CHAPTER ONE

GLOWING HANDS

The air was heavy with rain from earlier and the night was silent, almost as though it was waiting.

The tents flapped gently with the sway of the wind, the footsteps and their voices of men echoed in the night air. Horses quietly nuzzled on some grass while men filled their jugs with water from the clear stream.

“Sir, we have her in your tent.”

Xavier opened his eyes and accessed his right hand, Maxwell. He eyed the long bleeding gash across his cheek and arched a brow.

“She was a little bit unwilling to cooperate.” He explained

Xavier nodded standing and followed Maxwell’s lead. They both stopped in front of a tent, two men standing guard bowed in reverence. Xavier nodded in acknowledgment; Maxwell raised the flap of the tent and with his other hand stretched a lantern.

“We had to sedate her but she should be awake soon.” He informed

Xavier walked inside and set the lantern on the table; he pulled a chair to the centre of the room and quietly watched the sleeping form crumpled on the ground. Her chest rising and falling with each breathe she took. His eyes hooked on her feet and noticed the heavy layer of caked sand and blood.

She stirred a little and Xavier etched forward in his seat placing his elbows on his thigh and clasping his palms together. She opened her eyes slowly and first tried to adjust her eyes to the darkness and her environment, and then she locked eyes with the man watching her.

She noticed the colour of his iris; dark green flaked with red at the side

Xavier noticed her dark purple irises, a most unusual colour he thought.

She attempted moving but her limbs wouldn’t cooperate, she eyed her captor. He seemed at ease, her chances of escaping were very slim.

“The sedatives in your system won’t wear off for a while and even if you manage to escape it won’t be long before Lord Fletcher gets to you again.”

Her eyes slanted as she took in his words.

“I suggest you rest your body we have a long journey ahead of us Vanessa. I’ll send a doctor to take a look at your wounds, though you seem fine to me.”

Vanessa flexed her fingers.

“What do you want from me?” she addressed Xavier

“You have nothing to offer me; I was sent by the king. He and your father were good friends, and your father asked the King to keep you safe after his death, but before the king found out about your father’s death you were already taken.” He explained to her

“And how do you come in?” Vanessa asked while she sat up

“The king asked me to track you and bring you to the palace.”

“You seem to know a lot about the King.”

“Am his son, its expected.”

“Am assuming your father would want me to get married to you to ensure my safety and to unite our kingdoms.” She snarled in response

“I can’t assume to know what my father plans to do, but I have no desire to marry you. The King wouldn’t send the man he hopes to marry you to fetch you.” Xavier said with finality and standing up he walked out of the tent.

A man walked into the room with a bag in hand, she assumed he was the doctor. He smiled softly at her and sat beside her.

“Am the doctor to attend to you.” He quickly accessed her profile and added

“It seems you won’t be in need of my services, all you need is some food and rest.”

“You know what I am?”

“I am a doctor, I have encountered plenty things.”

“The man who sent you to attend to me, what’s his name?”

“General Xavier.” the doctor answered 

“Then I assume you know what General Xavier is?”

“I know what he’s capable off.”

“Does he know what I am?”

“If he hasn’t observed it already he’ll find out soon enough.”

“Where are we?” 

Ignoring her question he stood up.

“General Xavier asked me to tell you that we will be leaving soon. The stream is opposite the tent, and clothes were placed outside on a rock for you to change into.” He bowed and left.

Using the chair Vanessa pulled herself to her feet and went outside, two guards followed her slowly as she made her way to the stream, they stopped at a distance to offer her some privacy. She found the clothes waiting for her and accessed them. She laid them down and made her way to the stream.

She pulled the dress she was wearing which had clung to her skin, and she got rid of her undergarments and placed her foot in the water, testing the temperature. The warmth invited her and she dove in and scrubbed herself clean. 

Vanessa pushed her long wet brown hair to the back made her way out of the water. Letting some water slide down her skin branches broke in the distance and the wind carried strange voices. Someone was coming. She rushed in to her clothes. There was a loud cry in the direction of the camp followed by voices.

The soldiers assigned to her ran up to her and gestured for her to follow; they made their way quickly through the smoke and fire. Practically everything was either on fire of had burnt to ashes, the smoke stung her eyes and burned her throat. She strained to see what was in front of her. 

Someone familiar flew past the corner of her eye. It was him; he was here to get her. This wasn’t good at all.

The soldiers led her past the clearing and a little bit into the woods, Xavier stood waiting. He turned to his men.

“Gather what’s left and make a retreat, Doctor you’re small so you’ll have to do, wrap a cloak around yourself and don’t take it off hopefully the darkness will confuse them and they’ll follow. Lose them at the border and head home; we’ll have to make it home through another route.”

Silent nods and the men moved about responding to the orders and soon it was only both of them left.

“We need to move quickly.” He handed her a shoulder bag, replaced his sword at his side and picked his bag.

They moved swiftly through the large trees, roots and branches. Vanessa tried to steady her breathing, her muscles begged for rest and she felt a little bit dizzy. It wasn’t helping that Xavier was moving at an alarming speed and her life was in danger once again.

“Can we stop briefly?” she breathed out

“No. We need to get to town before you will be remotely safe. Unless you want to be taken and drugged again.”

“If we keep going at this rate we’ll be too exhausted tomorrow to even move.” 

He scoffed

“Speak for yourself.” 

Vanessa opened her mouth to say something but decided against it, something cracked and her head forcefully collided with his back as he came to an abrupt stop. Xavier squinted his eyes to see through the darkness. He heard something, as he searched he could feel her glaring at him.

“Why would you stop like that knowing I was right behind you?” she seethed with rage

“If you were paying any attention to where you were going you would not have hit me. You should be grateful it was my back and not a tree.”

“Why you -”