SIX

I can't tell what hurts the most. My head, or my back.

Grimacing, I battle past a swarm of colour, forcing my eyes open. Beneath me, the ground moves, lurching and undulating with a force that has my stomach turning. I'm staring at a celling, lined with red satin, which stretches down to curtains that match.

My memories reshape themselves in my mind slowly, battling through a foggy haze that surrounds my mind. The moment they do, I jerk up, nearly striking my head against the ceiling. I'm in a carriage, splayed out across a plush bench. A carriage, which means I'm travelling, which means I'm not at Blue Glass Inn.

I've been kidnapped.

I look straight at Marek, who sits opposite me, watching me silently. His eyes have darkened, to the point those cornflower blue irises I began to trust have turned navy blue, like the deepest depths of an ocean I've seen only in pictures. His slick black jacket consumes his figure, making him all the more intimidating. Yet I refuse to give him the satisfaction of flinching.

“Where am I?” I growl, keeping my voice low. Looking out the window, we pass through snow, which means we are still in the Azure Province. But grass is starting to peak through, the ice becoming sparse. I feel panic rise within me, but as the fog layered over my brain starts to fade, I assess how I need to react to this situation, and it's not what I'm considering.

“Somewhere close to the Azure Province border," he tells me, glancing out the window vacantly. I look down, seeing a blanket has been draped across my legs, which I kick away immediately.

Does he think I'm going to believe his feigned pity?

“Why me? What do you want with me? You drugged me," I say, voice hoarse. Pain still echoes wildly between my temples, whatever herb he used in the drink must have had me out for hours. It renders my limbs practically useless; not as if I would stand much of a chance if I flung the cabin door open and leapt into the snow outside, which blurs vividly at the pace we move.

“I’m hoping you will be willing to impart some valuable knowledge to me," he tells me smoothly.

My eyes widen, bewildered. “Willing? You’ve kidnapped me?”

“I’m not going to hurt you. I’m taking you home," he says calmly. The tension within me deflates, but with his expression remaining as frozen as the ice we glide over, my nerves still persist. The kind, attentive man I met at the Inn has vanished, replaced by this stoic, serious hunter.

“Home? To my village?”

“Close. To the Jade Province at least.”

I fall back into the seat, gaping at him. His passive serenity is a dichotomy to this situation, this kidnapping. Surely he realises how serious the charges would be if we are found; he could be thrown or prison, or worse. I'm not familiar with the authority in the Azure Province, but I have no doubt it will be harsh, uncompromising.

I pull my legs to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. “What knowledge do I have that you need?”

“I’m going to kill your Tani. I want to know everything about him. Habits, where he may be, how powerful he is," he affirms flatly. I flinch. I'm not sure what stuns me the most. Of course the idea of him killing my Tani leaves my stomach hollow, but the way he has changed so dramatically has my breath halting at my lips.

“You think I’m going to allow you even a chance to kill my Tani? You’re insane," I growl, letting my anger surface for a fleeting moment. I turn, pressing my shoulder against the seat as I rest my head, still blinking through the fog.

“If he truly does exist, I will find him. With your help of course.”

I frown to myself. “Why are you doing this? Why my Tani?”

“It’s simple, Akara. Tell me about your Tani, and we will make a stop by your village, and I will release you," he assets, leaning forward, resting his arms on his legs. His eyes dare me to accept his offer, matching  the way my rational mind begs me to take his offer. I could be home, safe.

“Even if I tell you...I couldn’t go back. I would be dishonouring my people, everything I believe in. My family will disown me," I tell him. Shame is a heavy burden in my village, especially involving out Tani. If the Beast were to die, it would be on my shoulders that our crops fail, that my people mourn. I would be out-casted, forced away from my family.

“Belief in Tani does only one thing,” Marek mutters, shaking his head. “It makes good people turn against each other.”

I grit my teeth.

“That’s not true. My people, my village, are kind, generous and honest. We pray for our Tani, and in return, each Plantation it rains, and our crops grow," I insist, although my pleadings seem to fall on deaf ears. Marek has no interest in become personable with the idea of my Tani. He is going to kill him, slaughter him  with little remorse.

“Do you ever consider that it just happens to rain often in Spring, and that this Beast is nothing more than a man-eating, hungry creature that destroys all in its path," he questions, looking out the window instead of me, although his eyebrow quirks.

My anger falters. He has done his research.

“So you’ve heard the rumours...about my Tani killing people," I murmur, the words leaving my lips burning, like just speaking ill of my belief would poison me to the core.

The rumours surrounding the Beast have existed for many years. It began after an infamous case of a young girl showing up at the edge of the village, utterly brutalised. Other little girls suffered the same fate in the area, and due to the nature of their deaths, blame fell on my Tani. Ever since, many people still remain skeptical, and cases such as that one still continue to happen.

“I’ve heard a lot from those who don’t believe. But never from a believer," Marek comments, watching the snow dance by, the speed of the carriage increasing.

“I told you, I’ll have nothing if I tell you anything.”

“Your words are no guarantee of the creatures death. It will be at my hand it dies," Marek assures me, his tone lowering to a deep, coaxing one. I'm not going to fall for his vacant words that make sense in theory, I just know it's not as simple as that.

“Why kill anyway? Don’t you strictly hunt the Tani of the Azure Province?” I question.

Marek settles back into his seat, sighing through his nose. “I’ve done so for many years, yes. But my reasons for hunting your Tani are different.”

“It’s only fair that in return for my knowledge, I understand your reasons.”

“There is talk of your Tani having power so strong, that whoever kills it will gain some of that residual strength," he explains, his tone hardly matching what he is talking about. He seems bored, tired. Kidnapping me must be taking its toll, even if he expresses no interest in letting me go. Why would he, when he could get power from my Tani?

I shake my head solemnly. “You’re killing a creature of my belief for strength?”

“It’s more than that. But that’s besides the point. Tell me what you know," Marek demands, although he doesn't sound angry, or eve desperate. He knows I have no other choice but to say yes, to agree to his expectations. He's kidnapped me, and if I tell him all I know about my Tani, then I could be free, back to my family again.

Suddenly, the carriage comes to a jarring stop, my body lurching forward, only to be caught by my hands digging into the cushions of the seat. Marek frowns, grabbing the ceiling to steady himself. Whoever is controlling the carriage makes no sound, and by the expression on Marek's face, this isn't a scheduled stop.

“What’s going on? Why are we stopped?” Marek demands, directing his voice to the behind the front cabin wall.

“Come out with your hands up, or watch your carriage burn," someone yells from outside.

My body goes ridged, as the calm but authoritative voice soars into the cabin. Marek and I exchange uneasy  glances. Policing groups usually avoid the borders to each Province, as to not step upon either's laws. People have the right to travel freely between Provinces, as by demand of the King, which means only one thing.

These must be rebels.

“Stay here. They don’t need to know you’re in here," Marek demands, before he pops open carriage door, stepping out confidently into the snow. The door shudders closed, the icy wind making me shiver. Part of the Jade Province will be doused in snow at his time of the year, but it will melt the further to the centre you get.

“So what are you lot anyway?” Marek mutters, his voice muffled through the door. My fingers beg to pull back the sheer curtain and see who is speaking to. Evidently, it's a group of people, which is only more frightening. If they are rebels, they will burn this carriage with me in it, and drag Marek to their den, and torture and interrogate him.

“We are the law of behalf of the King. Show your identification or be escorted to his majesty himself," one demands. Listening closer, I quickly identify their lack of accent. Must be Jade Province origin, but not from a small village like mine. Their voices are clipped immaculately with a well manicured accent, which can only be bred from education you wouldn't find in a place like where I grew up.

Can't be rebels.

“I have every right to bring my carriage into this Province,” Marek says casually. He's acting, that boastful, confident attitude not familiar to him at all. “Did you have to kill my foot man?”

My breath falters. For a moment, I had considered stepping out to announce myself, to let them know Marek had kidnapped me. But killing an innocent man is not the King's usual procedure. Whoever these men are, and whatever authority they belong to, it isn't an honourable one.

“Only identified personnel of the King have the right to enter through this access to this Province," they say.

Marek scoffs. “King? What King? There’s only one King and he’s in Emerald Province.”

I've had enough. The aggression in the man's tone suggests only one thing. Without a distraction, they will likely kill Marek, or take him away, leaving me here. Without a footman, I will survive less than a day out here in this weather. Night will fall, I will freeze, and Marek will be dead.

I push the door open just as he begins to speak. “That’s where you’re wrong, Foreigner. Now show us why we should let you pass, or you and your carriage will be detained.”

I drink in the sight, as it all begins to change in a single moment.

Marek is surrounded by a group of three men, all of which stand in a curved formation, hands hovering over weapons at their hips. In what feels like the longest stretch of a minute, I see Marek begin to transform in front of me, calling on whatever demonic Summoner powers are buried deep within his skin, that travels through his veins.

It only takes a blink on my end, and suddenly, Marek is gone. In his place, is a replica of the man in front of him. Much thinner, paler, with golden hair, wearing the exact velvet uniform of the man before him. Two of the exact same men are staring at each other, one happening to be more surprised than the other.

All three of the men stumble back, gasping and exchanging wary glances. Their Jade Province origin is betraying them, being unfamiliar with a Summoner's abilities.

Marek doesn't waste the moment, taking advantage of their shock as he steps forward. Even with no weapons in hand, I know immediately what his intentions are. I recoil, falling back into the cabin of the carriage, swinging the door shut behind me. Conflict isn't my strong suit, and neither is watching my kidnapper kill three men. Innocent or not.

I wince, revaluating my situation. My kidnapper is fighting off whatever chance at safety I have outside, and there is nothing I can do about it. My fear about those men being anything other than what they said they were ensured that I didn't brave revealing myself to them, and my situation.

Would it have mattered? Would Marek have still used his powers to kill them?

Suddenly the little door is swung open, the gauzy curtain fluttering wildly in protest to the cold wind that follows. I gasp, my hand splaying across my chest, as I see Marek's face. He looks wildly different without his marking, but I hardly have time to dwell on that, as he holds a velvet covered hand out to me. A hand that surely just killed multiple people.

“Come. We need to get out of here," he murmurs promptly, the calm to his tone making me shudder. This isn't the first time he has done that...kill.

“It’s snowing. We won’t last more than a few hours," I reply anxiously, looking out toward the forest beyond, towering trees dusted with a glistening frost. It's an excuse, in all honesty. My fear has escalated to an impenetrable numbness, as I refuse to think about the bodies lying within the depths of the snow outside, still warm.

Marek senses my unease. “We will find shelter. It’s better than waiting for their backup to arrive.”

Backup. Either my savour, or my imminent death. The fact that I haven't heard of any King reigning in the Jade Province, but I've heard of plenty of unique rebel groups, so I step out into the snow after Marek. If he planned to kill me, he would have, and if I tell him about my Tani, my safety is guaranteed.

“You used your abilities. Some of the colour is draining from your face," I say over the soughing of the wind, my feet gliding uneasily over the thick layer of frost that coats the grass here. Glancing over at Marek, I can practically see the silver blue hues seeping from his skin, his usual colour returning.

“I had no other choice. It’s not something I enjoy doing," he replies, as we clamber past the line of trees, disappearing from the carriage view.

“Do you kill people often?”

“No. Almost never.”

He doesn't say any more to me, continuing to guide me through an endless scatter of trees, the undergrowth and bush becoming thicker with each step. With light shoes I wore for work, and no winter coat, I know I won't last long out here. Yet I keep walking, stepping in Marek's footsteps, glaring at his back.

Just as I feel like I might scream, the cold having set deeply into my bones, my shoes soaked with ice water that numbs my toes to the point it leaves me stumbling, Marek stops, brushing back a thick layer of thicket to reveal the entrance to a small cave.

“Here. This place is sheltered enough. I’ll go find something to make a fire. I have a lighter," he murmurs, motioning for me to step inside. Ducking to avoid smashing my head on rocks, I nearly cry at the relief of being out of the snow, even if my shuddering breath does fog in front of me.

“Okay…”

Marek pauses by the mouth of the cave, looking back at me. There's a moment of vulnerability written all over his face, that strikes me in the chest. Dark shadows have mingled deeply into his dishevelled bronze hair, turning it a deeper brunette colour that offsets his atlantic blue eyes. He seems tired, shoulders slumped beneath his coat, which he begins to peels of his body.

“Are you alright? Cold?” he asks lightly, leaning into the cave to hand me his coat. Had I not been so jarringly cold, I wouldn't have grabbed it, but I did. The moment the heavy woollen material is in my hands, I sink to the ground, and wrap it over myself.

“Of course I’m cold. I shouldn’t be here," I murmur, looking up at him, as his expression softens.

“I know sorry won't mean anything right now,” he breathes. “I wouldn’t try running. You’ll either die, or be dragged into the King’s clutches.”

He turns at that, walking away into the flurry of snow, leaving me to consider his words, and know assuredly, that I'm not running anywhere.