Taken

Chapter 8 (Part 1)

"Cedric," Silas greeted tersely, confirming the identity of the distant voice that had spoken.

I slowly sunk into the water until my chin was submerged and pressed my body up against the rock in front of me. Every muscle in my body tensed as I tried to listen to Silas and keep my movements to a minimum. I was afraid to even take a full breath in case it could cause ripples in the water that could draw attention.

Muted footsteps sounded as someone moved. I assumed it was Cedric with how the faint crunch of fallen leaves grew louder as they neared. He sounded like he was alone. Or, at least I hoped he was.

Silas's revelation meant it was highly unlikely that Cedric and his friends who had kidnapped me were human. Adding in the fact that they seemed to be trained soldiers, I found myself worrying for Silas. Though he scared me, he seemed to be the safer bet at the moment. He hadn't dragged me into this mess. In fact, he seemed to be willing to help me out of it as long as I wasn't deceiving him. Though he had put a choker around my neck that could hurt me, that was to protect himself. I couldn't fault him for that at the end of the day. Like he had said, I was a stranger, he couldn't trust me. It was a sediment that I could understand and relate to firsthand.

But what had me trusting him just a little, was how quickly he had reacted to hide me. It also rose a question.

Why was he helping me?

"I thought you learned your lesson the last time you ventured onto our land," Silas dryly said.

His tone and words had me believing it wasn't because he wanted to help me, but because he didn't like Cedric and the other men. The enemy of my enemies was helping me to spite them.

I would take that. Especially if it helped me return home.

Home. Ha! It was funny how desperate and unexpected situations had me calling a den of horrors home.

"Threats do not scare me. Nor do you," Cedric stated with arrogance. He didn't seem to like Silas either.

"I reckoned that the thought of losing your remaining good eye might though," Silas replied, nonchalantly revealing he had played a part in disfiguring and blinding the man.

Artemis let out a cry that sounded far more hostile than the ones she had been sounding at me earlier. Given Silas's words and the bird's hostility, it didn't take much to piece together what had left Cedric blinded with clawed scars on his face.

I could feel the detestation radiating between the two all the way where I hid.

"We're not here to discuss you and your mother residing on the edge of the King's territory-"

"Hmm," Silas interrupted calmly. "I wonder how the Autumn King would feel knowing that the Winter King is claiming neutral territory as his own."

Animosity crackled in the air.

"We're looking for a woman," Cedric continued, ignoring Silas's interruption that held a thinly veiled threat. His voice had taken on a hard edge. "She may have wandered onto your property. 5'4, dark hair, tan skin, and dark eyes."

"Fae?" Silas questioned, knowing full well that I was human. His inquiry had me wondering what else resided in this realm that he had to ask.

Cedric must have answered with a nodded lie.

Silas let out a laugh. "With that height, are you sure you're not in search of an adolescent?"

"I'm sure," Cedric bit out.

"What court?" Silas continued.

"It is yet to be determined."

"Been slacking, Captain?" He taunted, wearing on Cedric's already thin patience. His use of his title wasn't in respect.