“No, Hectar,” said the monk, raising a trembling hand. “Listen—”
“And now you’ve gone and told them my name. No choice now.” He licked the corner of his lips.
“No!” yelled Kaetha as Hectar and his daughter stalked towards them. Cold fear crawled over her skin but her racing heart burned. As sunlight glinted on Hectar’s axe and his daughter’s knife and hammer, Kaetha thrust out her hands defensively. In that same moment, the woman shrieked, dropping her weapons and hitting at her cloak, flames blossoming beneath her furiously working hands. She called for help but her father stood dumbstruck beside her. Fumbling with the clasp, she threw off her cloak before the flames devoured it entirely. She stood there panting, the colour returning to her face as she glared at Kaetha, teeth bared once more.
Mairi stared at Kaetha with the same expression of shock as when she’d seen the thieves approach.
Kaetha had felt her magic stirring within her but hadn’t intended to release it. “I didn’t mean—” she began.
“Fire magic.” Hectar smiled, his head tilted as he ran his eyes over her. “Small of stature, red-brown hair, travelling in a small group.”
“The Mistress said a group of five,” said the monk-thief.
“Then, whoever you’re looking for, you have the wrong person,” said Donnan, still clutching his injured hand. “There are only three of us. There’s never been more than us three travelling together.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s this one the mistress wants,” he said, pointing his axe at Kaetha. “I’m sure of it.”
“So,” ventured the monk, “no need for bloodshed then.”
“She’s not ours to kill,” snapped Hectar. “I’m not stupid. But Mistress never said she should be unharmed.” He looked hungrily at Donnan and Mairi. Kaetha was strangled with fear. She didn’t need to read the thief’s mind. “And she never said anything about not killing the others.”
TWENTY
Truths Revealed
Hectar pointed his axe at Mairi, poised like a snake ready to bite. Defying her instinct of self-preservation, Kaetha stepped towards him.
“Careful, Pa,” said the woman, her eyes locked on Kaetha, “you don’t know what she could do.”
“I’ll go with you,” Kaetha said. “If you swear not to harm them.”
“Interesting offer,” said Hectar. “Test the sharpness of your blade, Glenna. When did you last cut off a hand?” His gaze travelled up and down Mairi. Kaetha scanned the clearing, hoping the monk would try to stop them but he had disappeared.
“It’s been a while,” Hectar’s daughter Glenna said, a smile curling her lip.
“Stop!” Kaetha held up her hands to attack. But no Fire came. Hectar smiled as she ran to put herself between Glenna and Donnan.
“Where’s your magic now?” he laughed. “I thought as much. Mistress was right, she can’t control it. She’s no real threat to us. She’ll come without a fight.”
“She won’t.”
Kaetha’s heart lifted at the sound of Tam’s voice.
Hectar laughed. “And you think you can stop us? You’re not even armed.”
Tam’s eyes were unreadable as his gaze met Kaetha’s.
“Bind her hands, lass,” said Hectar.
The rope scratched at her skin as the lass bound her wrists. Donnan ran at them, pulling Glenna away, only to be flung to the ground by Hectar, his stomach pummelled by his heavy boot.
“She’s coming with us,” Hectar snarled.
A low growl rumbled and Hectar staggered backwards, dropping his axe as he tripped. Kaetha dived for it, holding it out with her bound hands.
Glenna’s eyes widened when she saw Tam the wolf but she looked more afraid of her father’s axe. Glenna’s blade sliced the air. Kaetha dodged, the glint of metal an inch from her face. Axe shaking, she deflected the next blow. Then pain exploded in her right hand and she screamed, the axe tumbling out of her grasp. Glenna abandoned her hammer and lunged, grinning, driving her knife straight at her.
A blur of grey streaked in front of Kaetha, knocking her backwards. Glenna screamed from beneath a furry bulk of muscle, teeth and claws and something was thrown into the air, landing at Kaetha’s feet. The colour drained from Hectar’s face before he fled through the trees. Glenna to her feet, clutching her arm, blood soaking her clothes. “Pa,” she yelled. “Pa!” But he didn’t call back. Mairi and Donnan’s faces were white as parchment.
“Tam, what have you done?” said Kaetha, though in wolf form, he could not reply. Glenna’s hand lay in the mud at Kaetha’s feet. A thin, blood-flecked finger twitched and Kaetha fought a wave of nausea. She reached out to Glenna. “Let me—”
“G-Get away from me,” said Glenna.
Kaetha ignored her. “You’ll die of bleeding or infection if it’s not cauterized. I don’t like you but I don’t want you to die like that.” Glenna struggled as she tried to pull her over to the fire, blood continuing to flood down her clothes. “Fine.” Kaetha stopped trying to drag her to the fire and, instead, used all her strength to hold out Glenna’s disfigured arm and, with her other hand, she sent a blast of fire over the bleeding flesh. Glenna’s scream ripped through her, a sound that she knew would haunt her dreams.
“See. I can control it sometimes.”
“She will find you,” said Glenna when she had recovered enough from the shock to speak. She tore herself away from Kaetha. “You can count on that.” Then she ran, stumbling, following where her father had gone.
“Who were they talking about?” said Donnan.
“I wish I knew.” Kaetha shook her head. “I can’t believe he left her like that. His own daughter.”
Tam shifted into his human-like form and Mairi grabbed a knife, running over to stand protectively
