Thirty-Two
Poisoned
Tirah shivered as she neared the old cabin where she was to meet Mihel. Despite the warm, soothing shadows that lay over the land, she felt cold. As if something was seriously wrong, both here and back at Saber’s lair. She tried to shrug it off as paranoia from having lived for so long searching over her shoulder, but deep down she knew that wasn’t it.
In the sky, Tartaria’s three suns glowed a deep, burnt orange as they prepared the land for sleep. Tirah drew in a deep breath and thought she caught her brother’s scent. Then it was gone. A feeling of intense dread continued to build, making her hesitate. She moved cautiously closer to the cabin, pausing when she saw the door open. “Mihel?” she whispered.
At the faint sound of scratching from inside, relief flooded her, and in her excitement to see her brother, Tirah rushed through the door.
“Mihel?” Tirah peered into the dark interior and knew she’d been wrong. Then, instinct had her moving right as something approached her from behind. She wasn’t fast enough.
A hand clamped over her mouth, and Tirah dropped her pack when she was pushed up against the old wooden table. The person holding her chuckled while Tirah shivered in dread.
“Casin?” Her stomach clenched with unease as he loosened his grip. She turned around. No, please don’t let it be him. It was. Casin grinned and grabbed at her again. Tirah pushed him away. “Let me go.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. I’ve been searching for you for a very long time. Now that I’ve caught you, no way I’m letting you go.” Then Casin shoved her so the edge of the table bit into her back painfully.
Tirah struggled, but even with her training, she was no match for him. Casin knew each move and trick, since he’d gone through the same training.
“Done?” he asked when she stopped fighting. Then he leaned in against her, grabbed her shirt, and ripped it in half, sending buttons flying as he revealed her breasts. Casin licked his lips, and the sick light in his eyes made her want to throw up. Then he yanked at her pants and horror consumed Tirah.
“No.” It didn’t matter if she couldn’t win, she just fought blindly, driven by panic and terror. But eventually, she tired and grew still. Casin was bigger and stronger, and nothing she did had any effect on him.
A sob tore from her throat at the knowledge that she wouldn’t be able to stop him from doing what he wanted, when a furious growl drew her eyes past her brother.
Tirah blinked, sure she was seeing things as Casin was yanked away from her. Saber! Relief engulfed her at the sight of the large male until she saw his eyes. There was no recognition, only blind rage as Saber tossed Casin against the wall. When he turned back, Tirah let out the breath she’d been holding.
“What did he do to you?”
Already trembling, Tirah swallowed in apprehension at the menace in Saber’s voice as he approached her. She knew he’d be angry that she left, but hadn’t expected such cold, dark rage, or for him to find her so quickly. Then he surprised her by slipping his shirt off and handing it to her. “Put this on.”
Tirah’s hands shook as she accepted Saber’s offering and then pulled it on. It didn’t help. She still felt exposed, violated. “I’m … how did you find me?”
“I can find you anywhere now.” Saber growled, making her shiver. Was he finally going to kill her? Surely not, he wouldn’t rescue her to do that, would he?
Relieved that he’d stopped Casin, part of her was also a little thrilled that he had found her. The other part was terrified.
“Are you hurt?” Saber asked, showing he cared, though there was still a lack of warmth, along with something else—confusion?—in his eyes.
Tirah shook her head. “No, he just—” she didn’t get the words out because Casin had begun to chant a spell. Foul magic sizzled and Tirah tried to move but couldn’t. She was frozen.
Then a very quiet, yet deadly snarl sounded and Tirah realized it was coming from Saber. Although frozen as well, he was fighting against the magic. Tirah felt his power begin to rise.
Still chanting, Casin pulled himself to his feet. Blood dripped down the side of his head, and wiping it away, he smirked as he cautiously approached them.
Saber’s power grew stronger, and Tirah breathed it in, loving the feel of it. She could also feel Casin’s spell beginning to weaken.
Casin paled, then with a mask of hatred, he plunged his dagger into Saber’s back. “Die,” he shouted, right as the spell collapsed under Saber’s power.
“No!” The scream tore from Tirah’s throat only to be drowned by Saber’s roar of fury and agony.
“Saber?” Tirah lunged for him, but he was too heavy for her. The cabin’s rickety floorboards groaned when he collapsed.
She tried to pull him to his feet, but he didn’t budge.
“What did you do?” Fury gave her strength and she rushed her brother.
But Casin merely laughed, pushed her away, and grinned as he watched Saber. “I remember him from that night.”
Ready to claw his eyes out, Casin’s words halted her. “What night? What are you talking about?” Then understanding dawned. “You were there?”
Casin snickered and reaching into the leather pouch hanging from his side, pulled out a large ruby, along with a tiny red dragon scale that could only have come from a baby dragon. Tirah felt her gut clench.
“Of course, who do you think sent the other one to Hades?” Casin said proudly.
Tirah covered her mouth. While she may not have been personally responsible for Saber’s brother, her own blood was responsible. Horror and disgust consumed her. “Why?”
Then Tirah decided she’d rather not hear any of Casin’s excuses. They would make no difference to how she felt about him. She went to check on Saber when Casin grabbed her.
“Why, you ask?”
“Let. Me. Go,” she screamed at him, rage building at what he had done, and she could almost feel her hands turning to claws.
“You want to know why?” Casin studied her, eyes glazed with lust. Then he met her gaze. “I don’t think you’d understand.”
“What don’t I understand?” she asked.
“You think I don’t know about you?” Casin sneered as he raked her body with his gaze. “Do you know, Mother never even tried to stop Father from taking me. But she tried to stop him from taking you, and our baby brother.”
“Mother loved all of us. She cried all the time over her children that had been taken from her. Why would you say that?” Tirah asked, stunned.
Casin snarled. “Like I care. She is a filthy whore. Father told me all about her. He told me the truth. I know that I was never wanted. I wasn’t precious little Tirah, or baby Wren. He told me that neither he nor Mother wanted me.”
Tirah had known their father was cold and uncaring, though why he would say something like that to his own son was beyond her. Tirah heard Saber groan and worry took over. “Saber?”
She shoved at Casin, then yelped when he punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind from her lungs. He hit her again and sent her to the floor. Tirah tried to get up, but the room spun, making her gasp. Finally, she lay still and stared at the dragon shifter she’d grown to care about. “Saber—”
His breathing was shallow. Tirah knew the blade buried in his back must be coated in poison.
“Who is he?” Casin asked.
Tirah ignored him. “Saber?” She sighed in relief when the gorgeous blue eyes she’d come to love opened and stared at her.
“Isn’t that sweet, you like him. No matter, I’m going to send him to Hades to join his brother. Then you and I will have our fun. Did you hear? I have Mother locked away at Darry Caverns.” Casin chuckled and set the large ruby on the table. Then using the dragon scale, he pierced his thumb and squeezed out a drop of blood. Tirah watched in horror as he smeared it over the ruby. Then Casin rubbed some on the scale before propping it against the ruby.
“Knife,” Saber rasped, his voice growing weak. Tirah watched his eyes close and panic choked her.
Casin started to chant again, but a different tune this time, and as his magic rose, Tirah shuddered. It felt as if creepy fingers crawled over her. Then the ruby began to glow.
Tirah knew she didn’t have much time and wiggled closer to Saber. Then careful not to draw Casin’s attention, she reached out and grimaced as she pulled the knife from Saber’s back. She tried to be gentle, but it wasn’t easy, and she couldn’t help but cringe at the agony he had to be in. Hand shaking, she let the knife drop.
“Saber?” He lay so still that Tirah felt panic threaten. Then his eyes opened, and her heart skipped a beat as his wondrous magic washed over her. Awareness grew in Saber’s eyes, then a dark black rage took hold, and suddenly his power blasted through the small cabin. Tirah’s breath caught in her chest.
In the blink of an eye, Saber stood, scooped up the dagger that Casin stabbed him with, and let out a mighty roar that shook the room. Dust swirled about as Casin’s spell faltered, then collapsed. Her brother spun to face Saber. “How—?”
“You killed my niece and sent my brother to Hades. How do I get him back?” Saber pressed the blade into Casin’s throat, causing a trickle of blood to run down his neck.
Still dizzy, Tirah watched, her heart in her throat, as Casin sneered. “There’s no getting him back. He’s where he belongs, and even if I knew, I’d never tell you.”