Page 19 of Unbetrothed

I kneed his groin and threw my head back, smacking my captor’s chin. He loosened his grip. Adrenaline pulsed through my blood as I ripped away and broke into a sprint toward the road.

My foot caught the ground, and I tripped. A body crashed on top of me, knocking the wind from my lungs. I gasped for air. Rough hands jerked my shoulder around.

My captor’s dark brows knit into a fury. I screamed my throat raw. He clasped his hand over my mouth, and I bit hard. He jerked the hand back, and I reached for anything to help me pull away. There was only grass.

Desperation stormed through my blood as I twisted and pushed. I popped up to my feet. Intense warmth radiated inside my body. A black tunnel formed around the edges of my vision and narrowed.

I can’t breathe.

Men shouted in the distance. Tree trunks blurred.

Need air.

Short, quick breaths.

More scuffling sounds that faded quickly.

Everything went black and then—nothing.

A breeze tickled my nose.

I blinked open my eyes and peered at blue skies through a ring of clouds. A thick layer of tall grass poked my arms. I sat up, and pain erupted from my ribs.Where is the man who pummeled me to the ground?I tried to call for Laude, but shards stabbed in my throat.

A man appeared above me. I clenched my fists, ready to fight.

“Miss. Miss, are you all right?” His brown eyes scrunched in concern. “You fainted.”

I released air pent-up in my lungs. This fellow had a melodic accent, unlike the ruffians.

“Who are you?” My voice sounded hoarse.

He offered a hand, but instead, I shrank away and studied him. His dark wavy hair flopped past his ears. His face, clean-shaven and tan, reminded me of Duke Marden, but beautiful.

“Where’s Laude?”

“There is another girl over there. We chased away those miscreants. My name is Zichri the Merchant.”

That accent … and that name? I’d never heard them before. Though many kingdoms lined the Agata Sea, dozens of other provinces existed beyond the sea I knew little about.

Laude giggled somewhere nearby.That’s a good sign.I sat up and scanned the hill. She stood among four men and threw herself toward one of them, hugging his torso. “Thank you, good sir. Thank you. I thought we were lost … that we’d never see another kind person again.” She threw her arms around another man, babbling the same words.

I struggled to my feet, and a wave of dizziness crashed around in my head.

Zichri blocked my view of Laude. “Are you all right? You laid there for a minute without moving. I thought you were injured. Or worse.”

I rubbed my forehead and patted my wavy tresses. Hair dangled on the edge of my vision. Had I actually fainted?

“Do you need help walking?” He offered his arm. Unlike the men who attacked us, his white tunic was clean, for the most part. It had no embellishments or plush doublets like the courtiers.

“No. I can walk.” I stepped toward the group by the well. “What happened?”

Zichri ambled next to me. “We were traveling along the road when we heard screaming. We rushed to help and chased those thieves away.”

We could have been captured. I didn’t want to consider what those men planned to do with us. I stifled a cry. My papá, mamá, and brother may never have seen me again.

“You don’t look well. You should sit.” Zichri touched my shoulder.

I flinched. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes. I pressed my hand to my mouth, unable to contain emotions welling up within.

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