Bound In Blood (Bound In Blood - Book One)

Chapter Sixteen

The rough-hewn cobbles were slick beneath our feet as we marched along the path, our feet buried in snow. The bitter winds hugged our bodies, chilling us to the core. Even with ourselves completely covered, the icy zephyrs found us. I wrapped my arms around myself in an effort to keep warm and for the first time, Conner seemed bothered by the cold. He was bent over as I was, hugging himself.

"How f-far've we g-g-got ta go?" I asked him through chattering teeth.

"It's a fair distance. We should be there by sundown," he answered, squinting through the harsh winds.

"G-g-great. Fightin' n-nightwalkers in the d-dark."

"It'll be okay. With the bottles Cassandra gave us, they won't stand a chance," he assured me, though I figured he was trying to convince himself more than I.

"W-what h-happens if ya g-g-get... b-bit?" Conner didn't answer me immediately, instead remaining in silence. I didn't want to think about what would happen if either of us contracted their... disease.

"It won't happen," he finally answered. "It just won't."

"H-how can you b-b-be so sure?" I pressed.

"That's the thing. I can't."

****

It was late evening when our eyes finally landed on the crude, wooden structures built around the nightwalkers' den. Men and women dressed in armour made from animal skins patrolled the primitive barriers carrying makeshift weapons crafted out of tree branches and animal bones. Their faces were adorned in warpaint that flowed down the rest of their bodies in swirling patterns in a striking blue. Simultaneously, Conner and I each fastened a bottle of spirits to our hips, ready for when we required them.

"Are w-we gonna die?" I asked gingerly, still shivering.

"No, Alex. We'll be alright," he reassured me. I didn't know if I could believe him.

"How're we g-gonna do this?"

"Just imagine this is another contract. We'll be stealthy like we're used to."

It wasn't much of an explanation but I knew what to do. I dropped to the ground, crawling around amongst the long, tangled grass and snow, completely out of sight. To my right, Conner had climbed a sizeable tree and was perched on one of the thicker branches, his bow at the ready.

In the blink of an eye, Conner reeled back an arrow and sent it flying through the air, penetrating one of the bestial women in the chest. She stared down at the arrow shaft protruding from her for a few moments before falling back, her eyes rolling backward into her skull. The other outlaws rushed over to her but she was already long gone.

"Who's out there?" one of them yelled, searching around the vicinity in desperation. I kept completely still, watching their every move from every angle.

To my left, a man with his hair tied back and an uncut beard wandered toward me, searching for sign of anyone. Carefully, I crept toward him in complete silence, holding my breath. The dense grass rustled around me ever so slightly, causing the man's attention to be drawn toward my direction.

"Ye can't hide from me!" he warned, stepping forward.

I halted my movement, waiting for him to get close enough. As he neared me, he searched the grass for signs of movement, finding none. He then began to run his fingers through the grass in an effort to find me. As his hand passed by me, I pulled him down by the wrist, plunging my dagger deep into the back of his neck. He hadn't the time to cry out before he was gone, blood bubbling from his throat.