LEXI

A SHED IN AN UNKNOWN TIME

Iwoke up as I was yanked off the horse and crashed to the ground in a heap.

“Ow!”

The man laughed. It was very dark, a crisp night, we were in a wide field, a hum of night bugs. The stench of animal dung. There was a small building in the darkness and I was pushed toward it. Roughly.

“Where are you taking me?”

One of the big hulking men shoved me, and mimicked my voice, high, scared.

The men laughed.

A wooden door opened on the small cold shed and I was shoved in. I stumbled on the threshold and fell forward onto my knee and shoulder, my fall barely softened by straw coving the floor. It smelled like farm animal dung, in the worst way.

I winced and rode the wave of pain until I could sit up. Then I dug my heels into the ground and shoved up against the wall, as far away from the door as I could get. It was pitch black except for a window with a small glow of moonlight.

I was captive.

I heard outside, Torin yelling, struggling, and being roughed up, then a moment later the door opened, and he was shoved in, landing on his hands and knees with a groan.

He collapsed to his side and lay there weakly.

The man at the door laughed.

They slammed the door, making the shed even darker.

I was terrified. Desperately sad. And I was really angry.

Torin was responsible for all of it, and he was the only person in the world who could help me.

I could hear a laughing conversation outside.

And it slammed into me,what if he died?

I said, “Torin? Torin, are you okay?”

There was a long pause and then he mumbled, “Aye.”

I burst into tears.

He said, “Och nae,” and pushed himself up and then shifted and turned the bulk of his big body to the wall beside me with a gasp of pain.

He got situated so we were shoulder to shoulder, with his body between me and the door, then he exhaled the air from his lungs.

He said, “Twill be alright, Princess.”

“Stop calling me that, you’ve ruined my life. You’ve destroyed my relationship, and I’ve lost everything. Why are you doing this to me?’

“I dinna mean tae cause ye harm, Prin — I just felt relieved that I found ye, I ought tae hae progressed more cautiously.”

“It’s too late now,” I sobbed, my throat tight from tears, I forced out, “I hate you.”

“I ken.”

I was physically shaking. “Who are these men, are they going to kill me?”