Fireborn

28 ¦ Journey to Castle Teufelwald

"Lieutenant Barker, Aide to the Creator."

My teeth chattered as I rubbed my arms. "Are my friends safe? How is my sister?"

"Your sister is recovering."

Thank the gods!

As he drew nearer to me, his eyes glinted like diamond-edged steel. "We took Alicia to the castle dungeons yesterday evening in case you didn't show."

Dungeons?

"That wasn't part of the deal."

Barker approached me with measured, deliberate steps, never once breaking eye contact with me. I felt the icy hand of Death rake his taloned fingers down my spine. The Defender's dark-blue eyes held no warmth. No compassion at all.

Four long, deep scars trailed from his right cheek across half of his shaved skull. He gave me a mirthless smile and pointed at his scar. "Got this during the Battle of Halden."

The guard reached into a leather belt pouch and retrieved a string necklace with four yellow Dragonborn talons, each five inches long. "But I got my revenge. Plucked 'em out, one by one."

My stomach churned at his macabre souvenir, and I looked away.

If he could take down a Dragonborn Warrior, I didn't stand a chance.

Peter paced on my shoulder and cawed at the man three times. The guard glared at the bird without fear, daring him to attack with his arms crossed.

"Just so we understand each other."

Barker's voice was too even, like the thin layer of ice masking a deadly cold pond. One crack and gods only knew what he would do.

The officer smirked and replaced the necklace in his leather belt pouch. With confident strides, he walked to the back of the carriage and withdrew three sets of metal chains, covered in green corrosion.

Copper.

"Are you sure that's necessary?"

"Anti-magic chains in case you get any funny ideas," he said, narrowing his eyes as he tugged the chains with both hands. "Stand still, or we might have a serious disagreement."

Peter cawed three times and flew over to Barker's skull, scratching and pecking until he drew blood. "Call off your bloody bird," Barker roared, whipping the chains at Peter, "or I'll add his claws to my collection."

"That's enough!" I shooed the raven away from the guard. "Peter, stop! The heart blood curse!"

He gave me one last impertinent caw before flying into a nearby tree. Barker grabbed me by the arm and pulled me close. "You're lucky the Creator favors that pest," the guard snarled. "Or he'd be dead already."

"I assure you the chains aren't necessary."

Barker grabbed me by the arm and pulled me close. "Maybe not," the guard said. "Better safe than sorry, though."

After clasping the ankle chains, Barker tightened the cold metal around my wrists. He stared at the neck chain for a moment with a sneer, and I swallowed a lump in my throat.

"This seems a tad excessive." The lieutenant gave me a pointed look. "Shall we simply agree that you'll behave like a reasonable adult, and I'll accidentally forget the neck shackles?"

I gave him an anxious nod.

Barker tossed it back into the carriage. "A wise choice. Those things are most unpleasant." His eyes pierced me like daggers. "If you cause any trouble, I will change my mind, though. Clear?"