Page 79 of Bought to Break
Lanawashungry, she realised. She helped herself to the stew as the witch had suggested, discounting the sudden thought as she ladled it into the bowl that the witch was trying to poison her. If Vie had wanted her dead, she would have had ample time to do her in over the past three days.
Lana sat at a small table, the only surface of the house not covered in vials, herbs and unrecognisable objects. The stew was rich and thick – just the fayre her body craved, and she tucked into it with vigour, using the bread to soak up every bit of it. When she was finished, she leant back and found Vie regarding her thoughtfully.
‘What is it?’ she asked.
‘I was just wondering.’
‘What?’
‘Well.’ Vie went back to filling a small vial with a brownish liquid. When it was full, she put a stopper in the top and turned back to Lana. ‘Why did you attach yourself to all three of them? I know Brothers come in threes, but one man’s bad enough. Why all of them?’
‘I didn’t really have a choice at the time,’ Lana explained. ‘But I care about all of them. I wouldn’t change it.’
The witch turned back to her task and didn’t say anything more.
‘Can I ask you something?’ Lana said.
Vie nodded.
‘You said you’re a witch. Why hasn’t what happened to me happened to you?’
Vie gave her a small smile. ‘You weren’t born with the power, it flowed into you from the breech because your latent blood made you receptive and the protective wards are weakening.’
‘And you were born with it?’
‘Yes.’
‘And why are the wards failing? How do you know?’
Vie looked away, her expression closed. ‘There are rumours, more everyday, of strange occurrences in the deep forests, of people changing, disappearing, of creatures arriving in our realm that no one has seen except in drawings in the oldest tomes about the Dark Realms. I know the wards are failing because they’re no longer doing what they were meant to do.’
‘But why?’
‘I don’t know.’ Vie said.
Lana frowned. She was sure the witch was lying.
Chapter 37
Kane
Kane’s eyes never moved from their target as he, Viktor and Sorin watched the group gathered for the exchange. Greygor had come himself with his own men and brought Quin’s unit as well. Kane was surprised the Commander was there. In the past he would have sent Kane.
At first Kane had thought that perhaps Greygor had not chosen a new second yet, but it soon became apparent that Quin had moved up in the world. Kane would be glad for the man, or at the very least indifferent, if he hadn’t put Lana in a position to be hurt while they were in the Islands. His motivations for ‘saving’ Lana and making the Army think the witch dead were still unclear. Why take her out of Greygor’s reach only to put her in harm’s way by leaving her defenceless in an area teeming with soldiers? Now was not the time, but Kane vowed that when next he saw Quin, he would get some answers out of him.
Beside him, Viktor swore softly. ‘We need to make that cunt pay,’ he murmured, echoing Kane’s own sentiments.
Vineri’s agent had arrived by midmorning and, after some murmured haggling, the deal looked set to be done. But after the coin and a small box switched hands, Quin, Malkom and Payn brandished their weapons, shouting about betrayal. Arrows shot through the trees, killing several soldiers as well as Payn outright. A short battle of evenly matched forces ensued. By the end, bodies from both sides littered the forest floor and the survivors limped away with their prizes.
Kane and the others simply watched and waited. It was no longer their fight, after all, and these sorts of things frequently ended in such a way. The battle had served only to delay their pursuit. He was bored with waiting. On his other side, Sorin yawned and shook his head, murmuring something about not missing being a Brother. Before they knew it, they were all silently following the handful of remaining men through the trees on foot back to their camp while their horses meandered after them a fair distance away. Kane hoped the Collector was close. In an ideal scenario, he would be at the camp nearby, but it wasn’t likely. These days, Vineri rarely seemed to venture outside whatever hole he resided in, so they would follow his men, however long it took to be led to their quarry.
Kane ran a hand over the stubble along his jaw absently. He and the others hadn’t wanted to leave Lana with the woman in the first place. That they’d been ordered away from her for days was like a festering wound. They needed to return for her as soon as they could, and if the enemy was further away than they had assumed, one of them would have to go back while the other two continued on. They couldn’t lose him, not now that they were so close. Revenge had been too big a part of their lives for too long. But they couldn’t lose her either. Even Kane could see that now.
They tracked Vineri’s men from a good distance, splitting up and circling the camp when they came upon it. It was at the edge of the forest, looking out over the rolling and rocky terrain that led to the mountains. From Kane’s vantage point, there were thirty men at least. Well trained. Kane’s eyes narrowed. In fact, they looked much like Dark Brothers, which was impossible. The Army’s secrets were closely guarded. Even those few who left the Brotherhood remained loyal and would never betray them. Who were these men?
Suddenly a cry went up and, moments later, Sorin was dumped in the centre of the camp. He groaned as he hit the ground but lay unmoving. Kane’s jaw clenched. There were too many. There was nothing he could do. Viktor appeared at his side.
‘Fuck,’ he breathed.
