Chapter Fifteen

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Tabitha

Koz holds me, constantly whispering for me to relax and rest. It's not what I would expect from him, since he is a man of few words. Of all of them, he is the least I'd expect to be empathetic, yet here he is. Treating me with kindness and care. He is comforting me and trying his best to make me feel safe. It doesn't quite work, but I appreciate the effort he puts in.

When we reach the ogres' home, I shift to look around, and I cannot decide if I should be more afraid or relieved of what I see.

A large cage made of mesh wire and white wood with at least thirty humans inside. All of which look as if they are knocking on death's door. It seems these ogres have been collecting people for their dessert for a while now. Seeing these people either means we will have more help and can escape, or it means escaping is truly hopeless.

The ogre carrying us takes the pack off, jostling us. Koz holds me tighter as we slide across the bottom of the cage, landing against the other end harshly. If it hurt, he shows no pain.

The ogre flips open the door on the large cage and holds us over it. "Open door," it grunts.

Koz keeps his hold on me and moves to the door, opening it with one hand. He holds me tight to his front as the ogre shakes the cage, laughing when we slide out. Koz maneuvers his body in a way that he lands hard on his back, while I hardly feel it.

"Are you okay?" I ask as I scramble off him.

Koz grimaces, but nods. He gets to his feet, quickly pulling me to him again and looking around at the people who are watching in awe and fear. At least none of them seem dangerous.

We move to the side, away from the group of people. A moment later, Raisi and Theo are dropped inside. Theo lands directly on top of Raisi. The ogre laughs while they groan. I run to them and try to help them up, but of course I hardly do a thing because they're so big.

They stand, brushing off their clothing and looking around at everyone that is here. The humans look terrified. They're all small, starved, and filthy. It's clear they've either been kept here for a while or have been living on the streets for quite some time.

"Come," Theo says, putting his hand on my lower back and guiding me toward an open spot against the bars. The four of us huddle together, everyone else watching with curiosity.

"They all look human," Raisi comments.

"And starved," I say.

It angers me that they are being treated badly. I saw my father treat people horribly for so long that I hate when anyone is treated this way. Unless, of course, they are bad people, but I'll never know that truth. I doubt anyone here would admit something like that. Not to the people who could potentially save them.

"It looks like they're trying to have a feast," Raisi says.

"Celebration," comes a voice. We look around to see who said that. An older man with a dark thick beard and scraggly hair gives us a weak smile. He's sitting on the ground, watching us tiredly. "They've spoken of some sort of celebration for days now."

"What are these smelly beasts celebrating?" Raisi says, looking at Theo for an answer.

He glances around, thinking on it for a moment. He takes his time, looking at all the houses, the people inside, and the ogres outside of the cage. It's as if he's waiting for something to click into place; to put the pieces together. His gaze lands on the large house at the back, and it stays there for a long time.

"Mating," he finally says with certainty.

"Mating?" Raisi barks. "Those things mate? Can you imagine?" He huffs out a disbelieving laugh.

I cringe. Hopefully this isn't something we will have to witness.

"It is a decennial thing. Typically, they live in solitude, but these houses all look newly built. The men have built their homes and are preparing a feast and a celebration for when the women come. If they do a good enough job, the woman will choose a male to mate with." Theo nods. "I should have known right away. This isn't typical behavior for them. They never live together. Only during this time."

"Gross," Raisi mutters.

"Yes, it is quite… messy," Theo comments with a frown. "But this is good. It means we have time to form a plan."

"Escaping is pointless," the same man says. "We've tried." He gestures around and a few people who are paying attention nod in agreement.

"No offense, but you didn't have me here to help," Theodas says.

The man raises his brows. "No offense to you, but in my experience, the bigger the man, the smaller the brain."

"We are not men," Koz spits. I put my hand on his arm to calm him. "We are Dravens. Bred from the finest bloodlines."

Audible gasps sound around the cage. Not everyone has been in the presence of a Draven and if people don't know what to look for, they wouldn't recognize one, as they look relatively human.

"So, you can get us out?" I turn and find a woman younger than me. Her golden hair is muddled with dried blood, dirt, and twigs. She is skinny, the clothes on her barely covering her private parts. I take off my over shirt and go to her, helping her into it. She winces as she moves.

"We will do our best to get everyone out. Isn't that right?" I turn to my Dravens. They watch me without saying a word. "Isn't it?" I say again.

"It is our duty to protect you," Kozzanth says.

"And to follow my orders," I add.

"We will try, but we cannot make promises. You come first," Theo says. I hold his gaze, wanting to argue, but there is a small hand on my forearm. I turn to meet the young woman's bright blue eyes.

"Thank you. Any bit of hope is a relief."

I nod and go back to my men. I cross my arms, looking them up and down. "What is the plan?" I ask, trying not to be too forceful.

"I need time to think," Theo explains. "This will not be easy with so many people. And there is no portal in sight."

"There is one in the house furthest back," another person says, stepping close to us. This man is younger than the other, but still older than me.

"The large one?" Theo asks.

The man shakes his head. "No, we aren't sure what that one is for. It's the one beside it. I've seen it with my own eyes. When they first brought me here, this cage wasn't built. And with all due respect, we must speak quietly, as they are always listening."

"Someone tried escaping a few days ago, and they stepped on him like a roach," another man says. He's lying on the ground, curled up, not even looking at us. "They laughed about it for hours. Kept pretending to step on something."

"And they get angry when we talk to one another," the girl I gave my shirt to says.

"Then it's best we don't speak for now," Theo says. "I will share my plan with you once I've got one."

Theo heads to an area where there aren't so many people, and the three of us follow. Raisi sits on the ground and tugs me onto his lap. Theo and Koz stand in front of us, looking around and talking quietly.

"This is a mess," I say.

"We've trained for worse, Tabi," Raisi says softly.

The use of his nickname has me smiling. "You are a bright light, Rai."

"Someone has to be. I don't think either of them are capable of being funny."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"I've been around them a long time. Trust me, they're all business."

Spending alone time with Theo tells me that isn't quite true. No, he wasn't joking around the way Raisi does, but I've seen other parts of him. I'm sure the same will be true when I get more alone time with Kozzanth.

"I'm sure it's buried deep in there somewhere," I say, certain I'm right.

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