*Sasha*
I woke up in a little hut. Gasping, I sat bolt upright and looked around. I barely registered that my body wasn’t in imnse pain anymore.
“Sasha, shh. It’s okay.”
Lucas’s strong, firm voice grounded . His arms were around in a second and he held against his chest.
“Where are we?”
“A local village in Lycenna. Apparently, there are still so residents living here, despite us thinking it was abandoned.”
“Oh... that’s–What happened?”
Lucas reminded of my fall from the mountain and how I’d miraculously survived. Perhaps not so miraculous, if it was the dark power inside of that saved .
“They gave you a strong healing draught when we got here. All your cuts and bruises are gone. How are you feeling?”
I sighed and pulled away from him, hating the need to leave his embrace. I flexed my arms and rolled my shoulders back.
“I’m still a little sore, but this is nothing like it was when I first woke up.”
Lucas smiled and nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. The warriors are already packing up. We need to get moving soon.”
“How long was I out?”
I glanced around the little hut. It was round and primitive. The bed I was on was covered in animal skins. The hut was just one room. Across from the bed, there was a firepit smoldering with bright red coals. Pots, pans, and other tools hung in the open windows.
No wonder these people had remained hidden. They lived very simple lives with hardly any technology, as far as I could tell.
“A day and a night. I promised we’d be gone by morning but you were still asleep. I think we’ve overstayed our welco. Everything’s packed. We’re just waiting on you.”
I nodded and pushed the animal skins back. My joints were still a little stiff but most of the pain was gone. I could stand without my legs trembling and even walk on my own.
Ideally, I could take another day to rest and fully regain my strength, but from what Lucas said, the locals wanted us gone.
Unfortunately, that ant our travels would be a lot slower because I wasn’t up to my full strength.
“Get dressed and et us all outside. We’ll set off imdiately.”
Lucas kissed my forehead and left alone in the hut.
I found the clothes he laid out for and put them on–a snug pair of hiking leggings and an under-armor shirt that clung to my body. They were warm but still flexible.
I t Lucas and the warriors outside.
There was a young woman, my age, with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was wearing very tight-fitting clothes and standing a little, too close to Lucas, smiling at him and giggling.
“Who’s your friend?” I asked, stepping up beside Lucas, and crossing my arms.
Lucas casually draped his arm around my shoulders.
“This is Cara. She’s the one who offered us aid.”
“Thank you, Cara. Your help is greatly appreciated.”
“You’re welco. I was just telling Lucas that I got my pack elders to agree to a feast before you leave. A kind of send off with all the food and drink you could want. It will help fortify you for the long journey ahead.”
She winked at Lucas.
I didn’t like this woman. She was obviously trying to appeal to Lucas with the way she tossed her hair and puffed out her breasts at him.
He didn’t seem to notice, or care, but it still bothered .
Still, the thought of sitting at a table and eating to help regain the last of my strength was a lot more appealing than setting off into the rough mountains imdiately.
“I’m sorry, Cara, but we need to get going.”
“Actually, Lucas, I could use a big al,” I said.
He glanced sideways at and arched an eyebrow. I just looked back until he nodded.
“Alright. If you think it will help.”
I nodded.
“Great! All of you can head to the feast area at the center of the village. I just need to give Sasha the last dose of her healing draught. We’ll catch right up.”
Lucas and the warriors headed off toward the feast.
Alone with Cara, I figured I could put her into her place a little.
“Listen....”
“Hang on. You need to drink this. It’ll help with the remaining pain.” Cara handed a small wooden cup with a grayish liquid in it. “Just close your eyes and swallow it quickly.”
I nodded. Squinting my eyes closed, I tossed the cup back like a shot and drank down the bitter, slippery draught.
“Oh... that was rough.” I handed Cara the cup back and tried to stand up straight.
My legs trembled suddenly and my vision blurred a little.
“What....”
I looked at Cara, and she had a vicious smile on her lips.
“I knew that the fastest way into Lucas’s good graces would be to help you. Now, I need to get rid of you. In his grief, he will turn to . But first....”
“H-hey!”
I tried to step away from her, but my body felt heavy and sluggish. The bitch must have drugged ....
She grabbed my wrist and pulled . I tripped over my own feet, stumbling forward. Quickly, she tied my hands together.
“Don’t fight it. The harder you fight, the faster that drug will work. Soon, you’ll be completely unconscious and I can leave you in the mountains to get devoured by wild animals. By the ti they find you, there’ll be nothing to save.”
“Why... why are you....”
I groaned again, my head felt like it was filled with rocks and my vision was starting to blur. I lost my footing completely and fell to the ground. My shoulder slamd against a rock.
Sounds ca through my ears like I was under water. Everything was muffled and foggy.
I was only partially aware of Cara moving around , talking. She rolled onto sothing soft and cool. The next thing I knew, I was floating through the forest.
No, not floating–I was being dragged. She had made so kind of sling or sled and I was on it.
I thought back to what she said. If I fought the drug, it would affect faster. If I lay still and didn’t try to move or cling to consciousness, maybe it wouldn’t impact as strongly. There was a chance I’d be able to get free.
I closed my eyes and focused on taking deep, calming breaths. My mind imdiately started to clear and I felt a tickle of my dream dancer abilities. It didn’t feel like I was accessing it the sa way as I did when I used the orb.
The power flooded into my mind, and I felt the drug receding quickly. My arms and legs no longer felt like lead and I could feel the rope tied around my wrists.
Gritting my teeth, I strained against the rope, snapping it to pieces.
Before Cara could react, I jumped up.
“Hey! What are you doing? How are you awake!?”
“It looks like you underestimated . Now, you’ll never have Lucas.” I sneered and ran back through the woods.
It was easy to follow the trail made by the sled, and I got back to the village before Cara could catch up to .
Lucas and the others were standing outside the hut, looking around.
“Sasha? Where were you?” Lucas ran over to .
I panted, clutching my side from the pang of a cramp.
“Get back here!”
Cara ca rushing out of the bushes after . As soon as she saw Lucas and the others, she stopped short.
“Um... what’s going on?” Lucas asked.
He looked between and Cara.
“She tried to kidnap and leave for dead.” I pointed at Cara.
“Yeah... but that was before I knew who you were.”
I stopped painting and arched an eyebrow at her.
“What do you an?”
Cara kicked at rocks on the ground. She looked down, her cheeks crimson with embarrassnt.
“I’m sorry. If I’d known the kind of power you had... but it’s the only way you could overco that drug.”
“Drug!?” Lucas snarled. He grabbed my arm and pulled away from Cara. “Are you alright? What did she do to you?”
“I’m okay. It was nothing that I couldn’t handle.”
He cald down imdiately. Lucas touched my face for a mont like he needed to know that I was fine.
“I’m very sorry, Sasha,” Cara continued. She threw herself down on the ground, bowing at my feet with her forehead on the ground.
“Uhh....”
“Please forgive . Your power is special, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I was a fool to try to co between you and your mate.”
I glanced sideways at Lucas. What the hell was going on? This whole thing was getting weirder.
He shrugged and shook his head, clearly as confused as I was.
“You can get up,” I told Cara.
She sighed and lifted her head but she remained on her knees in front of . “I know you have no reason to trust , but I want to help you. Your power is... a gift beyond words, beyond anything you can conceive of. Let help you to make up for my ignorance and my slight against you.”
“Help us with what?” I asked.
Cara sniffled, and I noticed for the first ti that she had tears streaking her cheeks.
“Lucas said you were on a mission to recover missing artifacts. That ans you’re headed to the Old Temple, right?”
“Old Temple?” Lucas creased his brow. He pulled the compass from his pocket. “I suppose so.”
“It is a very dangerous journey if you don’t know the way. I won’t risk soone as special as Sasha getting injured again.”
Lucas sighed. “We’ve made it this far. We’ve tested our ropes and gear and shouldn’t run into any more problems.”
“If you don’t know the way, it’ll be more than your gear that you have to worry about.”
“Lucas, if she wants to help, we shouldn’t turn it down. We know nothing about this terrain, and I don’t want to wander through the mountains for weeks just to starve to death when our food runs out.”
Lucas gave a look, but he nodded toward Cara.
“What did you have in mind for assistance?”
“There are many guides here in the village. They know the terrain. They can guide you on the safest passages to the Old Temple. They’ll protect you from any... trouble.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What kind of trouble?”
Cara gave a weak smile. “Storms, rock slides, predators... things that outsiders might not be used to handling.”
“We will accept your help, but if you ever try anything against my mate again....”
Cara nodded. “Never. It will never happen again!”
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