This book is available for purchase on amazon.com as an ebook.
Chapter 16
"Dream of me," Raine whispered softly to Noelle, making sure to leave the room quietly. He left the door open as a reminder to her that it was safe to leave the room. He hated leaving her behind, but he knew that talking to the Elders and getting information was more important than his feelings towards her.
Waiting by the front door was Paxton, pacing anxiously. He nodded stiffly when he saw Raine and then resumed his pacing.
"Nervous?" he asked Paxton.
"No," Paxton growled, "I just want to get this over with. Something doesn't feel right."
At that moment Finn and Ryder walked in. "I agree with you," Finn said quietly. "Something is off."
Raine looked each man in the eye sternly, "Whatever it is, we can handle it. I'm tired of not having answers. If you don't want to accompany me, that's fine. Stay here and guard the women. However, I am still going with or without you."
They snapped to attention and looked bravely at the door. "I'm in," Ryder said firmly.
"So am I," Finn and Paxton barked out. They would complete this mission. Remaining in the dark was never an advantage, nor an option. Besides, they knew they could take on the Hunters. It was only the fear of the unknown that was causing their hesitation.
They walked through the front door and headed towards the iron-wrought gate, staying alert for any signs of danger. Raine motioned for Finn to open the gate slowly before they filed through. Seconds after the gate closed about a dozen Hunters swarmed out from the surrounding forest. They created a half circle in front of the panthers and sneered.
"Well, well," what do we have here?" the lead Hunter jeered. "You make our jobs too easy."
He had pasty white skin and beady black eyes. His hair was unkempt and greasy. This Hunter was unused to traveling and tracking for long periods of time. Raine smiled inwardly, perfect.
The panthers snarled and tensed, preparing for battle. Raine sized up the other men; they were all puny and weak, besides, it was four against twelve, easy odds. He cracked his neck and whispered to his men, "On my count."
"Now, now," the Hunter called out, "Not so fast. We have a bargain for you. Hand over the Vessel and we'll walk away without killing anyone. Deal?"
Raine pretended to think about it before snarling, "No deal."
The Hunter cocked his head to the side mockingly, "Are you sure? I'll give you one more chance to give us the right answer before we do something you'll regret."
"I said," he ground out, "no deal." He would never willingly hand the Vessel over to their greatest enemy. Even if he knew who it was. Damn the Hunters for delaying them. He and his men would teach them a lesson and then be on their way. "Why do you want it anyways?"
The Hunter gave an oily smile that made Raine cringe, "We wish to study her, maybe use her for our own good, but we will most likely destroy her." The Hunters laughed chillingly and nodded in agreement.
"And that will convince me to hand her over to you because..." Raine drawled.
"That may not, but this will: since you have chosen to disagree with me, you leave me no choice." He let out an ear-piercing whistle and waited. Seconds later a large black hawk broke through the trees and landed on his arm warily. "Observe," he whispered evilly.
He grabbed the hawk's legs and threw it to the ground. Seconds before contact it morphed into a naked woman. He grabbed the back of her neck and forced her to kneel, facing the panthers. She had dark black hair that brushed the tops of her shoulders and lightly tanned skin. The panthers shifted and growled menacingly.
"Give us the Vessel or I'll kill her," the Hunter demanded.
Raine cursed under his breath and glared at the Hunters. Trust them to throw in a new play to the game. He couldn't hand over the Vessel for more than one reason, but he couldn't stand by and let an innocent woman get murdered either.
Ryder took a step forward, but Raine stopped him with a hand, "No. Don't move." He would have to play this off and delay for time.
Raine gave an aloof look at the Hunters, hoping they would believe him to be disinterested in the woman, "Why would we care about her? We don't even know her."
"You would let an innocent woman be murdered because of your pride?" the Hunter sneered, calling Raine on his bluff.
Raine shrugged offhandedly, "I care more about the Vessel, than...that," he gestured languidly at the woman.
At that moment an unholy scream was released followed by a loud booming sound. "No, Violet!" they heard a woman yell desperately.
Everyone looked towards the front door to see a livid Violet running towards them. She didn't stop when she reached the gate, but merely burst through it, her eyes focused on the Hunter's hand holding the woman down.
"Let go of her!" she growled, stopping at the edge of the panther's line.
"Get behind me," Finn said angrily, "What do you think you're doing?"
She ignored him and took a step closer to the Hunters, "I'm warning you, let go of her."
The Hunter smiled amusingly, "What are you going to do if I don't?"
"I'll kill all of you," she vowed darkly.
The Hunters laughed stupidly, "You? A small woman...will kill all of us?" the lead Hunter laughed out in gasps, "I'd like to see you try." He tightened his grip on the woman at his feet and she whimpered.
Violet's eyes turned a dark red color and her fangs extended. Claws emerged as she leapt into the sky seconds before black gossamer wings exploded from her back. "You will die," she rasped, diving straight for the lead Hunter.
Basil ran swiftly through the woods, his feet barely touching the ground as he followed the smell of the Hunters and his princess. She had been missing for weeks now and he had only just caught her scent. Ten miles later he stopped at the edge of the woods, gasping for breath. It felt like knives were simultaneously stabbing themselves into his lungs. Gripping the trunk of a nearby tree he scrambled up it and perched on a high branch, surveying the area.
He watched in calculated silence as Hunters fanned out to stand before four men. Basil sniffed the air and smiled grimly. Panthers. He sniffed cautiously again, and frowned. The scent of his princess was on the air but so was another forgotten scent. The smell of the Runaway Princess was faint but there nonetheless. How was that possible? No one had seen or heard from her in over five years. Maybe he was just imagining it.
The scent of his princess intensified after the Hunter whistled. Basil watched in horror as a large hawk descended towards the Hunters. "Oh Princess," he whispered woefully. It was all his fault that she was in this situation. His duty was to protect her and he had failed. She was forced to transform to her true form and pushed into a humiliating position. Basil felt his fangs elongate. No one was allowed to dishonor the princess. They would pay dearly for that.
He had been given specific instructions to retrieve the princess at all costs, without compromising the safety of his people; meaning he couldn't be seen. A hefty order and one he was having trouble carrying out.
Basil listened intently as the Hunters tried to bargain with the panthers. They were offering his princess's life for the Vessel's. He knew what the panthers would choose and prepared himself for a swift attack. If he moved fast enough, no one would see him.
Gripping the branch tightly, he tensed his leg muscles, preparing to launch himself at the Hunters and nearly toppled out of the tree when a high-pitched scream echoed through the air and down his spine. It couldn't be. He'd recognize that battle cry anywhere. Basil watched in awe as a young woman ripped through the front door and then the large iron gate to stop at the edge of the panthers.
"Let go of her!" she growled angrily.
A man with shockingly white hair and indigo eyes angrily ordered her to get behind him. She chose to ignore him and took a step closer to the Hunters, "I'm warning you, let go of her."
The Hunter smiled amusingly, "What are you going to do if I don't?"
"I'll kill all of you," she vowed darkly.
Basil shook his head in disappointment as the Hunters laughed at her. He had no doubt that she would follow through on her promise and if they weren't careful they would all be dead in seconds. Especially if she was who he thought she was.
"You? A small woman...will kill all of us?" the lead Hunter laughed out in gasps. "I'd like to see you try."
"Stupid," Basil muttered as the Hunter tightened his grip on his princess at his feet. He growled low in his throat when she whimpered. If the young woman didn't kill them all, he would.
He watched in horror as her eyes turned a dark red color and her fangs extended. Black gossamer wings exploded from her back as she leapt into the sky, confirming Basil's theory. "You will die," she rasped, diving straight for the lead Hunter.
"Princess. I found you," Basil whispered in awe, watching Violet take flight. The Hunters were in for it now.