Unfinished Business: Part 4

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Carissa remembered when Elon had lowered her down into the streets of Zonah, mere hours ago. She'd feared the rope would snap, and gravity would suck her to the ground before crushing her bones. That's what she felt now: she was falling, feeling a strange lurch in her chest, the world a passing blur. She was so numb that she could almost pretend this wasn't real.

"Carissa?"

The fall ended with a crash, a fierce pain exploding through her chest as she collided with reality.

Akar lived.

"Carissa." Rough hands gripped her shoulders, fingers digging into her skin.

Images and sensations flashed through her mind: strong hands, a rough grip, tears, pain. She jerked away, and the images fell away like a veil she'd torn from her eyes, revealing the world around her.

Algernon was hovering nearby, bent towards her so far that he was nearly falling off his horse. Likely he'd been the one to grab her. Kybelle and Lyron were glancing back at her, and Elon had slowed his horse's pace to better match hers.

Akar was alive. And that meant he would come for her. After her rebellion last time he'd tried to violate her, he would be merciless when they next met. And she likely wouldn't walk away from this encounter.

Elon guided his horse next to hers. "Carissa?"

Carissa glanced at him, words dying in her mouth before she could speak them. What was she supposed to say? That she was scared? That he should have told her sooner? That he shouldn't have let her know at all?

Elon took in her expression silently. "I won't let him touch you again, Carissa."

Like he didn't let Akar touch her last time? Bile singed the back of her throat, and she swallowed. Elon could try to protect her, but what if something went wrong? What if Akar got ahold of her again?

Elon was still examining her quietly, and he clenched his jaw. "I'm so very sorry, Carissa." He surveyed their group. Everyone's gaze was on them. "We'll stop early today. We all need rest."

Lyron squinted, his gaze skimming the trees. "But where could we stop that's safe from Yare wolves?"

"There's a refugee camp a little ways from here." Elon glanced at Carissa. "In fact, one of Carissa's... friends operates it. He's a healer by the name of Viltus."

Carissa let his words wash over her. Perhaps she should have been surprised to hear they would be seeing Viltus again, but after Algernon's news, she doubted anything could surprise her.

It seemed she'd left behind more unfinished business in Zonah than she'd realized.

***

Lyron sighed. "Finally."

As if in response to his words, the horses lurched forward, quickening their pace.

Carissa lifted her gaze from the ground for the first time in hours. There was a large stone cabin in the distance—windowless and two stories high with a thatched roof. If it had windows or was made of a less crude stone, she might have called it a mansion.

A wall of mud and stone encompassed a large patch of land around the building. At the base of each wall was a trench with wooden spikes. Some spikes were coated in flaking dried tar. Others were blackened from fire.

Within the walls, tents and sod huts had been erected around the cabin-turned-fortress. They were low to the ground, their structures hunched, as if they were servants bowing to the stone building. Finally, they were so near that the wall rose up above the tents and huts, obscuring their view.

Elon halted before the wall, and the rest of their group followed suit. There wasn't any gate; how were they to get in?

A man appeared over the stone wall, clothed in leather jerkin and armed with a bow. "Who are you and for what do you come here?"

"We seek refuge," Elon answered for them.

The man sighed. "I'm afraid this camp is full. There's another—"

"Tell Viltus that Elon and Carissa have come to see him. I'm certain he'll make an exception."

The man seemed to doubt Elon's statement, but he disappeared beneath the top of the wall.

After a few seconds of silence, Algernon snorted. "Did you see the man's pitiful excuse for a bow?"

Kybelle rolled her eyes. "As if yours was any better."

Carissa didn't hear the rest of the argument about the quality of Algernon's bow. She craned her neck to look at the top of the ten-foot tall wall. Was it enough to keep Akar out? Carissa nearly laughed at the thought. He would find her regardless.

Elon brushed her hand, drawing her gaze to him. Before he could say something, someone else peered over the top of the wall.

The man had golden blond hair, eyes a deeper blue than any she'd seen.

Carissa squinted. "Viltus?"

Viltus' eyes lingered on her shortened hair before he broke into a smile. "So it is you! Incredible. I have many questions for you, but first you should all come in. There's not much, but we have some food we can share."

"But how?" Carissa gestured to the wall. "I don't see an entrance."

Viltus' grinned widened. "Then you're not looking hard enough." He glanced down somewhere behind him. "Elisa, I thought I asked you to stay inside—just in case our visitors proved hostile."

A feminine voice replied, "And I thought I told you that I'd be coming regardless of what you said."

Viltus sighed, returning his gaze to their group. "She's quite stubborn. But since she's here, she might as well let you in." He pointed into the forest. "Go one hundred paces that way and stop by the stump. Elisa will meet you and show you the entrance."

They turned their horses and entered the forest, weaving around the spidery-limbed trees. Carissa tilted her head back. The black branches wove themselves across the dim sky like iron latticework. Like bars to a cell. She suddenly wished Elon had asked them to travel farther, until a thick wall of distance separated them from Zonah.

Her horse stopped, and Carissa glanced down to find Elon had reigned her horse to a halt for her. The stump Viltus had spoken of squatted on the ground before them.

A section of ground shifted, the leaves above it rustling. A strip of the ground disappeared, sliding backwards to reveal a gentle slope leading to a tunnel.

A woman strode out of the tunnel, her garb plain and her smile radiant. It took a moment for Carissa to recognize Elisa. She looked so... happy.

Elisa reached out to one of the horses, stroking its velvety nose. "You'll have to dismount from here. The tunnel isn't tall enough to accommodate horses and their riders."

Carissa startled when she felt a pair of hands clasp her waist. She hadn't even realized Elon had dismounted, much less had moved to help her do the same.

Elon set her on the ground but didn't release her. "If you'll excuse us, Carissa and I are going to the river for a moment."

Elisa grasped the reigns of their horses. "I understand. You'll find the water there to be cleaner than the water in the camp anyhow... So is it true what they say? That you have Foresight?"

Elon nodded. "It is."

"Then I suppose you don't need directions to the river."

"I don't, but thank you."

Elisa's gaze swung to Carissa, and she flashed her a wink before guiding the horses into the sloping tunnel.

Lyron grunted as he dismounted his horse. "I want to go to the river too! I'm thirsty."

Elisa stopped her descent into the tunnel. "Actually... perhaps it's best you come with us. Viltus will no doubt want to show you around the camp grounds."

Lyron huffed but began to follow.

As Lyron passed them, Elon released Carissa to clasp Lyron's shoulder. "And keep an eye on Lila. I don't think she's feeling well right now."

Carissa had almost forgotten Lila had traveled with them. The girl had been so quiet since they'd started their journey. Hopefully she wasn't too shaken up by her time in captivity... but with Akar, who knew what had happened?

Lyron's expression grew solemn and he nodded once before backtracking to approach Lila. Though Lila's face was emotionless, her eyes glassy as if her thoughts were elsewhere, she held herself erect on the horse, her toes pointed up and out. Her form was impeccable, likely from experience.

As Lyron helped her dismount, Carissa glanced back at Elon. "Lila was the rider who flew past us to Zonah, wasn't she?"

Elon nodded before interweaving their fingers. "She was, but we'll discuss that later. The river is this way."

Though her torso was tender with bruises, she wasn't certain she was ready for Elon to heal her yet. Carissa forced herself to take one step, then another, leaves crackling beneath her boots.

After a few paces, she glanced back and discovered their party was nearly out of sight. Though she commanded herself to remain calm, her breath snagged in her throat. Her palms became damp, and she suppressed the urge to snatch her hand from Elon's. She didn't want him to know how afraid she was, and how her encounter with Akar still lurked in the recesses of her mind. She had but to close her eyes and she could all too easily feel his hands wandering her skin with the intent to hurt her.

The gurgle of water grew louder until they stopped by the shore of the river. As Elisa had said, it was clean—and clear enough that it appeared like liquefied glass.

And this was when she'd have to undress. Elon released her hand just before a violent tremble wracked her body, shaking her bones. Her clothing was a shield, and without it, she was vulnerable and helpless. She knew Elon wouldn't take advantage of that, but fear gripped her nonetheless.

She turned her back to Elon. If she pretended he wasn't there, she could more easily undress. She curled her fingers around the hem of her shirt, preparing to raise it over her head.

Before she could, she felt Elon settle a hand on her shoulder. "Carissa, would you like to tell me what happened with Akar?"

***

Author's Note: I'm not so cruel as to leave you without a sneak peek ;) You can find it in its usual place.

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