Page 61 of Sword of Rage
“What makes you think I know anything about Russek?” She’d never been there before. The only people she’d met from the kingdom were the barbaric soldiers who’d invaded Melenia.
“As neighboring kingdoms, you must know something about them. Plus, you were at the castle during the takeover. You’ve seen them, the way they speak, the way they dress. All of that is valuable knowledge. Knowledge I need to survive a mission like this.”
Mission.
With shaking hands, she started walking again, having a vague notion of which way to go. If she was headed the wrong direction, Ackley would let her know. Not hearing any sounds behind her, she glanced over her shoulder to be sure he was following. He was. Silent as a panther.
“Why do you want to go to Russek?” Perhaps he intended on assassinating someone. She wouldn’t mind getting her hands on the man who’d murdered her brother.
“The less you know, the better. That way you can’t accidentally give information away if you’re questioned.”
“How long will we be there?”
“I don’t know; however, I don’t want to be there any longer than necessary.” His voice sounded even closer to her, giving her chills at the nearness of him.
Excitement and terror coursed through her. So far, everything that happened had happened to her. She was constantly acclimating to the changing world around her and had no control over her life. Now, Ackley was giving her the chance to be a part of something—whatever that may be. To be an active participant. To change things. After what she’d been through, she believed herself capable of helping him. “What makes you think I can survive a mission like the one you’re planning? I have no fighting skills.” The last thing she wanted was to be a liability.
“Just because you don’t know how to fight doesn’t mean you are useless.”
She came to the edge of the forest and stopped, afraid to traverse over open land. Behind her, she could almost feel Ackley’s body heat radiating from him.
“You are not useless to me,” his soft, caressing voice murmured mere inches from her ear. He took a step forward so he stood beside her. “I won’t lie. It might be easier without you. I could move quicker and wouldn’t have to worry about defending you. But I’ve learned over the course of our short time together that you’re smart, and I value intelligence. I’ve also learned through the years that you don’t have to fight to be strong. You can be strong in other ways.” He nodded ahead and took the lead, maintaining a southeasterly course.
Harley felt oddly exposed now that they were out in the open. Thankfully, Ackley maintained a quick pace. Exhaustion began to take root from everything they’d been through the last two days. Her feet became slow, her eyelids heavy. The sky lightened as dawn approached.
“Let’s stop here,” Ackley said, his breath coming out in a white puff from the chilly morning air. “We need to rest for a few hours.”
“A few hours?” Her body could easily sleep for an entire day.
“We can’t afford to waste the daylight. We’ll each sleep for two hours and then continue on. When night comes, we’ll sleep longer.” He dropped his bag on the ground.
As much as she wanted to complain about only getting two hours of sleep, she understood his concern and agreed with him. When that man had held her at knifepoint, he’d whispered in her ear that someone was waiting for her. She shivered. She was definitely safer with Ackley. “I’ll go with you.”
“Excuse me?” He stretched out on the ground.
“To Russek.” She yawned.
He turned to look at her. “Are you sure?”
No. She nodded.
A wicked smile slid across his face, making her toes curl. “Excellent.”
“There is something I’d like to know beforehand, though.”
“Ask away.” He propped his head on his bag.
“How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Kill people.” Her hands still shook whenever she thought about all the death and destruction she’d seen at the castle. Unable to imagine taking another person’s life, she wondered how soldiers did it repeatedly. Thinking back to her altercation with the man who’d held her at knifepoint, she’d had no qualms about stabbing him. In fact, she’d wanted him dead—not simply injured so she could escape. That thought terrified her. How Ackley did it time and time again and lived with himself was beyond her understanding. That he still managed to see the good in those around him said something about him being able to cope remarkably well.
“I don’t do it for pleasure.” His words were sharp and clipped. “If I didn’t kill my enemies, the people I love would be dead. You’d be dead.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that you enjoy killing.” Placing her bag on the ground, she rested her head on it.
He rolled away, his back to her. “Perhaps one day I will tell you how I came to be an assassin. But where I’m from, I’m known as a knight. We’re the protectors of our kingdom. A secret organization that maintains peace. However, if you only want to look at it as a killer squad, go ahead. Just don’t forget you benefitted from my skillset.”
