Search for the Crystal Key (A Continuation of Dark Escape)

Chapter 24

 Her backside hurt from being forced to balance on the pommel of the military saddle. The musky scent of Joshua's skin that she'd found so alluring in the past repulsed her now. She seethed inwardly as the reality of everything that occurred set in and the memories came forth. As his arm tightened around her waist and her body stiffened, the saddle irritated her all the more. She didn't care. He'd fooled her twice. There would be no third time.

Her mind raced with what to do. She was no longer disoriented and weak, but did he realize that? Perhaps it would be in her best interest not to let him see that she was well and healthy. At least until she could figure out a plan of action. As much as it repulsed her to do so, she leaned into him and feigned fainting. His hand came up to stroke her hair and her nostrils filled with his scent. She felt repulse and it took considerable effort to maintain control to hide it. He slowed his horse down to a gentle walk, which gave her a chance to get a better idea of where they were.

The horse plodded through the forest for about an hour before they reached a small clearing that contained the remnants of a campsite. She willed her body to remain limp while he pulled her off the horse and laid her down on a blanket he'd stretched out beforehand.

Tara watched from beneath closed lids as Joshua tossed a few twigs into a stone lined fire pit and worked at getting a fire going. Once satisfied, he pulled a few potatoes out of a saddle roll and tossed them onto the edge of the fire. Taking a long, solid stick, he covered the potatoes with burning coals from the fire before pulling out a small iron pot and filling it with water from his canteen. Dropping a few tea leaves into the water, he set the pot on the stones surrounding the fire.

Sensing he was about to look up at her, Tara closed her eyes all the way and took a deep sigh to camouflage her body adjustment from one of tenseness to that of a sleeping woman. She could feel him standing over her, staring at her, watching her every movement. She prayed he wasn't astute enough to see that she was faking it.

He wasn't.

Too fearful to open her eyes, she listened intently as he pulled his rifle from its holder and walked off into the forest. She stayed still, listening to the quiet for several minutes before opening her eyes to look around. He was obviously off looking for game to finish off the meal he was preparing. With any luck, he'd have to hunt a little for it and she'd have time to figure out how to escape. With the return of her life force so came the return of many of her memories. Perhaps it was because she'd lain next to Lucy when her life force was being reinstated within her by magic or perhaps not. Whatever the reason, her body felt invigorated and her mind was sharp. She closed her eyes as images of open spell books floated before her. They were flying so fast that she couldn't see what was written on the pages. Taking a deep breath, she willed them to slow down long enough for her to read the clean, hand written pages. It was a binding spell. Reading on, she realized that it utilized words and energies only. There were no herbs or liquids to gather. As she read on, the memories of her casting this spell on the guards of Shadow Land came forth.

But, she never....

It was like a light bulb went off in her head. She was a modern-day version of the nineteenth century woman who lay in wait in the secluded cave. This meant that deep within her were the memories of the life that woman led. Everything she felt, saw, experienced was recorded in her memory bank and she was in possession of that bank.

"How good were you?" she mused out loud.

Good enough to take care of this swine.

Tara's head spun around while she looked for the source of the woman's voice, but she could see no one. She got the sense she knew the voice, but couldn't place it.