Amazonia (21 page)

Amber didn’t speak, but her
touch calmed Kale significantly. Their eyes met, and for an instant Kale
was distracted from the horror of the situation. From the fear that
gripped her. Then the reality sank back in, and Kale moved away, breaking
into a run as she led the group on.

Aris observed the tired
faces. “Kale, we need to rest,” she called after her.

“Not yet,” Kale yelled back,
not even slowing her pace.

Aris shared a quick glance
with Blake, but they had little choice except to follow.

SHALE’S OBSERVANT BLUE eyes
took in her surroundings, missing nothing. She was inside a cavern, with
rough, dark rock all around her. It was well-lit with torches, though
Shale was in no doubt that it would be pitch black without them, as she
couldn’t see any natural light coming in. She had to be deep within the
caves.

Shale was positioned in the
center of the cavern, secured to a wooden post. Her shackled hands were
held overhead, and her feet were bound to the floor in a similar fashion.
She must have been unconscious for a while, because her shoulders ached
unpleasantly.

Theron entered through the
only entrance, a crack in one of the walls that was barely big enough to
allow his broad frame. The gap was of good height though, nearly extending
to the roof of the cavern they were in.

“Good, you’re awake. Now I
can begin. It’s no fun when you’re unconscious.” Theron hefted the pail of
water he was carrying. “I was getting impatient.”

Although her face remained
emotionless, Shale’s heartbeat picked up slightly. She was freezing as it
was, her summer clothes not protecting her against the chill of the cave.

Theron grinned at her. “Seems
a shame to waste it.” He threw its entire contents onto Shale.

Piercing cold engulfed her,
and she bit her lip hard when her wounds protested with a vengeance. The
water reawakened her tiring senses though, and she blinked repeatedly,
allowing the moisture into her eyes to refresh them. Shale licked her lips
to obtain the small amount of liquid there, her throat was parched.

“There, now,” Theron said.
“That woke you up, didn’t it?” He raised his voice. “Guard!”

One of his soldiers instantly
appeared, coming through the crack in the wall. Theron wasn’t taking any
chances with her, Shale noted, she was bound and under guard.

“Theodysius.” Theron thrust
the pail into his chest. “Another. And make sure it’s cold. Ice cold.”

“Yes, sir,” he replied
dutifully, then hurriedly departed.

Listening intently to the
guard’s footsteps, Shale heard him go off to the left, and she wondered if
that was the way out, or if there was an underground stream nearby. She
soon had her answer. Theodysius came back quickly, much sooner than
anticipated. Shale seriously doubted he’d had time to leave the caves.
There had to be a stream close by.

The stream had to emerge
outside somehow. Shale could use the current to carry her out of here. It
was risky, but she would have to hope she had the strength to keep her
head above water.

Theodysius held the pail out
in front of Theron for his approval. Theron dipped a calloused hand into
the water, withdrawing it swiftly at the low temperature.

“Perfect,” he said, emptying
it once more over a now shivering Shale. Theron clapped a hand on
Theodysius’s wide back. “I have a job for you.” He again handed him the
pail. “Every time she starts to dry off, or lose consciousness, I want you
to douse her with cold water.”

“Yes, sir.” Theodysius again
left to refill the pail.

Theron untied the whip from
his waist. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not going to use this.” A pause.
“Not yet anyway. I figure by the time anyone notices you’re missing, it
will be evening, so your sisters won’t track until first light. Which
means, I can take my time with you.” He put the whip down and moved
closer. “And I intend to do just that.”

Shale knew his theory was
flawed, a rescue party would already be on their way. But since Theron
didn’t know about the meeting at noon, he’d made the logical assumption.
Shale didn’t correct him, the surprise would go in their favor.

Unfortunately, she had no
sense of time in the cave, and since she’d been unconscious for most of
the journey, Shale didn’t even know how long it had taken. Though Kale
would have discovered she had been captured shortly after the event, Shale
knew they’d be on foot, so would take longer to cover the same ground.

Shale was distracted by the
smell of food, broth it smelled like, and her stomach rumbled hungrily.
She now knew it was meal time, and since an army marched on its stomach,
they usually had food at regular intervals. Shale suspected it to be
around early evening, which, if true, meant that her fellow Amazons had a
good chance of getting here by nightfall. She was glad it was summer,
because the longer day would give them extra time. If her sisters did make
it by then, Shale knew they would attack under the cover of darkness.

Her spirits picked up
slightly at that notion. “Don’t you want any food? I’ll happily wait,”
Shale said, though her teeth chattered.

Unfortunately for her, Theron
didn’t seem to be hungry.

“WE ARE NOT stopping!”

“We need to rest, Kale,” Aris
said.

“No, what we need is to cover
as much ground as possible while it’s still light.”

“We’ll be no good to Shale
exhausted,” Aris said.

“We’ll be no good to her if
she’s dead either.”

“Whoever kidnapped her
wouldn’t have taken her all this way just to kill her,” Hellana said,
holding her side to try and relieve her stitch. “She’s bait, remember?”

“When he reaches his camp, he
can kill her. We wouldn’t know, and the trap would still be set. We would
still try to rescue her. As long as there’s a possibility of her being
alive, he knows we’ll come for her,” Kale said. “Now, let’s get moving.”

“Soon, Kale, we’re not all as
fit as you,” Aris said.

“Well you should be!” Kale
exploded. “Your warriors should be. You should have trained them better!”

Blake raised her bowed head
out of her hands. “Kale,” she said. “I know you’re upset, but arguing
won’t help Shale.”

“Come on,” Amber said
quickly, as Kale opened her mouth to retaliate. “Let’s get some space.”
She escorted Kale away, but didn’t touch her, knowing from Kale’s tense
form that any contact would be rebuffed.

KALE PACED BACK and forth,
clearly anxious to get going.

“Kale, sit down.” Amber
sighed when Kale ignored her and kept on pacing. “Look, you’ve got to wait
anyway, so you might as well rest yourself.”

Kale sat down beside her.
“There. Happy?”

Amber’s tone was dry.
“Ecstatic.”

Kale began to tap her feet,
and Amber, taking her life in her hands, laid a calming hand on Kale’s
well-muscled thigh. The tapping instantly stopped and Kale looked at her.
Amber was upset by the distress in Kale’s eyes, and she produced her best
reassuring smile.

“Shale will be all right.”

“You don’t know that,” Kale
said quietly.

Amber knew she wasn’t
arguing, merely stating a point. “I do know that,” she said. “You share
the same stubborn streak.” She nudged Kale teasingly.

The faintest hint of a smile
appeared, and Kale reached up and brushed Amber’s cheek. Her hand
lingered. After a moment, Kale leaned in and kissed Amber firmly on the
mouth.

When her lips were released,
auburn eyebrows shot up. “I thought you didn’t think of me in that way?”

“Oh, I do,” Kale said. “I was
holding back because of what happened with Aeron.”

“You needed time to adjust?”

“Exactly.”

“So why didn’t you tell me
that?” Amber said. “You would have saved me so much heartache if you’d
just told me.”

“I’m sorry. But I’m telling
you now.”

“Why?”

“Why, what?”

“Why are you telling me now?
What’s changed?”

“I just realised that we
could all die today.”

Amber sprang to her feet,
facing Kale angrily. “Oh, that’s great. Thanks a lot. You thought I’d be
up for a quick roll in the hay, with no strings attached.”

“No! You didn’t let me
finish.”

Amber crossed her arms over
her chest. “All right. This had better be good.”

“I realised that we could all
die today, and,” Kale locked onto Amber’s brown eyes, “there’s only one
thing that I regret—not being with you. I want to live, Amber, I don’t
want to hold back anymore. And I want you by my side...if you’ll have me?”

Amber smiled brightly, and
then gave Kale a meek look. “That was good. I’m sorry I jumped to
conclusions.”

“It’s all right,” Kale said.
“So, about my question?”

Amber sat back down, a
mischievous grin forming. “I don’t know. I think you’ll need to persuade
me.”

Kale smiled for the first
time since noon. She pulled Amber close, meeting her awaiting lips
eagerly.

The kiss was passionate, full
of promises of what was to come.

“You persuaded me,” Amber
said as soon as they parted for air. “Damn, me and my big mouth. I think I
was too hasty about that roll in the hay idea.”

Kale chuckled. “There will be
plenty of time for that when we get home.”

“And if we don’t make it
back?”

Kale kissed her again, long
and hard. “That’s for encouragement.”

Amber blinked dazedly for a
moment, then grinned. “Oh, we’re so going to make it back.”

SHALE TENSED AS Theron probed
at her stomach, hissing in pain as he found a particularly sore spot.

“Seems a couple of your ribs
are broken.” He chuckled, sounding pleased with himself.

She squinted at him through
swollen eyes, barely conscious. Theron grabbed her hair, jerking it
savagely to rouse her. It wasn’t enough, and he moved out of the way as
Theodysius covered her with icy water.

Shale spluttered and coughed,
which was excruciating to her battered body, as was her constant shaking.

She thought about the two
most important people in her life— Kale, her only family. She had to
survive for her. Shale’s death could mean Kale’s also, and even if Kale
lived, Shale knew that their forced separation would never allow either of
them any peace. And Blake, her one true love, her heart. Shale had only
just found her, she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her. She had to
stay alive for them.

Theron withdrew a wicked
looking dagger and its blade caught the torchlight.

Shale tried to calm her
frantic heartbeat. She could do this. Kale and the others would be coming
for her. All she had to do was wait.

“With you here, I know our
sister won’t be far behind. There aren’t many who can match my fighting
skill, I’m looking forward to meeting her. Of course, she’ll come whether
you’re dead or alive, so I really don’t have any further use for you.”

“If you kill me...” Shale
murmured, having to pause due to the agony she was in. “Kale’s judgement
will be clouded by rage. If you truly want to prove you’re the best...she
needs to have her wits intact.”

Theron laughed. “I see your
mind is still sharp.” He nodded. “I’ll keep you alive until I have beaten
her in combat.” His intense eyes bore into hers, and Theron sliced the
dagger into Shale’s side. “I didn’t say anything about not harming you.”

Shale begged for Kale to
hurry. Though Theron said he wouldn’t kill her outright, he obviously
wasn’t concerned with her blood loss, or her dangerously low body
temperature. She was completely helpless, and couldn’t even stem the
bleeding.

Shale closed her eyes, and
prayed.

“WHAT A GREAT place to defend
from,” Aris noted quietly, examining the cave’s entrance. “Not so great
for us though,” she added as an afterthought.

“I only see four guards at
the entrance,” Amber said. “The problem is going to be reaching them.”

Blake nodded in agreement.
They were well hidden in a small clump of trees, but there was no other
cover between them and the cave’s entrance. They would be spotted
instantly, and the alarm would be raised. They couldn’t afford that.
Stealth was their best option.

“We’ll have to wait for
nightfall,” Blake decided.

Kale, who was squatted beside
her, spoke up, “You can wait. I’m not.”

“You will wait, Kale,” Blake
said. “Nightfall won’t be long.”

“The gods only know what’s
happening to Shale in there. You can’t ask me to just sit and wait.”

“Actually, I can. And I’m not
asking, Kale, I’m telling you.” Blake’s voice was firm, resolute. “If you
go rushing in there, you’ll give away our greatest advantage—surprise. You
can’t take on everyone yourself, and you’d be lessening our chance of
success.” Her tone softened. “And that doesn’t help Shale.”

Kale seethed for a moment,
then rolled back on her heels and sat. “Blake.” Kale met her gaze.
“Shale’s still alive. I can feel her.”

Relief flooded Blake’s
features, and she squeezed Kale’s hand in thanks, surprised when Kale
returned the grip. She had wanted to ask Kale that question since they
arrived, but Blake hadn’t been able to muster the courage, terrified of
what the answer might be.

“She’s alive,” Blake
whispered, unconcerned by the silent tears that fell down her face.

KALE GRABBED THE guard’s
head, and twisted his neck in one fast, smooth motion. Aris, Amber, and
Anataeus took care of the other three guards, and no one inside was
alerted to their presence.

The cave they had entered was
actually a tunnel, and chambers sprouted off from it.

Blake sniffed the air, and
quietly went into the first chamber, which was right near the entrance.
Kale was directly behind her, and they found themselves inside a large
cavern, which was filled with horses. A wooden pen had been erected to
keep the animals inside. They shared a look, they would use the horses to
escape.

The cavern didn’t lead
anywhere, so they backtracked into the tunnel.

Kale indicated the guards’
bodies, and they were soon hidden out of sight in the horses cavern.

The tunnel was well-lit with
torches, so they were vividly aware that they couldn’t hide very easily.
They listened intently, hearing laughter echo down the tunnel. It sounded
far off though. They spread out, covering more ground.

The next cavern they came
across was filled with supplies, and again it was unmanned. They checked
it thoroughly, not wanting to have an enemy at their backs as well.

The tunnel curved around, and
then split into two. One route wound back on itself, the other continued
straight ahead. The voices and laughter came from the tunnel straight
ahead, growing steadily louder as they crept closer.

Aris slipped into the next
cave, but came out shaking her head. It housed only armaments.

At the fork in the tunnel,
footsteps were heard.

Amber pointed to a cluster of
good-sized boulders off to the side of the passageway. The five warriors
bringing up the rear darted into the armaments cave, while Amber, Kale,
Blake, and Aris hid behind the rocks.

Aris reached up and unhooked
the torch above them. She snubbed the flame in the dirt, putting it out,
then returned the torch to its holder. The extra darkness provided them
with more cover, and it was doubtful whoever was coming toward them would
notice. And even if he did try to relight it, it was only one soldier, if
he got that close, they could easily kill him.

The soldier came from the
tunnel that doubled back on itself, and headed down the other, toward the
laughter. Kale suspected that was where the majority of the army was, a
gathering place for them to eat, drink, and sleep.

Since the soldier was walking
away from her, Kale poked her head out, seeing that he carried a pail in
his hand. He suddenly stopped, but since his back was to her, Kale
couldn’t see what he was doing. She strained to hear and she detected
water splashing, and the faint sound of a running stream.

The soldier soon returned,
retracing his steps, water sloshing over the rim of the bucket.

Kale’s eyes narrowed. She
knew Shale was down that same tunnel. A fierce shiver passed through her,
confirming her suspicions. Two worried hands were instantly on her back,
and she looked first
 
at Amber, then
Blake. “It’s not me,” Kale whispered, tipping her head to the water. She
was amazed by the abrupt transformation in Blake, the normally gentle face
hardening considerably as that knowledge sank in.

“Shale’s down there?” Aris
asked, keeping her voice low.

“In the cave he’s just gone
into,” Kale said.

“Are you sure?”

A raw cry of pain reached
their ears, stripping away any remaining doubt.

THERON LAUGHED AT Shale’s cry
of pain. “See!” he gloated to Theodysius. “The fiercest warriors fall
before me. Even the mighty Amazons.”

Shale yelled again on the
third strike of the whip. Though she was still clothed, it offered no
defence, the barbs ripping straight through the material and tearing deep
grooves into her skin. Blood flowed freely down her back.

Theron stretched his arms and
rolled his broad shoulders. He tilted his head side to side, cracking his
neck. “It’s been a long day,” he finally said, tossing the whip to the
ground. “Now I have broken you, you no longer interest me.”

Shale noticed that Theron
caught Theodysius ogling her scantily clad form, but rather than
discipline him, Theron grinned wickedly.

“I want you to continue what
you’re doing, Theodysius.” Theron indicated the pail of water.

“How long for, sir?”

“Until morning. She’s not to
sleep. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You may do what you wish
with her.”

Theodysius’s eyes widened.
“You mean...” He leered at her openly, leaving no doubt as to what he
wanted to do.

Shale spat at him, utter
contempt on her face.

Theron laughed. “That’s your
reward.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I’ll leave my whip, use it
if you wish.” He grinned at Shale. “Goodbye, sister. I do hope you have a
pleasant night.”

“Our
mother...should’ve...drowned you at birth,” Shale mumbled. She had lost a
lot of blood, and kept losing consciousness from the extreme pain.

Theron’s laughter increased.
“Now, is that any way to talk to your family?” He shook his head at her,
and faced Theodysius. “Teach her some manners, would you?” Theron said,
then left the cavern.

“Yes, sir. Gladly.”

Shale felt Theodysius’s
lustful gaze on her body, and the thought sickened her. She briefly
considered allowing herself to fall unconscious, but she wouldn’t let him
have her that easily.

As if reading her mind,
Theodysius threw the pail of water over her. “Oh no, you don’t. I want you
to be awake for this.”

KALE HAD TO be forcibly
restrained when Shale cried out. “Let me go,” she hissed. “That’s Shale!”

“Think!” Aris said. “You
can’t just go rushing in. You don’t know how many are in there.”

“No one wants Shale out more
than me, Kale,” Blake said. “But you’re no good to her dead. We need a
plan.” She winced as Shale yelled again, the sound cutting her up inside.
Blake looked to her chief warrior. “Aris?”

Aris responded instantly, “It
echoes in here, the sound of a fight will draw out the rest of the soldiers.
Since most seem to be down that tunnel, I suggest we try and hold them
there, it’s vital that our way out remains clear. You three rescue Shale
and get to the horses. Leave enough for us, then set the rest loose, they
won’t know which to track.”

Blake nodded and started to
move, but halted when a tall, broad-shouldered man emerged from the cave
Shale was being held in. He walked away from them, farther into the tunnel
they were about to go down.

They waited several more
moments to make sure he had gone, then again tried to move. This time the
disturbance came from the other tunnel, a rowdy group of soldiers that
emerged near the stream. The men were clearly drunk, and they staggered
slowly away, in the opposite direction to the hidden Amazons. Despite
that, they couldn’t afford to move until the soldiers were out of sight.

The soldiers stopped
abruptly, their voices rising as they began to argue.

THEODYSIUS SEIZED HER hair
roughly, close to the scalp so he had a firm grip.
 
His other hand clutched at her breast,
pinching and squeezing harshly.

The chains rattled as Shale
pulled against them, straining to be free. They held her tightly. She
wasn’t going anywhere.

Theodysius forced their
bodies together, and Shale clamped her thighs shut when she felt him rise
and press against her. He squirmed, and his hand lowered to his belt,
trying to unbuckle it single-handedly. He soon grew impatient, and
released his hold on her hair.

Shale slammed her forehead
into his. It wasn’t as powerful as she would have liked, but it still had
the desired effect, and he staggered back.

Theodysius glared at her.
“You’ve just made it so much worse for yourself, bitch.” He raised a hand
to strike her. Someone spoke up from behind him, and he whirled around,
pulling out his dagger.

“That’s just what I was about
to say.”

Shale’s eyes widened. She
would recognise that voice anywhere—it was Blake’s.

Blake stabbed Theodysius
through the chest, then pushed him off her sword with her boot. He was
dead before he hit the ground.

Kale and Amber, who weren’t
far behind her, shared an impressed and somewhat alarmed look. Blake, it
seemed, had a fierce protective streak.

Shale was surprised that she
hadn’t known Kale was approaching, but her body had been through a lot,
and she was exhausted.

Shale locked onto worried
green eyes. “Hi, sweetheart.”

BLAKE SHEATHED HER blade,
unable to speak, her emotions overwhelming her. She wrapped her arms
around Shale, careful to keep her touch light.

Shale let out a soft whimper.

Blake drew back immediately.
“Did I hurt you?”

Shale shook her head
slightly. “So glad...to see you.”

Kale cleared her throat
teasingly.

A faint smile appeared. “All
of...you,” Shale added.

Kale laid a hand on her
shoulder. “That’s better.” She took hold of Shale securely as Amber raised
her sword to strike the chain. Kale nodded, and Amber swung. The first
slice took care of the restraints that held Shale’s feet, the next cut
through the chain overhead, and into the wooden post it was attached to.
Both strikes rang loudly within the cavern, but they’d had no choice,
there was no other way to free Shale.

Shale buckled instantly, and
Kale lowered her smoothly to the floor, placing her head in Blake’s
awaiting lap.

Shale’s eyes squeezed shut at
the movement, and her jaw clenched.

Blake watched in concern,
studying Shale closely. Most of her skin was either cut, bloody, or
bruised, and Blake didn’t know quite where to touch her. She noticed the
numerous repetitive cuts in Shale’s skin, most of which were small, but
deep. Some were longer, leaving jagged holes in their wake, as though
something had torn out of Shale’s flesh.

Amber held up a whip, an
appalled look on her face. “I think this is the cause, Blake.”

Blake blanched, aghast. “That’s
barbaric!”

Kale looked furious, but
remained silent. She pulled the blanket out from her pack and covered
Shale with it.

“Need to go.” Shale tried to
lift her head out of Blake’s lap, without much success.

“Easy, Shale,” Blake said,
“You’re going to be all right, sweetheart.”

“No, Zale’s...here.” She grew
agitated. “Must go. Now.”

“Zale’s here?” Kale asked,
raising her eyebrows. “Did he do this to you? Where is he?”

“Yes.” Shale couldn’t manage
any more. Her shaking grew worse, and her eyes closed.

“Stay with us, Shale,” Blake
pleaded desperately, hot tears flowing down her cheeks.

“Shale!” Kale shook her a
little. “Don’t you dare go anywhere.”

“Not going anywhere. Can’t.
Walk.” Shale joked feebly.

Blake sobbed as she laughed,
and was grateful when Kale squeezed her shoulder.

“She’ll be all right,” Kale
said.

Blake hoped that was her
twin’s intuition talking, and not just wishful thinking. Shale reached up
and touched her cheek, and Blake was alarmed by her hand’s cold
temperature.

“Don’t cry,” Shale whispered.

Blake managed a shaky smile,
and she kissed Shale’s hand. “Please don’t leave me, Shale.”

“Never. I give you...my
word.”

Blake nodded, kissed her hand
again, and consciously pulled herself together.

“You two take Shale. I need
to be able to fight,” Kale said, helping them to get Shale upright. Shale
couldn’t stand at all, which concerned Blake. Kale draped the blanket over
her, and Blake and Amber each took a corner, holding it in place over the
shivering woman between them.

“I have a question,” Amber
said, but kept her voice low. “Who is this Zale?”

A tall, broad-shouldered man,
who was the spitting image of the twins, chose that exact moment to enter
the cavern.

“Ah. Never mind.” Amber
glanced across to Blake. “How many of them are there?”

“Just three,” Blake replied,
her gaze never shifting from Zale.

He was certainly handsome,
but there was a coldness about him that unsettled her.