The Siege of Shadows: Book one

A Dying World (29)*

The sun broke through the mist in jagged shards of gold, cutting across the forest floor like knives. My wrists throbbed where the rough rope bit into them, the fibers scratching and pulling at my skin with every sway of the Kelpie's vicious gait. My hands were tied in front of me—useless, trembling slightly as I fought to keep my balance astride the monstrous creature.

The Kelpie moved like it was made of smoke and shadow, its hooves barely seeming to touch the earth, yet every step it took struck like a hammer. Its dark hide was slick, like it had just emerged from the depths of some blackened lake, and every now and then, it twitched—like the creature itself was restless, resentful of my weight on its back. I wasn't sure who hated this arrangement more—me or the beast beneath me.

Kael walked ahead, leading the Kelpie by the reins, his black armor swallowing what little light the forest allowed through its skeletal canopy. He didn't speak. He didn't even look at me. Just moved forward, silent as a blade cutting through the rot. And rot was all there was here—the earth squelched under the Kelpie's hooves, its moisture sour and foul, the stench of mildew clinging to everything like a sickness.

It was as if the land was alive, groaning and wilting under its own weight. Twisted trees loomed over us, their claw-like branches reaching out, as if trying to snatch me from the Kelpie's back and pull me into the dark.

I swallowed hard, feeling my stomach coil tighter and tighter as we walked deeper into the decaying forest. I didn't know where he was taking me, didn't know what awaited me in that cursed white castle I'd glimpsed on the horizon hours ago. But the closer we drew to it, the heavier the air became, the more it pressed against my ribs like unseen hands. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.

And all the while, he just kept walking. Calm. Unbothered. As if dragging me across this wretched land was nothing more than a chore he had to complete before nightfall. My fury boiled over. It was the only thing I had left to cling to—the one thing he hadn't managed to steal from me yet.

"Do you always tie up women like this, or am I just special?" My voice was sharp, venomous, as I leaned forward against the biting pull of the ropes.

Kael didn't stop. Didn't look back.

The silence only stoked my anger.

"Coward," I muttered under my breath.

"Careful," he said finally, his voice low, the word slithering back to me like a warning.

"Or what?" I snapped, my knuckles white as I flexed my bound hands. "You'll make the beast buck me off and break my neck? Or maybe you'll just leave me here. Let the forest have me."

Kael stopped walking. The Kelpie halted with him so abruptly that I nearly slid off, my body jerking forward before I caught myself. Slowly, Kael turned, and the air seemed to still. Those crimson eyes of his glowed faintly in the gloom, like embers burning low, watching me—assessing me.

"Is that what you think I'll do?" His voice was soft, but there was something deadly curled beneath the calm.

"I don't think anything about you," I shot back, lifting my chin. "But you've already dragged me out here, tied up like an animal. Why stop there? Why pretend this is anything but what it is—you're my kidnapper, Kael." My voice cracked, raw and shaking. "You've taken me from my home, ripped me out of the only life I knew, and now you're parading me through this hell like I belong to you."

Kael's jaw tightened, his expression unreadable. "The world you came from couldn't protect you."

"And you think you can?" My voice rose, the words spat like venom. "You think dragging me through this rot and tying me to this thing is some kind of mercy? You're no hero, Kael. You're no savior. You're a coward who steals women from their homes and blames the world for it."