Beyond The Wall by Jessica Kaye

Author:Jessica Kaye [Kaye, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stag Beetle Books
Published: 2024-04-22T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Novak’s urgent whisper woke her. “Daxia.”

Daxia opened her eyes. Her head rested on Novak’s shoulder, her hand on his arm. She wanted to stay that way, feeling his warmth through his coat.

She startled upright. Three men stood over them in the predawn light.

They all had weapons—two swords and a crossbow—and they didn’t look friendly.

Her heart hammered, her grip on Novak’s arm tightening as her muscles tensed. Just as she’d feared.

Bandits.

“On your feet,” one with scars across his cheeks growled.

“Do what he says,” Novak whispered.

The man gave an ugly smile. “We have a smart one here.”

Novak’s legs shook as he climbed to his feet, Daxia keeping a grip on his elbow to steady him. She studied his face but didn’t see any signs of swelling.

“How are you feeling?” she whispered.

He smacked his lips together. “My mouth tastes weird, but otherwise, fine.”

“Drop your bags, empty your pockets,” said a bandit with glee, waving the sword in the air and grinning a gap-toothed smile, his top front teeth missing. The third man stayed squinty and silent, keeping his crossbow up and aimed at Novak’s chest.

Daxia dropped her pack but flinched away when Gap-teeth reached for her knife. Without it she would be helpless.

“I said drop it!” He grabbed her arm and forced her to the ground.

“Hey!” Novak shoved him off, his fists and face tight like they had been before he decked Lykel. But Scar-cheeks pressed his sword against Novak’s throat. A thin line of blood appeared against the blade.

Daxia jumped to her feet. “Novak, don’t.” With a glance at her, Novak raised his arms in a gesture of surrender.

“Now, are you going to cooperate?” Scar-cheeks asked her.

She nodded. Better to lose their things than lose Novak.

Gap-teeth liberated their weapons, passing them to the silent bandit with the crossbow.

“What kind of knife is this?” Gap-teeth asked, holding up Novak’s. When no one answered, he shrugged and tossed it into a bag. Then he searched their pockets. Daxia held very still as he did, her eyes on Novak, still held hostage.

She whimpered when Gap-teeth pulled out her map and compass.

It got worse. All the color drained from Daxia’s face when he held up two maps, not just the one from Mehale. She’d left her map to Maha Island in her pocket. And now the bandits had it.

Scar-cheeks finally lowered his sword, taking out a length of rope and tying Novak’s wrists together.

“You get out of hand, and he gets this, right?” he said to Daxia, waving his sword toward Novak. She swallowed hard and nodded. She would do whatever they wanted to protect him.

“Move it!” Scar-cheeks ordered, and they were escorted off the road at sword-point. After only a few minutes her legs grew cold, her leggings wet from dew-soaked leaves and grasses brushing against her.

Daxia’s stomach clenched. They needed to stay on the road or they could get lost. She did a quick check of the moss on the trees. And the bandits marched them the wrong way.

More than once she tripped on rocks and roots hidden under the thick, spongey layer of pine needles on the ground.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.