she said.
“Your brother allowed you to come here? Where is he?” The first man looked around, then called out, “The brother of this woman must retrieve her now.”
Cassandra’s heart pounded in her chest. Her stomach squeezed and bucked and bile jumped into her mouth. Where is he? Jordan never came forth.
“You’re a liar,” one of the men said. “You’re a runaway, aren’t you? We don’t allow that here. We’ll keep you until your master comes.”
The first man grabbed her upper arm, pulling the himation off her head, and jerked her toward him.
“No! I’m not a slave. I have no master,” she cried out, struggling against his grip.
“Then I’ll be your master,” he growled.
“No, please. My brother—”
The man tightened his grip and yanked her again. “When my slaves lie to me, they receive the hardest punishment.”
“I’m not lying. He’s here!” And just as she said it, she saw Jordan standing in the shadows between two buildings, the blond woman with him. She locked eyes with him, hers begging him to help her. With a slight shake of his head and a smirk, he turned and sauntered away.
Her heart stopped cold. He was allowing this to happen. Allowing her to be taken as a slave. Was that his solution so he wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore? Or his punishment for not going with him?
As the man dragged her along, past Fig, the goat nudged her hand, pushing her fingers into a fist. Could she hit this man? Hard enough to make him release her? It would draw even more attention, but she could easily escape. No one but Jordan could catch her and he had abandoned her. Again. It was her only way to escape. She tightened her fist, pulled back and just as her knuckles crashed into the man’s ribs, someone else called out.
“Wait! She’s telling the truth. She’s not a slave.”
The man released her, but not because of Niko’s words. Because of the force with which she’d hit him—he flew to the ground, landing hard on his large rump. His face turned purple with rage. Cassandra looked from her near-captor to Niko, her eyes wide with disbelief and terror. She should run, she knew. But she couldn’t release herself from Niko’s green-eyed gaze.
“How do you know?” the man growled from the ground.
Niko swallowed. He tore his eyes from hers and stared down the man. “Because she is my master.”
Chapter 8
Jordan didn’t go far—just around the building to another shadow, where he could watch as they captured his sister. Inga, the witch who’d made the stone fall, had already disappeared, waiting for him at a nearby creek. But he couldn’t leave yet, too delighted with his work, needing to see it to the end.
Except this man was about to ruin everything. Why had he ever bothered saving him from the werewolf?
“You’re not a slave, Niko. You’re a soldier,” said the man who Cassandra had punched as he struggled to rise to his feet. When he did, he lifted his chest, likely trying to make people forget a woman had knocked him down. “You just want to take her from me.”
Niko bent over and whispered something to the boy by his side. The boy ran off, then Niko spoke, his voice firm and convincing. “When I was gone all that time, I was with her. She saved my life, nursed me back to health. I am forever indebted to her. But I ran away and she is here to reclaim me.”
Jordan could see the surprise all over Cassandra’s face. He shook his head. If this all worked as he’d planned, when he rescued her from her enslavement, the first thing he needed to do was teach her to be a better liar. But this was not going as planned. Not at all.
“You indebted yourself and ran away?” the man demanded. “You ought to be stoned.”
“Yes,” someone called from the crowd that had begun to gather. “You shame your family and your town!”
The corners of Jordan’s lips turned up. Maybe it will work out after all. Perhaps even better than planned. But Cassandra
“Your brother allowed you to come here? Where is he?” The first man looked around, then called out, “The brother of this woman must retrieve her now.”
Cassandra’s heart pounded in her chest. Her stomach squeezed and bucked and bile jumped into her mouth. Where is he? Jordan never came forth.
“You’re a liar,” one of the men said. “You’re a runaway, aren’t you? We don’t allow that here. We’ll keep you until your master comes.”
The first man grabbed her upper arm, pulling the himation off her head, and jerked her toward him.
“No! I’m not a slave. I have no master,” she cried out, struggling against his grip.
“Then I’ll be your master,” he growled.
“No, please. My brother—”
The man tightened his grip and yanked her again. “When my slaves lie to me, they receive the hardest punishment.”
“I’m not lying. He’s here!” And just as she said it, she saw Jordan standing in the shadows between two buildings, the blond woman with him. She locked eyes with him, hers begging him to help her. With a slight shake of his head and a smirk, he turned and sauntered away.
Her heart stopped cold. He was allowing this to happen. Allowing her to be taken as a slave. Was that his solution so he wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore? Or his punishment for not going with him?
As the man dragged her along, past Fig, the goat nudged her hand, pushing her fingers into a fist. Could she hit this man? Hard enough to make him release her? It would draw even more attention, but she could easily escape. No one but Jordan could catch her and he had abandoned her. Again. It was her only way to escape. She tightened her fist, pulled back and just as her knuckles crashed into the man’s ribs, someone else called out.
“Wait! She’s telling the truth. She’s not a slave.”
The man released her, but not because of Niko’s words. Because of the force with which she’d hit him—he flew to the ground, landing hard on his large rump. His face turned purple with rage. Cassandra looked from her near-captor to Niko, her eyes wide with disbelief and terror. She should run, she knew. But she couldn’t release herself from Niko’s green-eyed gaze.
“How do you know?” the man growled from the ground.
Niko swallowed. He tore his eyes from hers and stared down the man. “Because she is my master.”
Chapter 8
Jordan didn’t go far—just around the building to another shadow, where he could watch as they captured his sister. Inga, the witch who’d made the stone fall, had already disappeared, waiting for him at a nearby creek. But he couldn’t leave yet, too delighted with his work, needing to see it to the end.
Except this man was about to ruin everything. Why had he ever bothered saving him from the werewolf?
“You’re not a slave, Niko. You’re a soldier,” said the man who Cassandra had punched as he struggled to rise to his feet. When he did, he lifted his chest, likely trying to make people forget a woman had knocked him down. “You just want to take her from me.”
Niko bent over and whispered something to the boy by his side. The boy ran off, then Niko spoke, his voice firm and convincing. “When I was gone all that time, I was with her. She saved my life, nursed me back to health. I am forever indebted to her. But I ran away and she is here to reclaim me.”
Jordan could see the surprise all over Cassandra’s face. He shook his head. If this all worked as he’d planned, when he rescued her from her enslavement, the first thing he needed to do was teach her to be a better liar. But this was not going as planned. Not at all.
“You indebted yourself and ran away?” the man demanded. “You ought to be stoned.”
“Yes,” someone called from the crowd that had begun to gather. “You shame your family and your town!”
The corners of Jordan’s lips turned up. Maybe it will work out after all. Perhaps even better than planned. But Cassandra
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