Chapter. 69
Ina lets out a shriek as Rahlan grabs her arm and pulls her upright. His hands land on her thin shoulders, and he pushes her down to sit beside the bed, the force making her whimper.
“If your noisy lips draw any more suspicion to this cabin, I shall be forced to use my sword,” Rahlan says.
Ina’s eyes grow wide in fear. Her shaking form curls away from him.
“Relax,” I say, “I won’t let him hurt you.” They at least have some assurance that they will be okay. When I first met Rahlan, I was alone, and he gave every indication that he was going to kill me. He mutilated my traveling companions’ bodies, he threatened to behead me when I collapsed, and he almost let wolves devour me.
Rahlan positions her arms behind her back and ties her wrists together with a strip of the linen blanket. He loops the knot around the bedpost too, preventing her from just jumping up and running the second we leave. A part of me is relieved that Rahlan thought of that, and another part of me is disgusted at myself. A few weeks ago, I considered anyone who would bind another person to be a fiend, as they were just making the weak even more helpless. Now here I am on the opposite side, doing exactly that. Is there a way for us to escape the village without tying them up? I jumped onboard with Rahlan’s plan without even hesitating. Am I allowing him to change me, leading me to emulate his non-existent morals?
Ina squeals as Rahlan pulls a strip of linen between her teeth, gagging her.
“Is that really necessary?” I say.
He gives me a sharp look, annoyed that I’m challenging him in front of them again.
I return his glare.
“’Tis necessary,” he says.
Jaclyn finishes treating Aled’s leg. The moment his wounds are no longer being tented to, Rahlan moves to bind him too.
Aled’s glare follows the approaching vampire. Rahlan kneels in front of him and reaches for Aled’s arm. Aled already has both hands behind his back, oddly compliant considering the fire in his eyes.
“Wait,” I say.
Rahlan stops.
“Aled may have a dagger.” I remember him taking it out to cut the bandage that he helped me wrap around my arm.
Aled’s eyes land on me, burning. He’s never looked at me like that before, even when he discovered the mark on my neck. His silent gesture sends the message loud and clear – I’m his enemy. I suppose that I better get used to receiving that look.
Rahlan lunges forward and grabs both of Aled’s arms. Using his immense strength, Rahlan bends Aled’s arms out from behind his back, revealing the dagger gripped tight in his fingers.
Rahlan squeezes his upper arm. A groan escapes Aled, and the dagger falls to the ground.
Being less gentle than with Ina, Rahlan grabs the back of Aled’s neck and forces him to bend forward. Rahlan’s hands latch onto Aled’s wrists, pulling them high enough behind his back that he can’t sit upright.
“Mind his leg,” Jaclyn says.
Rahlan twists the linen around Aled’s wrists, binding them together. A gag is forced between Aled’s lips before he’s allowed to sit up straight again. He’s not attached to the bed like Ina. At least Rahlan knew better than to try move him with the gash on his leg.
Aled’s fuming gaze finds me again. It looks even more disconcerting with the gag pulling back at his cheeks.
I took a surprise strike at Rahlan before. I only ever tried to hurt him once – when I learnt that he had killed my brother. Aled’s attempt wouldn’t have worked either, and he may have lost his life as a result.
I glance up at Rahlan’s tall frame. He gives a subtle nod in appreciation. While he probably would have been able to dodge Aled’s blade, the truth is that I did not want to take that chance. When it comes to choosing between the two of them, Rahlan, a vampire, is the one I’m closest to, the one I will protect.
Soon Jaclyn’s finished with Bevin’s bandage. Rahlan grabs his uninjured arm and frog marches him to sit by the bed. He ties Bevin’s hands in front to avoid any further aggravation to the wound. Once Bevin’s also attached to the bed with linen strips, Rahlan takes a candle off the nearby desk and pushes it between Bevin’s teeth. Like a horse’s bit, an edge sticks out of either side of his mouth. A linen strip is tied to both ends of the candle, holding it in place to act as a gag.
“You may begin chewing after we leave,” Rahlan says. It’s a temporary gag. We’ll be long gone after Bevin has bitten through the candle, and then he’ll be able to call for help.
Rahlan turns to Jaclyn. “Gather the belongings you wish to carry.”
She packs up her medical tools and returns to the living room. For a moment, I consider leaving Bevin and the others to help Jaclyn pack. If Rahlan still wanted to hurt them, he wouldn’t bother waiting until I was out of the room, but I decide to stay for Ina. I sit on the floor beside her trembling form and take her bound hand in my own.
Her eyes meet mine, still filled with fear.
I smile. “You’ll be fine.”
Bevin left his golden prize in the safety of his room. He’ll be able to keep it after this ordeal, meaning that he’ll be fine too.
With Aled, I’m unsure. He was the one who brought me into their group, and he’s always been the hardest to read.
If I’d prioritized paying Bevin as soon as I woke up, their encounter with Rahlan could have been avoided. I must remember that even though Rahlan ate lunch in a human’s home, he’s still a vampire lord. He likes me, he tolerates his subjects at Litton, and he won’t hesitate to murder anyone else.