Stolen by Raye Wagner

Author:Raye Wagner [Wagner, Raye]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: All the Words
Published: 2019-02-25T05:00:00+00:00

17

We approached the group, and I kept my gaze averted, doing my best not to instigate any trouble. Someone bumped my shoulder, knocking me to the side. I stumbled, grunting, before righting myself. I turned and faced the offender.

“What?” demanded a young magî, meeting my gaze with a glare. A dark bruise blossomed over his swollen jaw.

Next to him stood Teso, one eye wide, the other swollen shut. He inched back, away from his friend, holding his hands up, making it clear he wasn’t a part of his friend’s actions.

Svîk stepped between me and the young male who’d bumped me, leaned over, and muttered, “If you so much as address her, I’ll shove my fist so far into your skull you’ll never see anything else again.” Svîk looked over his shoulder and said, “Let’s go, Taja. We’ll take the section on the end.”

Svîk dropped his shoulder and bumped the guy—hard enough that the magî fell on his butt. Before he could stand, Svîk pivoted, his lip curling as he glared at the young male. I held my breath, probably true for the entire unit, and the young magî pursed his lips before raising his arms in surrender.

“Do you have something to say?” Svîk asked the other magî.

“Sorry,” he said, angling my way though not meeting my eyes.

I didn’t want his insincere apology, especially not when it was obviously pushed out of him. Shrugging, I said, “Sure.”

Without waiting for a response, I moved past Svîk and the rest of the unit to the edge of the rainforest. Ignoring them all, I leaned over and grabbed the stalk of an aleph ear plant that was almost knee-high. I yanked it out of the mud and threw it back into the wall of growth. Behind me, the wet sounds of foliage being cleared indicated the rest of the unit was likewise getting to work.

“You handled that well,” Svîk said, appearing next to me.

I grunted as I tugged another plant loose with a sucking protest from the ground. Tossing the stalk into the jungle, I peeked at him, frowning as I saw Rumi and Lis approaching.

“You might want to be careful,” said Rumi, sidling up to Svîk. “You don’t want to align with someone like her.”

“Really?” Svîk faced her. “Why is that?”

“She has nothing.” Rumi replied.

Lis nodded in confirmation. “No family, no name, no memory”—her gaze slid to me and hardened—“and probably no magîk.”

“That so?” Svîk tilted his head as though examining me anew, and one of the girls giggled. The tentative softening I’d felt toward him turned rock-hard in a flash before melting into confusion as he pursed his lips and gave one small shake of his head.

“Completely worthless,” Rumi said. “Except to clear the jungle. She’s probably no better than an animal.”

Lis snickered, but I cut her mirth off.

“You two are so funny,” I said, laying on the sarcasm as thick as I could. “Incidentally, I think it would be fantastic to be a bird and fly away.” I met Rumi’s glare with one of my own.

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