Her Assassin's Heart - Book 2

Chapter 32

She put on the rest of the clothes Nickolas had given her, her mind black and the motions of her hands mechanic. If she had stopped to look at it, she would have seen that the dress he'd given her was pretty in its simplicity. However, Cassandra noticed and saw nothing.

How could she have been so foolish, so blind? How could she have let herself fall in love with Nickolas? What had possessed her to fall in love in the first place? Wasn't she beyond such feelings?

Her problem, though, was that she'd been deep in the middle of loving him before she'd realized what was going on. By the time she'd finally realized what was going on, it was too late. She wished she could kick herself.

Crying out, she kicked her discarded pants across the floor. Anger boiled within her, and she scooped up her old shirt and threw it as hard as she could. By the time it had hit the cave wall and fallen to the floor, her anger had melted.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid girl." She pressed her knuckles into her eye, trying to keep the tears at back. "He'll take you back home soon, and that will be the end of it."

The words were meant to be a comfort, but they only proved to further upset her. The thought of sitting in that little cottage nestled in the moors was stifling. After all this freedom and the taste of a full life, returning felt like willingly going into a prison cell and throwing away the key.

Wiping away her tears, she sniffed. He would be waiting for her, and she couldn't just sit here having a pity party and endangering their lives. Likely, there would be more shooting and fighting before they reached the next destination Nickolas had in mind.

Straightening, she tugged out invisible wrinkles in her dress. She was an Antrucha, she reminded herself for what seemed like the hundredth time. Whatever feelings she had, she could and would shove them aside for the present. There were more pressing matters at hand, and she could face the truth any time.

With all the forgotten grace of a fine lady, she turned herself in the direction of the door and extinguished the last light. Complete darkness shrouded her, and she swallowed heavily, beginning to walk before she could convince herself that it was too dangerous. Without light, she moved slowly, haltingly, her fingers trailing on the cave wall until she knew she was out of the cavernous room and on her way to open, fresh air.

Once she got a whiff of the crisp outdoors, her pace quickened. She'd gotten used to the closed in space of the cave, and the scent of freedom was in the wind. Then she could see it: the green grass and scarce trees. Struggling not to run foolishly out into the open, she breathed heavily in quick relief. It was as though she'd been unconsciously holding her breath, and now, she gulped in the fresh air, cursing the constraints of her corset.

Stepping into the open air, she came face to face with a tall man with dark hair. Gasping she tried to move backwards, but he was too quick, snagging her elbow in an intro like grasp. Confusion flooded her world, and everything screeched into slow motion as she tried to wrap her mind around what was going on.

Across from her, she saw Nickolas's prone body, bound and gagged. There was blood on the side of his face, and his clothes were mussed from a struggle. The man holding onto her wasn't alone. There were three guarding Nickolas, and she could make out another in the brush.

Nickolas was jerked to a kneeling position, and she got a full look at his battered face. Blood was trickling from his nose, and his hair was matted to the side of his head where it looked like someone had clubbed him brutally. Blood from another injury rolled down his forehead and into one of his eyes.

Cassandra had never seen him so angry. His brows were drawn close together, but he was looking only at her. In the depths of his eyes, she saw a message more clear than if he'd shouted it to her, and her mouth went dry.