Captive of the Horde King by Zoey Draven

Chapter Thirty-Four

Iwas running out of time.

Immediately, I bent down and sawed the dagger back and forth over the bindings at my feet as hard and as fast as I could. If I wasn’t able to run soon, they’d catch me. And who knows what they would do if they did.

Thankfully, the rope was as thin as I originally thought and it didn’t take long for the sharpened, bloodied dagger to snap through the bonds. Without another moment of hesitation, with my feet freed, I turned and sprinted away as fast as I could, pumping my arms at my sides, just as the leader and the three Ghertun reached the body of the fifth.

I heard the leader curse, heard one Ghertun stumble over the body, but I continued to run. I might not be strong, but I was fast and I used that to my advantage.

What I didn’t count on, however, was how dark the forest would be. Hardly any moonlight—what light there was from the crescent moon—penetrated through the canopy of the thick vines. Only shafts of it, here and there, helped illuminate a clear path for me, but I feared that the Ghertun would have better vision in the dark. I knew the Dakkari did. Darkness was a weakness of humans and I had no room for weakness. Not right then.

My breath came out in panicked, loud pants and I made an effort to quiet it when I heard rustling behind me, when I heard the leader give orders to his Ghertun, not too far away. They’d lost sight of me in the thick darkness, but they were experienced trackers as scouts. I wouldn’t underestimate their ability, considering they knew this forest better than I did.

Though I continued to run, I tried to be as quiet as possible. But my footsteps were loud and I feared that running was drawing their attention even more.

As I ran, I cut the bonds tying my hands, though I was clumsy and managed to knick my wrist. It didn’t matter. At least I wasn’t tied, at least I would stand a fighting chance if one of them found me.

Pain exploded in my shoulder, right over my burn, when I ran straight into a vine covered boulder I hadn’t seen and my body spun, landing heavily on the earth.

Panting, I pushed up and heard the leader’s voice. They were close.

Not too far in front of me, I saw a shaft of moonlight illuminate a large, jutting rock, with a fissured crack right down the middle. It would be big enough for me to squeeze into.

Slowing my breathing, I went for it. Holding the dagger close, I squeezed myself into the small space, the rock pressing tight around me. At the last moment, I saw a broken fragment at my feet and I paused, before picking it up. I stepped out from my hiding place, cocked my arm back and threw the rock as far as I possibly could, in the opposite direction.

The forest was silent as I heard it clatter off another rock and then I squeezed myself back inside the crack when I heard the leader’s voice sound again. They’d heard it. Good.

A few moments later, I heard quick footsteps approach. I dragged in a silent, deep breath, holding it. A few yards away, I saw two Ghertun pass, though I couldn’t tell if the leader was one of them. They ran in the direction of where I’d thrown the rock and when they passed, I let out my breath slowly, relieved.

I felt blood drip down my hand from the dagger. Ghertun blood. It was still warm but I refused to think about it. Still, I wiped my hand and the dagger on my pants until it was clean.

I don’t know how long I waited, but I kept quiet. I listened. In the distance, far enough away, I heard loud Ghertun voices carry, bouncing off the boulders, echoing back to me. I listened until I didn’t hear them anymore and I prayed that they’d continue on in the direction of where I’d thrown the rock, far, far away.

When I felt it was safe, I slowly wiggled out from the crack, still clutching the dagger tight, and turned in the opposite direction. I didn’t run. I kept my steps light and quiet, using the boulders to shield me from sight just in case.

My heart froze in my chest when I heard anguished screams in the distance. Breathing hitching, I realized it was from the direction the two Ghertun had gone.

Their yells filled the forest and I stilled, placing my back against a boulder as I listened, heart pounding.

Then, bright relief filled me when I heard Dakkari orders echo from that direction.

Arokan.

They must have found the two Ghertun. Hope filled me and I spun back around, quickly striding in that direction.

Arokan, Arokan.

I could see him soon. I could feel his arms wrapped around me. I could feel safe.

Those thoughts spurred me into a jog, wanting to see him, needing to see him.

The closer I got, I heard more Dakkari words filter through the forest. I was gaining on—

My breath left me when I was suddenly tackled from the side, the cool bulk of a Ghertun pinning me down.

I hit the ground hard and my burned, already injured shoulder knocked against a nearby boulder. I felt a pop at the joint.

My scream echoed through the forest.

“Human bitch,” the Ghertun leader hissed in my face, making to reach for the dagger in my hand, though I struggled underneath him. “You will pay for their lives.”

In the distance, I heard a roar shake the forest.

Relief. Arokan. I knew it was him.

That knowledge filled me with determination and I swiped out the dagger quickly, managing to cut down the leader’s arm. He hissed in surprise but when I made to stab his belly, he rolled off me to avoid it and I used that opportunity to jump to my feet.

I began to run—

Only to land facedown when he grabbed my ankle, my teeth chattering together, my lip splitting. My shoulder twinged and I cried out, feeling him grab higher on my leg.

I rolled and saw that the leader was trying to pull himself up. I kicked, thrashing. I connected with his face. His grip loosened on my legs. I kicked him again with my other leg, finally managing to break free.

I felt the ground begin to vibrate. I recognized it. I knew that the pyroki were approaching fast, a lot of them by the sounds of it. I heard the echo of it grow louder and louder.

I jumped to my feet and looked at the Ghertun leader lying on the earth. He seemed to recognize that his time was limited. He heard the Dakkari coming, same as I.

“Surrender,” I gasped, trying to catch my breath, holding out the dagger, keeping my eyes on him, “and your life might be spared.”

He let out that awful laugh. “Even you know that’s not true, human.” I tensed when his arms flexed, when he prepared to push off the ground. “I will take my chances with you.”

He lunged. Though I saw it coming, though I was ready, I was unprepared for his speed and he knocked the dagger out of my hand before I even blinked.

Behind me, I heard a pyroki burst into the clearing. The Ghertun’s eyes widened and he stumbled back, prepared to flee. I turned and saw Arokan swinging off Kailon, his blade already unsheathed.

The Ghertun didn’t make it far.

With a furious roar, my horde king swung his sword, plunging it into the leader’s belly, right where his heart was. He was dead the moment it penetrated.

The leader immediately fell facedown, but Arokan was already turning to me, the dead Ghertun already forgotten.

His expression was thunderous. His eyes were wild, his chest heaving with roughened breaths, Ghertun blood splattered across his chest and face.

My lips parted. I’d never seen my horde king so…undone.

Relief made tears prick my eyes as his arms came around me, swinging me up against his chest. I bit my lip when my shoulder pulled and he gentled his strength when he noticed me holding it peculiarly.

“Luna,” he rasped in my ear. He was shaking, the muscles in his arms and shoulders and chest vibrating with the adrenaline coursing through him. “Luna.”

Just then, the rest of the horde warriors broke through the clearing, surrounding us.

“There were f-five,” I told him. “I killed one earlier.”

Arokan’s expression pulled and he turned to his pujerak, whose eyes I caught. Arokan’s arms tightened around me as he said, “There is one more. Do not return until he is dead.”

The pujerak inclined his head. He called out to the horde warriors and they rode out. They would comb through the forest, I knew. They wouldn’t stop until Arokan’s orders were carried out.

Arokan swung us both up on Kailon. Exhaustion was starting to weigh on me. Now that I was safe, all I wanted to do was sleep. I was still cradled in his arms and I rested my head on his chest, listening to his heart race.

My horde king looked down at my face, his expression tightening at whatever he saw. Rage entered his gaze, hot and furious. I realized he was doing everything he could not to explode.

I reached out to touch his cheek and he closed his eyes, his nostrils flaring, cupping my hand with his. He brought his forehead down to mine, gently.

Rasping, he said, “I feared…vok!”

He stopped with a curse and I could still feel him tremble against me at whatever he thought.

“Take me home, Arokan,” I whispered.

Beyond words, my horde king nodded and he spurred Kailon into a sprint back towards camp.