Page 2 of Stormbinder King
“Fucking hurry then. I don’t want to risk Prince Jack’s anger,” the first voice insisted.
I was suddenly plucked up with a muscular hand and dragged through the leaves as I struggled feebly in his arms, my head still spinning.
The sound of running water grew louder, thunderous in my ears, and my vision cleared as a spray of cool droplets splashed into my face.
It looked like there was a strong, deep-blue river here, wide enough for one outrigger to pass at a time.
Then I was unceremoniously dumped inside one and two of the men got in and began to take us downstream.
“Wait!” I croaked.
How was I going to know how to get back?
But no one could hear me.
I looked up from where I was crumpled on the rough floor to see other women in the nearby outriggers, all very beautiful and tall.
Shocked and disoriented, I clutched the side of the outrigger as we passed through more heavy, dense forest, the dripping leaves pressing in on me, depositing pools of warm, humid water onto my arm.
Did I have a concussion? Where in the world was I?
For the first several minutes of the journey, we navigated through sputtering angry rapids, and my knuckles gripped the sides so hard I felt splinters drive deep into my skin.
Surely we were going to be dashed to death on these hard rocks!
Somehow I couldn’t even cry out, couldn’t close my eyes, could do nothing but watch in frozen horror.
But then we passed them by and headed for calmer waters, the rough-looking men having to dig deep with their oars to propel us forward.
“Take me back,” I finally croaked, my mouth and throat feeling unbearably dry.
The only way back must be where I had hit the ground, but every moment we were getting further and further away!
How could I ever find it again?
When the man in front ignored me, I tugged desperately at his pants leg.
“Please take me back. I need to get home.”
The man looked at me as if I was stupid, his lips curling up as he took in my much shorter stature and my pearl-gray pantsuit covered in a thick layer of mud.
“I’d be happy to dump you off somewhere, but I’m not risking my hide hanging around in that forest any longer than I have to. Nope, you’re going to be taken to the Stormbinder village and then Prince Jack can decide what to do with you.”
“Who?” I whimpered, but he had already turned back to chart his course.
There was a gentle tug on my jacket and the woman beside me hissed in my ear.
“Do you not know what can happen to you in the forest alone?” she whispered anxiously. “We are going to the village for Moonbright Night.”
“What. . . what does that mean?” I asked.
“How do you not know what Moonbright Night is?” she cried incredulously, clasping her hands together.
They were all staring at me now, all their beautiful eyes wide and disbelieving.
“Oh—I know what it is,” I muttered, dropping my eyes in confusion.
I fell silent, clutching my muddy, filthy pants tightly to keep myself from screaming.
