ransports. You should have taken Kaevin farther away—to a safe place. I thought you had bested me when the stone did not bind you, but your inexperience betrays you.”
“But—but I thought you...”
He raised his eyebrows. “What? What did you think? Did you think you’d killed me with your transport?” He laughed. “Well, I must admit, my landing wasn’t very comfortable. But you didn’t move me far from here. Probably no farther than you could see.”
Alora tried to think through a haze of pain, to stall for time. Maybe someone would come in time to save them. Wesley or Arista could shoot him with an arrow if he was standing in the moonlight. Maybe if she coaxed him forward a bit, out of the shadow of the trees.
“I wasn’t trying to kill you,” she lied. “I just hoped you wouldn’t be able to get back so quickly.”
“In that case, you’re more foolish than I thought, because I will not hesitate to kill you.” He took a single step toward her, dragging Kaevin with him. “And Master Vindrake was very clear. If you would not cooperate with him, he wanted you dead.”
“But Vindrake is dead now,” she reasoned, moving away from Abaddon. “You don’t have to follow his orders any more.”
“Vindrake? Dead?” He laughed again. “Unconscious perhaps, but certainly not dead. I would know the moment my bondmark left me. No—Vindrake is very much alive.” He moved forward again, and Kaevin cried out in pain.
Alora tried to bite back her own cry at the echo of pain she felt from Kaevin, but Abaddon noticed.
“What’s this?” he said. “Do you care so much for the boy? Perhaps we could reach an understanding after all. You could agree to use your gift for Vindrake, and in exchange, I might promise not to do this.” He squeezed Kaevin’s fingers, eliciting a scream of agony. She couldn’t help crying out in pain, as she fell to her knees, almost fainting.
“Fascinating,” said Abaddon, smiling gleefully as he moved toward Alora, stepping fully into the moonlight. A muffled thwock sounded behind her as two arrows flew toward Abaddon. The arrows bounced back, falling harmlessly to the ground.
Abaddon’s maniacal laugh reverberated through the air. “Oh my! Did Nordamen not advise any of you I am impervious to metal? I think you’ll find I’m quite difficult to kill.”
He took another step toward Alora. “In fact, if you look behind me, you’ll see the other girl who thought she could kill me with a sword.” Alora gasped at his words. He killed Beth! Before she realized his intent, he grasped her hand.
“Now, Lena. You will take us away from your friends immediately, or I will be inclined to inflict a great deal more pain on the boy. Come—stand beside me.” He attempted to pull her to her feet.
She felt Kaevin’s intense pain swelling yet again. The agony swirled in her head, until her vision narrowed and darkened. At least if she passed out, Abaddon couldn’t force her to transport, and the warriors might be able to find some way to kill him.
A gurgling noise pierced her hazy thoughts, and her hand was released. She collapsed on the ground beside Kaevin.
“Alora. Are you all right?” Her uncle’s voice penetrated her consciousness.
“Abaddon!” She choked out a warning. “He’s here. He’s alive.”
“No, he can’t harm you anymore. He’s dead, Alora.” Uncle Charles knelt beside her, holding a bloody ceramic knife before her eyes. “Unless he can grow a new neck. What am I saying? People in this crazy place probably can grow new necks.”
“No,” Raelene said, kneeling beside Charles. “You did it. You killed him.”
“Alora,” called a weak voice. “Please...”
“Kaevin!” Alora moved in front of him, placing both hands on his face, and kissed him. She breathed a sigh of relief as the pain lessened in her head. She felt him relax as their lips pressed together. “I’ve got to make some transports.”
“No,” he said, reaching with his crippled hand to pull her back into a kiss, and speaking with his lips against hers. “You’re too weak. We’re too weak. You could kill us if we stop kissing.”
“We’ll figure a way,” she whispered into his mouth. “Raelene,” she called, “I can take two people at a time to Laethan. But I can’t be away from Kaevin without passing out.”
Raelene nodded. “We’ll bring them to you. Charles is holding Beth. Take them first.”
Alora and Kaevin struggled to their feet. As her vision darkened, her head swam, but Kaevin wrapped his arms around her, his broken hands tucked awkwardly behind her back.
“Did you see what happened to Beth?” she asked with a shaky voice. “Is she... did he kill her?”
“I don’t know. She attempted to stab him in the back with the sword, but he twisted around and kicked with his foot. His movements were so quick, it was almost a blur. She flew backward into the tree trunk, and never moved again.”
“She’s still breathing,” said Charles as he carried his burden to stand beside Alora. He maneuvered one hand to awkwardly grasp her arm. His mouth twisted in a wry grin. “Okay. Beam me up, Scotty.”
Laethan jumped to his feet when he saw them arrive. Then he turned suspicious eyes to Charles. “Who is this?” he asked Alora, even while taking Beth from his arms and placing her on a bed.