AISLIN | I

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

|please read the note at the end of this chapter|

I FELT a knot form in my stomach just as it had the first time I entered the tavern. Arley was an intimidating man. Everything he did exuded an air of "touch me and die." Although I wasn't completely uneasy in his presence, I couldn't help but worry. How would he react if he knew I let Aislin get kidnapped?

We walked further into the tavern and Arley met us in the middle with a large grin on his face. "Look what the tide washed in." He laughed at us, "And is that Zion I see, or are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

Zion chuckled, "Hello old friend." They both reached out and embraced each other.

Arley let out a deep chuckle, "It's good to see you." He pulled back, looked at the Syndicate, and smiled, "You girls too!"

"What brings you all here?" Arley looked at our group a little more carefully and furrowed his brow, "Where's Aislin?"

I mustered up all the courage I could find and forced myself to meet his demanding gaze. "We need to talk. Can we go somewhere out of public view?"

Arley's expression grew serious, apparently grasping the severity of the situation, and nodded. He quickly turned on his heel and called an employee to man the bar. He then nodded toward the back of the tavern where we went the first time, and strode toward it, not waiting for us to follow him. A sense of deja vu washed over me as I stepped through the heavy wooden door.

"Explain yourself, Bambi!" Arley thundered down at me as soon as the heavy door thunked closed. "Why are you here without Aislin?"

I tried to swallow but the knot in my stomach had jumped to my throat. Arley took a step forward, his heavy boots echoing on the wooden floors. I stood my ground, but my mouth still refused to work.

"WHAT DID YOU DRAG HER INTO?" he bellowed.

"Back off, Arley. Now is not the time." Kingsley interjected, stepping between us and pushing him away.

"Now is a perfect time." Arley countered, trying to stand his ground against Kingsley. "I swear to the gods if you hurt her... If you let anyone hurt her... Nothing will be able to save you." Arley snarled at me over Kingsley's head.

"It wasn't his fault." Blakely-Rose chimed in from the corner.

"WHAT wasn't his fault?" he roared. I felt August and Arius take a step back behind me. Arley had had enough of Kingsley's interference. He placed a hand under each arm, lifted her off the ground as if she were no heavier than a feather and placed her gently on her feet to his side. Then his gaze locked on me. I planted my feet, but I felt myself close my eyes and hold my breath as he stormed toward me.

"STAND DOWN!" I heard an unfamiliar voice boom from the doorway as I felt Arley's hand close on my neck.

I opened my eyes to see a weather-beaten old man standing in the open door. Arley stood frozen in his tracks, still resting his hand around my neck, glaring at the man in the doorway.

"This doesn't concern you, Kady," Arley growled.

"Well seeing as how I seem to have just stopped you from killing the only man who can give you the answers you want, I say it is." Kady reasoned. "Plus, someone had to tell you the whole tavern can hear you, and I drew the short straw," he said as he closed the door behind him and made his way to the heavy chair at the head of the table.

"Are you going to sit down and listen to what the man has to say?" the old man asked, gesturing at the table. Everyone scurried to a seat, but Arley didn't move.

"Pipsqueak, let go and sit down," Kady demanded. Zion stifled a laugh as Arley turned red at hearing the nickname.

Arley released his grip on my neck but stood strictly at the corner of the table as I shuffled nervously into the seat at the corner.