I have been in some blinders before, believe me.

One mutt claws the tree, sniffing the air, and its eyes glow through the darkness as they meet mine. "Nice, doggy," I say, shooing it away with my hand and pleading with it to go hunt for something else. "I'm not that tasty. I promise." Arkynn would laugh at me if he could see me now—hiding up a tree and trying to talk the mutts into not eating me for supper. I know when to choose my battles, and fighting a horde of hungry night mutts would be suicidal.

My eyes widen in fear when more mutts prowl from the tree line and join the ever-growing number circling me. I look up at the night sky and try to work out how many hours until dawn. One mutt, that has just joined the others, places its front paws on the tree as if testing out the grip. It jumps up on its hind legs and sinks its claws into the tree trunk. It makes an excited grunt when it finds a good grip, then attempts to climb the trunk. I know my only option is to go higher and hope the beast falls before it gets to me. I reach for a higher branch and in my rush to keep some distance between myself and my predator. My foots slips and I let out a scream as I grasp for the branch above me and stop myself from plummeting over ten-foot to the ground. Another mutt has been watching the brave one, and it follows suit, attempting the climb to reach me. I laugh out loud at no one. Of all the ways I envisioned dying, this wasn't one of them. Perhaps this is a blessing. Better this than being a sacrifice to some shadow god. I pause my climbing when I swear I hear the galloping of horses' hooves. I shake my head. I'm clearly hearing things. Who would be dumb enough to be in these woods after dark?

But I'm not imagining it! The sound gets louder and closer and I thank Mother Crystal for her intervention when I see a group of cloaked figures heading this way through the clearing between the trees. The rider leading the group pulls back his cloak and I watch as he opens his arms and dark billowing shadows crawl from his body and seep out into the darkness of the night. Shadow Borne. Out of everyone who could have come to my rescue tonight, it had to be them. The hounds whimper as they watch his shadows creep forward. The other males descend from their horses and stand beside their leader, all of them releasing their shadows. I cling to the tree; my jaw opens in fascination as I watch their powers at work. I've only ever seen one Shadow Borne before and that was around six years ago when a troop came to collect our soldiers and take them off to fight in their war. I'd heard the women in the inn talk about how handsome and rugged they are. They are taller and leaner than our own men. Their grey eyes glow through the darkness as they use their magic. Shadows extend from them, slithering through the air, growing like a dark omnipresent monster. It is both fascinating and terrifying to watch.

The hounds snarl and bare their teeth at the men as they retreat closer to the tree, almost as if they are seeking protection themselves. The two mutts that have been attempting to climb the tree scarper down and join their packs, forming a circle around the tree, clawing at the earth and dropping their heads low as if they are readying for attack. Something pulls in my chest at the fear I pick up from them. One looks up at me and whimpers and it's the strangest thing. It is like it looks deep into my soul and pulls at an invisible string inside of me. I jump in fright when a shadow reaches the paws of one mutt and it yelps in pain and pulls its foot back, hugging itself closer to the tree trunk. Something about its pain and fear calls out to me. Will they all die here tonight? And frankly, why do I give a rat's ass if they do?

As the men's shadows slowly stalk towards them, they form into a tight group as they retreat into the treeline, and scupper away knowing they can't win here tonight. The last one to leave seems reluctant to do so. It looks like an alpha, larger than the rest, with a presence about him or her that screams authority. Its eyes meet mine and I don't know whether it's the adrenaline or sheer shock of everything that has happened tonight, but I could swear the thing bows its head in farewell before scurrying off into the night with its pack. Their howls echo through the silence as they retreat. I have been so busy watching the retreating mutts I forgot about the men below that came to my rescue.

"Miss, are you okay?" I look down to find a dark-haired man with hair that rests just above his shoulders with a neatly trimmed beard and strange grey eyes. He stands by the tree, looking up with an amused smile.

"I am now," I reply, my voice shaky as this eventful night catches up on me.

"Stay there, miss. We don't want you falling. I'll come and fetch you."

"No need," I say, holding out a hand to halt him. "I've been climbing trees since I was a child. I'll get myself down." The last thing I want is to accept the help of a shadow borne.

The man arches a brow. "Okay, miss. Go ahead." He looks both amused and intrigued by me. Grabbing onto a neighbouring branch, I lift my foot and move down onto the next branch, however my bones are stiff from the chill of the night and my foot slips. I cry out as I lose my footing and fall. I scream as I freefall. This is surely how I die tonight.

I jerk my eyes wide open when I realise I'm suspended in mid-air and I'm no longer plummeting towards the ground. Floating in the air, my eyes widen at the shadows tightly wrapped around my waist. My eyes follow the shadows to their owner, and I find myself trapped by a pair of the palest grey eyes I've ever seen. He is ethereal. His dark hair hangs over his forehead. His jaw is sharp, and his lips are full and inviting. The owner of the shadows slowly lowers me to the ground, bringing me before him. I wobble on my feet slightly and his shadows reach out and steady me. His eyes meet mine once more, a haughty glare in his eyes.

"What kind of fool are you?" He growls as he looks me over from head to toe. His every glance assessing me and making assumptions. When his gaze returns to my face, his nostrils flare in surprise when he takes in my eyes. "You're a Shadow Kissed."

I wrap my arms around myself and glare back at him. "I'm no fool, thanks very much. You think I'd be out here by choice? And yes, ten out of ten for observation. The eyes are a big giveaway!"

He blinks twice, as if surprised at the way I have spoken to him, his jaw tightening as I find his eyes on mine again. "Yours are different. Darker."

I snort and roll my eyes. Something about this arrogant man was pushing all my buttons tonight. "If everyone who told me that gave me a dreck, I'd be rich by now."

He tilts his head, his eyes narrowing as he studies me. "You don't like being Shadow Kissed." It's a statement rather than a question.

I sigh. It's clear that this guy has a talent for stating the obvious. "No. I don't." I look down at my arms to find his shadows stroking me. "Can you get these things to back off?"

He blinks as if being pulled from his thoughts and glances down at my arms, then coughs in surprise, immediately pulling his shadows back into himself. "Why is an unprotected Asen woman out here alone at night?" he barks, looking around as if he is going to find his answer out there.

"Let's just say it's one downside to being this," I say, pointing at my eyes. "Not everyone likes you."

His nostrils flare as he takes a step towards me, making me strain my neck to look up at him. "You mean to say someone purposefully left you out here?"

I chew on my bottom lip and tear my eyes from his. It's like I can feel him trying to dig into my mind and pull my secrets from me. "It was a prank."

I yelp in surprise when he grabs my arm and pulls me flush against him. "Your own people did this to you?" I can hear the anger in his tone.

"Have you finished manhandling me, please?" I say, pointedly looking at where his hands grip tightly on my arms, but he ignores me and leans down into my face.

"Who did this? I'll slice them open like a pig and bleed them dry," he says, his face snarling in a vicious sneer. Up close, his beauty is even more breathtaking. Whoever his parents are, they must both be the perfect match in terms of looks, because this man is perfection.

"Does it matter?" I ask him cooly, determined not to be the one to end this stare off. He's acting like this prank is a personal attack on his person.

"Why would they do this?" he asks me, ignoring my requests to release me. "You are their saviour. They should worship at your feet."

I scoff. He clearly has no clue. "Look shadow man. Thank you to you and your men for rescuing me and all, but it's late. I've had quite a shitty and eventful night, and I'd like to get home now."

"You'll come with us," he states. "We'll escort you home when it's dawn."

I arch my brow in response. "Actually, I think I'd prefer to go home now."

The other man, who offered to climb the tree to help me, comes up beside the moody one and squeezes his shoulder. He smiles at me in greeting. "It's not safe to travel with this many mutts in the area for any Asen. Our camp is just north of here. We are travelling to Terleigh in the morning."

"You're travelling to Terleigh," I repeat in surprise. "That's my hometown." My eyes narrow with suspicion. "Why are Shadow Borne travelling to Terleigh?"

The friendlier one of the two smiles warmly again. "We're collecting the new intake of soldiers for the war."

"But they're not due for enlistment for another three months," I say with a frown. I know the date they are due to enlist. I have it imprinted on my brain because it's the day that Arkynn and I will part ways for good.

"They're being enlisted early," he informs me. "Lord Commander, why don't you let go of the young lady's arms before you cut off her circulation and we'll head back to camp," he says with an amused grin as he claps his comrade on the back.

That explains the air of arrogance he has. He's their lord commander. He clears his throat and releases me. "Do you have a name, Asen?"

I don't like the way he says Asen. As if it's something below him. "This Asen does have a name, thank you."

The other man steps in front of his friend and offers out his hand. "Let's start again, shall we? My name is Jasiel, Captain of the Shadow Borne first army. This grouchy bastard beside me is our Lord Commander, Raegal. Would you please do me the honour of telling me your given name?"

I fight a smile. This one I like. Well, as much as one can like a Shadow Borne. The other one, not so much. "It's nice to meet you, Jasiel, despite the circumstances. My name is Eretreya."

"Eretreya," Raegal repeats, continuing to study me with that look of distaste on his face. "Greatness."

"Pardon?" I ask in confusion.

"Your name. It means greatness," Raegal says, that deep frown never leaving his face.

"Might mean that where you are from, but it doesn't mean that where I come from," I inform him with a dismissive shrug of my shoulders. I'm still reeling from the warm rush that coursed through my body at the sound of my name on his tongue.

"Well," Jasiel says, smiling at me and then Raegal. "It's late. I need ale and a bed. Please accompany us to our camp, Eretreya? I promise you will be safe with us, and we will return you safe and sound to your family on the morrow."

The Lord Commander doesn't wait for me to answer. He strides back over to his mare and mounts it and orders his soldiers to do the same. Jasiel gestures with his hand over to their mares and, as I don't see a spare one for me to ride, I make my way over to his. "Oh, you'll ride with our Commander, miss."

"Why can't I ride with you? I don't much like your boss," I tell him, not really making any effort to lower my voice.

This causes Jasiel to chuckle under his breath. "I'm afraid I must insist you ride with our Commander, miss. He is the strongest and most powerful of us all and the best one to protect you should those mutts decide to return."

Sighing, I look over at Raegal, who meets my gaze. He bobs his shoulders as if to say take it or leave it. Reluctantly, I nod my head. Jasiel picks me up like I weigh nothing and sits me astride the horse in front of their leader.

"Hold tight, little Asen," their Lord Commander whispers in my ear, making me jump. He orders his mare to move, and it takes off at speed through the forest, causing me to lean back into his chest. I try to keep my spine ramrod straight so I'm not touching him, but the speed these mares travel at makes that impossible.

"They're fast," I comment, my hands twitching at my sides with the need to grip on to something. I jerk in surprise when he takes my hands and places them on the reins next to his. These mares are nothing like our own. They are at least two feet taller, and their fur is the darkest shade of black I have ever seen. It glistens and moves as if made from shadows.

"They can go faster than this," he tells me. "This is nothing compared to what they can do."

"I'll take your word for it," I reply with wide eyes. This is more than fast enough for me. Any faster and I think I may have been leaning over the side and bringing up last night's food. We remain silent for the rest of the journey to their camp. I'm tired, but the speed of the mares and the unnerving presence of the man behind me keeps me awake. I'm shocked when we arrive at the camp at the sheer size of their travelling party. There are well over a hundred men, some shadow borne soldiers and others, young Asen men who have enlisted in their army. No one really takes any notice when we enter the encampment. Raegal jumps down from his horse. Before I can protest, his hands wrap around my waist, and he lifts me down and deposits me on my feet.

"Tafar," he shouts out to one of his men. "Fetch a blanket." The older man bobs his head and returns a second later with a thick woollen blanket, handing it to his master. "For the cold," he says, offering it to me with a frown.

"Thanks," I say begrudgingly as I drape it around my shoulders and embrace its warmth. My eyes linger on a warm open fire, and I long to warm myself by it.

"Sit by the fire," he gruffly suggests. "I'll get Jasiel to bring you some warm broth." With one last frown my way, he turns and strides away into a large tent guarded by two soldiers. Benefit of being the boss, I guess is you get the biggest tent.

"Take a seat, miss," Jasiel says, coming up beside me and guiding me to a log by the fireside. He offers me a bowl of steaming broth and I gladly accept it, and cup it between my hands, savouring the heat. My fingers feel like icicles.

My eyes are drawn to the tent Raegal entered. No doubt he eats alone in there, not willing to slum it with his soldiers. Of course, he chooses that moment to exit his tent and catches me staring. I quickly avert my eyes and concentrate on my broth.

He comes and takes a seat beside Jasiel, who hands him a bowl of broth. Other soldiers gather around the campfire, and I listen quietly as they all talk amongst themselves. "Is the broth warming you, miss?" the young soldier who was part of my rescue party asks me. He looks to be around seventeen. Far too young to be fighting in a war.

"It's perfect, thank you," I tell him. "I'd been in the woods for hours before you arrived, so the cold had chilled my bones."

"You will give me the name of the person who did this to you," Raegal says, not lifting his eyes from his food. "They left you out there to die and they must pay for their crimes."

"I survived. Let's just leave it be." The last thing I need is all of Terleigh finding out I was tricked because I thought I was meeting Arkynn, and he was going to declare his love for me. Who is he to demand I give him a name?

My eyes snatch up to meet his when he snickers. "Survived? Without our rescue, you would have been killed. That dagger in your back pocket wouldn't have saved you, either."

How did he know about my dagger? My hand subconsciously touches the side of my hip to check it is still there.

"I could feel it against my thigh when we were riding," he explains as if he somehow knows what I am thinking.

"It's just someone with a grudge. Who doesn't like that someone like me was chosen to be Shadow Kissed," I offer him.

His eyes meet mine across the fire, the light from the flames making the paleness of his eyes glisten. "Someone like you?" They almost look silver in this light. They are mesmerising.

I bob my shoulders. "You know, a person who would not exactly be considered as being beautiful."

I look up when I notice the surrounding silence. Jasiel mutters something under his breath and shakes his head whilst Raegal just stares at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Jealousy is a nasty trait," Jasiel says, placing his empty bowl down and stretching out. "Finor, fetch a jug of ale, will you? It's been a long day and I'm ready for some ale and some music. Orym, play us something."

Finor gets to his feet and rushes off in search of ale. "He's young to be fighting," I say as I watch his retreating figure.

"He wanted to enlist at seventeen. No one made him," Raegal informs me. He's finished his broth, and he stands up and takes off his cloak. Revealing muscled arms, decorated with intricate black swirling tattoos up his biceps. I wasn't wrong about my initial assessment of his physique. He is a wall of solid muscle.

Finor returns with the ale and offers out cups to everyone. When he offers me one, I accept it, curious to try their own ale. I swirl the drink around in the cup and sniff.

"Its good ale, trust me," Jasiel says with a grin as he takes a large drink and sighs in satisfaction.

"It's from your realm?" I ask. It's definitely not one we've ever served in Terleigh.

"It is. Much better than the crap you Asen's drink," he teases, lifting his mug in the air. "You'll never taste better."

I take a curious sip of my drink and swirl it around in my mouth before swallowing. Jasiel looks at me expectantly. "It's good," I agree.

Orym returns with a small wooden flute and starts up a lively tune, and some soldiers around the campfire sing along. Soon, they're up dancing and enjoying the merriment. Jasiel jumps to his feet and stands in front of me, offering out his hand. "Miss, we can't have a pretty girl around our fire who isn't dancing."

I decline, shaking my head, but he arches a brow at me as if to say he won't take no for an answer. I begrudgingly slip my hand into his and allow him to pull me up. He places an arm at my waist, his other holding my hand in his, and we dance around the fire. He twirls me and has me laughing as we dance faster. I catch his commander watching us with a strange expression on his face. I look back up at Jasiel to see he caught me watching his commander.

"His bark is worse than his bite," he assures me.

I laugh in disbelief. "Is it? Does he ever smile?"

Jasiel chuckles, spinning me around and catching me at my waist. "He does. He can even crack a joke or two."

"I'll take your word for it." It's hard to believe he does anything but frown.

"Seriously though. He's right. You would have died out there tonight. Whoever left you out there would have been responsible for your death. That isn't a prank, miss."

"Please, call me Reya," I insist. Who am I dancing and on first-name terms with a Shadow Borne? A soldier runs over to Raegal and whispers something in his ear, snagging my attention. As he listens, his eyes lift straight up to find mine. He stands up and stalks off alongside the soldier back the way he came from.

"Had you ever seen a mutt before tonight?" Jasiel asks me, as we dance around the fire once more. I'm out of breath with the reverie of the dancing.

"Not that close. I've seen them from the wall of our village. Their eyes glowing from the forest line around Terleigh. We lost a shoe smith to a pack of them two years ago."

Jasiel grimaces and says, "They're ferocious beasts that lack a master to control them." Our conversation is cut short when the commander comes up behind Jasiel and places a hand on his shoulder.

"Come with me and bring the Asen." He turns and stalks off without a backward glance. I begrudgingly follow Jasiel to the large tent.

The cheek of him calling me the Asen! I have a name!

We enter his tent. A pile of furs makes up a bed over at the back of the tent. I notice his armour and his glistening black sword sitting on a small wooden table. Surprisingly, though, that's as grand as it gets in here.

Raegal takes off his leather waistcoat and discards it on a wooden stool, leaving him clad in only a thin white shirt. "The mutts have followed her scent to our camp."

Jasiel frowns. "They followed her here, despite our presence?" He walks over to a table and picks up a jug, pouring himself a drink. He offers me one, but I decline, the news of the mutts making me no longer in the mood to drink and dance.

"There are over fifty of them circling the camp," Raegal says, looking disturbed by this latest development. "Its odd behaviour."

I chortle, and they both look at me in surprise. "I doubt they are here just for me. You have a camp full of Asen."

He shakes his head. "Even if we're travelling with Asen, they don't normally come near us. They stay away from fear of us. They've followed you here."

"What do we do?" Jasiel asks, becoming a mask of order.

"We put out extra patrols. She'll have to stay in here tonight," he says with a reluctant sigh. He gestures briefly at me before returning his attention to his friend.

"But where will you stay?" I ask, and this brings a smirk from him. I've never seen him smirk before, and it disarms me a little. You can say what you like about this man, but he is handsome.

"I'll be sleeping in here too, little Asen," he tells me, smirking when I gasp in horror.

"No!"

"No?" he says, almost doing a double take when I defy him.

"No. I'm not sleeping in here with you," I insist, folding my arms across my chest and raising my chin in defiance. He might be in charge of his soldiers, but he sure as hell isn't in charge of me. "I'd rather be back out there with the mutts than sleep beside one of your kind!"

"Miss, with all due respect. In here with Raegal will be the safest place for you," Jasiel chips in. I turn my frosty glare on him, and he takes a hasty step back.

"If I cover her scent with my shadows, they shouldn't try to infiltrate the camp. With any luck, they'll think they have lost her and move on," he tells Jasiel, once again talking about me like I'm not there.

"What do you mean by cover my scent with your shadows?" I ask him, not liking the sound of that one bit. "I'd rather your creepy shadows stayed the hell away from me." The thought of his shadows touching me fills me with disgust. I shudder at the very thought.

Raegal mutters something under his breath, clearly exasperated with me. "I'll sleep beside you and wrap us in my shadows. This will mask your scent. All they will smell is my shadow magic."

"There must be another way," I say. Sleeping next to a man, especially one as attractive and divine as him, is a first for me.

"Put extra guards outside my tent as well. Just to be sure. The sooner dawn arrives, the better." He disappears behind a curtain and comes back carrying an item of clothing in his hand. "Change into this. It has my scent on it." He tosses a white shirt to me and gestures to the curtain. I want to protest, but Jasiel looks at me as if to say, please just do as we ask.

I stride off behind the curtain and angrily undo my trousers and slip them off. I unlace my bodice and take off my shirt. I pull his shirt on over my head and grimace when I look down. The material is thin and light and doesn't hide much, including my stiff nipples that are standing to attention because of the change in temperature. I stand there for five minutes debating whether to walk back out there or just stay behind here all night and tell him I'll take my chance with the mutts.

Creeping out from behind the curtain, I catch Raegal removing his shirt. His broad, muscled back bears the intricate patterns of his shadows, which move and twist like they are alive. He turns and seems surprised to see me standing there. His eyes briefly skim over my bare legs before he clears his throat and gestures to the blankets. I scarper over to the makeshift bed on the floor and dive under the thick blankets, watching silently as he removes his boots. When he's done, he uses his shadows to blow out the candles in the tent, and then his dark silhouette stalks to the bed and he climbs in behind me.

He clears his throat. "This only works if I'm touching you."

"Wonderful," I reply dryly, my voice barely a whisper. He lies down behind me, and his arm moves around my waist. Raegal pulls me flush against his body causing me to inwardly curse.

"For Crystal's sake, relax, woman," he barks into my ear. "Anyone would think you'd never lain with a man. My shadows won't hurt you." I wait in silence for whatever happens next, and I gasp when I feel a tickle of a touch on my arm. It dances up my arm at the same time another touch runs across my other arm. Something warm touches my foot and I feel it wrap itself up and around my leg until it settles mid-thigh. It climbs up my other leg, but this one doesn't stop. It continues climbing up over my hip, causing me to gasp as its gentle caress climbs my body, circling my stomach and weaving around my back. It cloaks me in warmth and bliss. I think I moan out loud at how good it feels. I thank the heavens it is dark as my cheeks burn with redness. "Almost done," he assures me quietly as I feel his shadows caress over my chest between the valley of my breasts and up to my neck. My skin tingles in every single place his shadows touch me. One strokes my thigh in small circles. "It is done," he says, clearing his throat. I feel his breath warm against my ear. "Sleep now. Nothing will hurt you."