Page 26 of Sword of Rage
Harley stopped walking. When she looked up at him, her blue eyes beckoned him to lean in closer. For some strange reason, his breathing sped up. He brushed her hair over her right shoulder, fully exposing her ear. “Now this is slightly more intimate,” he whispered, his nose gliding along the side of her soft neck, breathing her in.
Harley shivered.
The group neared, so Ackley maneuvered his body, gently pressing her against the side of the nearest building. He tilted his head as if about to kiss her, blocking her face from those passing by. Her body stiffened, and panic flashed in her eyes. He remained that way—inches from her—without his lips touching hers.
As the group passed, Ackley kept part of his attention on the men and the rest on the beautiful, but frightened, woman before him. Sweat coated her forehead even though the night air had a cold bite to it, her skin seemed unusually white, and her entire body shook. He raised his eyebrows, hoping she’d offer some sort of explanation. She averted her eyes.
Now that the men had passed, Ackley took a step back, putting some space between them. Only one conclusion could be deduced from her behavior—she’d been harmed in some way, probably during the takeover. While he wanted to discover to what extent, this was neither the time nor the place to do so. He was there to escort her to her cousin. Owen could speak with her about what took place. If she provided names, Ackley would hunt down those responsible for hurting her and dispose of them with pleasure.
He wished he hadn’t upset her—it wasn’t his intention to do so. While he had enjoyed goading her, he didn’t mean to cause her any distress. “I’m sorry.” Running his hand under his chin, he watched Harley gain control over her emotions.
Her eyes cleared, her body stopped shaking, and she lifted her chin with an air of confidence. Without uttering a word, she turned and hurried after Ledger and Gytha, who’d reached the end of the alleyway.
Following behind her at a safe distance, Ackley remembered when his sister had been abducted from the castle. He’d intended to murder—slowly, painfully, and quite thoroughly—the men who’d taken her. Owen had been the one to accompany him to retrieve Idina. Thankfully, she hadn’t been harmed. If she had, Ackley didn’t think he would have ever recovered. Banishing those thoughts, he scanned the area, checking for anything out of place. He had a job to do.
The four of them regrouped, heading toward the cove. Gytha and Ledger were speaking to one another in hushed whispers, Gytha repeatedly glancing over her shoulder at Ackley, making him wonder what the two of them were up to.
They came to the end of a street, the ocean straight ahead of them.
Ledger peered around the corner. “Everything looks normal.”
Harley hovered close behind Ledger, her arms folded across her chest, the wind tossing her long blonde hair. Even wearing the drab brown clothing, she was quite stunning.
“The cave we need to reach is to the north of here,” Ackley said.
“I’ve been explaining to Gytha that there’s an easier way out of here,” Ledger said.
“Great. Lead the way.” Ackley assumed there had to be more than one route in and out of a city this large.
Gytha snorted. “You won’t like it. The three of us can go the easier way. You can go back the way we came in.”
Ackley narrowed his eyes, considering her remarks.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Harley said, blowing warmth into her hands. “He’ll go with us. There’s enough room.”
Dread coursed through Ackley. “Room in what?”
“The boat we have stashed,” Harley answered. “It’s just over there. A lot of the locals own one for sea transportation. We made sure to acquire a small boat when we arrived so we could leave quickly if the need arose.”
“How is taking a small boat out into the open ocean late at night any safer?” Ackley tried hiding his rising panic. If he stepped foot in a boat, he would be useless. And he had no desire to feel that way—especially in front of other people. It would make Ledger’s embarrassing fall look like nothing if Ackley was heaving up his insides.
“The tide is in,” Ledger explained. “The waves are calm. We’ll head straight out past the cove, then turn and go north, parallel to the cliffs. When we reach the waterfall, there’s a cave big enough for the boat to dock in. From there, all we have to do is climb up a small rise. Even a child can do it.”
Ackley wanted to punch Ledger. Instead, he shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “I’ll meet the three of you at the top of the waterfall.” Without waiting for a response, he stepped out of the alley and headed away from them. He’d sworn to never get in a boat until his trip home. Just the thought of being out on the water made his stomach queasy.
“We need you,” Ledger called out after him. “I can’t row the boat by myself.”
Gytha snorted. “I can row. How hard can it be?”
“But you’re a woman.”
Now things were getting interesting. Chuckling, Ackley turned, hoping to catch Gytha’s fist smashing into Ledger’s stubby nose. While her hands were balled into fists, they still remained at her sides. She wouldn’t last more than a minute.
“I have two arms just like you.” She took a step closer to Ledger. She was an inch taller than the man and probably weighed about the same. “Are you implying that my arms do not function simply because I am a woman?”
“Well, no,” Ledger stuttered. “But rowing requires strength which you don’t have since you’re a woman.”
“Since I’m a weak woman, this shouldn’t hurt.” She swung her fist, punching him in the stomach.
