Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Raven

This was the moment.

Raven tilted her head back, gazing at the sky. The twin moons were full and bright. The murmur of voices surrounded her. ~I should have listened to you, Tori.~ She recalled General Fleu’s warning.

The alcohol didn’t soothe the raw wound on her arm, but it would help her face what was coming next.

“Give up, and I'll fix you up,” a shadowy figure offered.

Raven snorted. “It’s just a scratch. I’m good.”

She’d left her blades and Bellamy with the maid. If they were found, they could be traced back to Dhol. This was the safer option. Her friends would mourn, but they’d move on once she was gone.

The maid had stabbed her a bit too deeply, but it was the only plan Raven could come up with to keep them safe. Hopefully, Dhol would stick to his reputation and let them take her.

Her arm throbbed and stung as her blood dripped onto the grass.

The shadowy figure rose to his feet. “I can’t let you die. We have a lot to talk about.”

“Another bottle might convince me,” Raven suggested.

“I didn’t picture the famous Blade Dancer as a drunk,” he remarked.

“The real thing never matches the legend.” Raven extended her hand.

He snapped his fingers, and a bottle rolled out from the darkness to her feet. As she lifted the bottle to her lips, a bitter smell wafted out. Raven paused and offered the bottle to the man. “How impolite of me.”

“You speak our language well. Who taught you?”

“Drink, and I’ll tell you.”

The man stepped out from the shadows, his hood low. She couldn’t see his face, just the glint of gold fangs in the faint moonlight. It was strange. She should at least be able to see the glow of his eyes.

He took the bottle and drank a good portion. Raven took the bottle back and did the same.

“I taught myself.”

“To fight?”

“Trainers back home. This has been fun, but I just need a ship, and I’ll be out of your way. You can manage that, right?” Raven asked, holding the bottle by its neck.

“I could, but I won’t. You know too much, and we know too little,” he replied.

“I don’t know anything,” Raven insisted, her grip on the bottle tightening.

He lifted her chin with his finger. “We’ll have plenty of time to figure all of this out.”

Raven could hear them closing in on her. She was outnumbered, armed with nothing but a bottle.

She could break it and use it as a weapon, but if she fought back, Dhol might get involved and incriminate himself.

“Well, at least I’ll be drunk for the torture,” Raven said, taking another swig.

“I prefer to think of it as aggressive questioning,” he smiled. “Unless you’re willing to tell me who helped you.”

The rustling of grass and leaves filled the silence.

“Your mother,” Raven replied, mirroring his smile.

Before she could take another sip, the bottle was knocked from her hand, shattering on the grass.

“This is going to be hard if you’re going to act up every time you don’t like my answers,” Raven said, laughing.

“Take her and give her the suite with all the extras,” the man ordered.

Another man in plain clothes emerged from the darkness. His face was familiar, as were his amber eyes and blond hair. He stopped just short of her and pointed in a direction.

As Raven took a step, the world spun, and she fell onto the broken glass. She tried to pick out the shards, but the blond man simply hoisted her over his shoulder.

The sudden movement made her stomach churn, and she vomited down his back.

“I liked this shirt,” he grumbled.

“I did you a favor. It was ugly,” Raven retorted.

“I’m going to enjoy interrogating you,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to it too.”

***

Arenk

The pregnancy was progressing well. An early test showed the baby growing strong and healthy. No signs of the virus. In a few days, he could spend some time with Raven.

He knew she’d be mad at him, but he had a trip to the hot springs planned to make it up to her and break the news.

Their situation would change, and they’d be spending less time together. He got off the elevator on Laro’s floor; a quick visit wouldn’t hurt.

He was met with silence when he knocked on the door and rang the bell. Maybe they were out in the country. He knew Laro wouldn’t take her into the city with the higher-ups on high alert.

His device buzzed in his pocket.

~Westside Border, now. Bring Laro.~

Arenk sighed. He had a feeling General Dhol would want to renegotiate their deal, especially after he and Laro had her for the last month. It would actually work out now.

The elevator doors opened, and Laro and General Fleu stepped out. Shock was written all over Laro’s face.

“I’ll meet you inside,” Laro told General Fleu. The general nodded and walked away.

“We need to go to the Westside Border to meet General Dhol,” Arenk said.

“Is he tired of Raven? I thought both of you would enjoy your extra time with her. I’ll get some time off s—”

“I haven’t seen her for the past month,” Arenk said.

“She’s probably missed us and demanded that we appear immediately. You know how she can be,” Laro said.

“Or General Dhol is informing us of their mate status,” Arenk said.

Laro’s scent soured the air. “I doubt that. I’ll meet you at the vehicle.”

Arenk was there in a flash with the motor running, and Laro joined him with an unusually somber attitude.

“Slow down before we get fined,” Laro said.

“We’re already here,” Arenk said, pulling out the gate, off of the path.

General Dhol was propped against the wall, his eyes shadowed with fatigue, his jacket hanging open.

“Is it true?” Laro asked, his voice echoing in the quiet.

“What are you talking about?” Arenk responded, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“There’s talk of a woman, a survivor of the crash, who’s been held captive and questioned for the past month.”

General Dhol’s face didn’t change. “Yes,” he confirmed.

“We have to get Raven out of here, today. We’ll head back to your place right away,” Arenk decided.

“She’s not there,” General Dhol murmured.

“Good. You’ve already moved her. Where is she now?”

The air was filled with the chirping of birds and the distant rumble of vehicles. General Dhol bent down to pick up a bag at his feet, pulling out a stuffed animal—Raven’s favorite.

“I failed.”

And then, everything went quiet, plunging into darkness.