Page 4 of Cage of Darkness
“Killing bothers you?” Theassassin sheathed his knife. “I find that quite ironic.”
“Allyssa,” Jarvik said,forcing her attention to him. “What are you doing?”
While speaking, she had unknowinglydrifted toward the assassin. Now, they stood only three feet apart,her hands balled into fists. Ignoring Jarvik’s pleading expressionfor her to be cautious, she said, “I have never taken the life of aperson before.”
“You are a princess,” theassassin stated. “You execute people, send soldiers to fight, andkill anyone who threatens you.” He shrugged. “Giving the order tokill is the same thing as killing.” Grinning, he took a step towardher. “Just because you keep your hands clean doesn’t mean your soulis.”
She spun and kicked, aiming a bitlower than the assassin’s head, knowing he would duck. Sure enough,her foot connected with his ear, and he flew to the ground. Shepounced on top of him, punching his stomach and head, wanting tohurt him for what he’d done to Grevik and these two innocentpeople. He thrust the tip of his knife into her side, and shegrunted.
Clarity replaced anger and grief. Shecouldn’t outfight him. “You disgust me.”
In one fluid motion, he withdrew theknife, grabbed her wrists, and flipped her body off his and ontothe ground, so he straddled her. They stayed in that position,staring at one another with undiluted hatred for a full minutebefore the assassin sprang to his feet. “You’re just like me, evenif you don’t understand it yet. And when you make the decision tokill to protect someone you love, you’ll remember thisconversation.”
Allyssa scrambled to her feet,brushing herself off. The assassin cursed. Jarvik was nowhere to beseen. He wouldn’t escape without her, would he? The assassingrabbed her arm harder than necessary, dragging her back throughthe forest. When they reached the spot where the horses should be,Jarvik stood there, the animals nowhere in sight.
“Where are the horses?” theassassin demanded, his voice low and deadly.
“Gone,” Jarvik answered,folding his arms across his chest. “Guess we’ll have to walk therest of the way to Russek. It’s a shame it’ll take us a lot longerto get there now.”
The assassin released her arm andstalked over to him. “Where is my saddlebag?” He kept all hismedicines, along with his paralyzing substance, in thatbag.
Jarvik shrugged. “Don’t know. Was itstrapped to your horse?”
The assassin roughly patted him down,searching for anything that might have been stolen from thesaddlebag before the horses were cut loose.
Allyssa took a step back, preparing toescape while the assassin was distracted. Jarvik shook his headinfinitesimally. Instinct told her to run; her heart told her totrust him. He had to have a plan, although she had no idea what itwas.
“Well played,” the assassinsaid. “Except…you should never attempt to outsmart me. I don’t takewell to such situations. Let this be a lesson to you.”
Cold fear slithered down her spine ashe turned to face her. She took a step back, away from him, cursingherself for not running when she had the opportunity. Jarvik lungedfor the assassin, but he stepped to the side, narrowly avoidinghim. Quick as a rattlesnake, the assassin’s hand shot out, grabbingher upper arm. He twisted around so his chest was to her back. Hisfree hand wrapped around her neck, squeezing. Her foot smashed downon top of his. His grip loosened, and she rammed her elbow into hisstomach. Jarvik dove for the assassin’s legs, snatching one of thesmall daggers strapped to his boot.
The assassin unsheathed his sword, thesound of metal slicing through the air. He dug the tip into herstomach, and she cried out in surprise as the cold steel pressedagainst her skin. “Freeze,” the assassin demanded.
Lying on the ground, Jarvik had thedagger in hand, poised to throw. She saw him weighing the risks,calculating. The assassin dug the tip in deeper, puncturing herskin.
“Drop the dagger and standup.”
Jarvik did as instructed.
“Don’t listen to him!” sheyelled. “Fight!” The assassin might hurt her to keep Jarvik in lineor to prevent him from escaping, but he wouldn’t killher.
Jarvik shook his head.
“Take another step back,”the assassin demanded. Jarvik complied. The assassin chuckled. “I’mnot blind,” he purred, a slow, devilish smile spreading across hisface. He grabbed Allyssa’s hair and forced her head to tilt to theside. “I see the way you look at her.” He pressed his lips to herneck, making her want to vomit. When she tried to move out of hisgrip, the sword dug deeper into her stomach. Blood dripped down herskin.
“Get off her,” Jarviksnarled. He stepped forward, and the sword went further into herflesh. She screamed from the searing pain, and Jarvik took a stepback, raising his arms in surrender, his face turningwhite.
“I only have to deliver heralive,” the assassin crooned. “If I want a taste, I’ll takeit.”
“I’ll kill you.” Jarvik’svoice shook, enshrouded with a mixture of terror andfury.
The assassin laughed. “Like I saidbefore—I’m the one in charge, not you. If you try to escape or saysomething I don’t like, she pays for your mistake. Are weclear?”
Jarvik nodded.
“She is quite beautiful,”the assassin mumbled before kissing her neck again. Tears slid downAllyssa’s cheeks. How could she be at the mercy of this evil man?His lips moved to her ear. “And you, my dear,” he whispered,nibbling on her earlobe. “If you don’t cooperate, if you try toharm me in any way, Iwillhave my way with you.”
“You’re a pig,” shegrowled. “One day, you’re going to die like one, and I plan to bethere to see it.”
