Beloved

Chp. 43

Lilith

The night felt long as I could not get any sleep. My mind was elsewhere and I was worried for Draylum. I wondered what happened to the village while I was gone. I couldn't tell if there were more men that attacked the village. I only prayed for their safety and hoped Khael was not hurt.

I was sure Khael knew I was gone by now and awfully worried. I did not expect him to come soon. It was hard to tell where we were headed because of the blindfold but I knew we were far from Draylum.

We immediately got ready to depart after these men got enough rest. I leaned further against the tree behind me when I heard footsteps approach closer. I was startled when I felt one of them get a strong grip of my arm to pull me close and adjusted the ropes on my wrists. I bit onto my lower lip from the soreness I felt around them. The rough ropes seemed to have tore some layers of my skin. There was a sharp sting everytime I moved about.

"Get up."

He roughly pulled me off the ground and began to drag me along with him. I stumbled and fell onto my knees. I felt lightheaded and my legs were still weak. I couldn't walk as fast as I wanted to. The man cursed under his breath and was frustrated from my behavior.

He attempted to pull me off the ground but there was a different sound of footsteps approaching us. They were speaking with each other but it was hard to hear. I flinched when a different pair of hands loosened the blindfold around my eyes.

It was a man with the patch on his eye. He handed me a small leather bag that was filled with cool water. I pulled it close to my lips and felt some of it trickle down the corners. I rushed and tried to drink more when I had the chance. When I drank enough to quench my thirst, without a word, he led me elsewhere. I saw the others take a glimpse at me as they were getting ready to leave.

"You'll be riding with me."

He no longer had the hood over his head so I was able to see his face more clearly. The mark on his neck reached up to part of his head. He had a similar metallic earpiece that symbolized a messenger. His wintry blonde hair blew across his face as he looked down at me. I was met with a pair of grey eyes that appeared so cold.

I remembered what Cree and Cicili said about the dangerous tribes that were near Draylum. She mentioned how Dravicks were especially careful of the Ceneans. A shiver ran down my back in thought. Perhaps these men were Ceneans...I held my hands close and stepped away from him to create a distance.

"W-What have you done to Khael? W-Where are you taking me?"

He gave me no response and ignored my questions as he walked me towards the horses that were lined next to each other. As I took steps closer, I felt I was parting farther from Khael. I moved my hands to hold the necklace Khael gave me since it gave me ease but my neck was bare. My hands roamed but when I looked down it was gone. My eyes widened and my heart pounded at the thought that I lost it.

My necklace...

I stopped in my tracks and looked back to see if it had dropped anywhere. It was my first gift from Khael and was dear to me. I would never forgive myself if I lost it. I yelped when I felt a harsh tug on the ropes and I stumbled forward.

He had the rope tightly wrapped around his hand and pulled it further so his face was near mine. My hands were pulled higher and it caused much more pain than before. I felt my tears forming at the corners of my eyes. He gritted his teeth as he looked down at me and delivered his words.

"You intend to test my patience. If you have me stop again I'll have this rope tied around your neck. Perhaps that will make you more obedient."

I shook my head and a tear managed to slip down my cheek. He understood it as my promise to listen to whatever orders.