Broken Promise (The Broken Ones Book 3) (16 page)

"Not going to ask about your
friend?"

Though freezing already, a chill of horror
still ran through her, and she stiffened.

"Or was he your brother, as we also
heard?"

Eyes widening in alarm, words simply
wouldn't form for a long moment. Was? Was? "I came," she finally
said, her words coming panicked and fast. "You said you wouldn't hurt him
if I came."

"Did I?" His head tipped to
one side. "He looked for you, despite the false letter. We couldn't have
that. Humans are always so troublesome. I'm afraid he met with an unfortunate
accident. I hope you weren't too attached to that old house either."

Her heart threatened to beat right out
of her chest. With every word, her breath quickened into frantic gasps. They
couldn't have… The Elf must be lying.

Yet she'd not been able to contact them.
She'd thought it was the drugs they'd given her and didn't even consider the
only other possible reason.

"Quite the scene it was. The locals
are still talking about it, having such a place collapse and burn. The loss of
the family there, right down to the pet dog."

"You're…you're lying…" Her
voice came out feeble and weak. Staring ahead at nothing, she sat in shock. It
took everything she had just to breathe.

Bo! Garen!
Her frantic cry
still went nowhere. She was alone, except for her weakened link with Kei.

The shock faded as reality sunk in.
These monsters had killed her family. Kei's fury sprang free inside of her,
pushing away the last of the numb confusion in her mind. She didn't fight it as
it overtook her, burying all rational thought.

With a wild cry of rage, she flung
herself toward the crouched Elf.

He moved swiftly, easily avoiding her. She
landed on hands and knees, mentally cursing her weakened body and the chains
restricting her movement. Pushing to her feet, she launched herself at him
again with another incoherent cry.

Laughing, he again easily stepped away.
His fist connected with her jaw and sent her reeling backward. Bright spots
flashed across her vision as she stumbled, struggling to keep to her feet.

"Come now, is that all? Perhaps you
have dreamed for too long."

She brushed wet hair from her face,
again cursing the chains. Her jaw throbbed, and she moved it back and forth. It
didn't seem to be broken.

The Elf strode toward her, but she stood
her ground, lifting her chin in defiance. "Enjoying this? Beating a human
girl in chains. What a noble Elf you are," she taunted.

His mouth set in anger as he descended
on her. She turned and stepped away as he swung again, his fist striking her
shoulder instead of her face.

He was faster than her and her fury rose
as her body didn't want to do what she asked of it. She'd trained for this, but
whatever they'd given her left her reflexes slow. The chain attached to the one
between her wrists didn't help either, adding extra weight and getting in her
way. Still, she fought, teeth gritted together tightly as she swung and blocked
and kicked. As he landed blows repeatedly the pain became harder to ignore. She
took some satisfaction when she landed a strike, but it faded quickly when his
split lip healed before her eyes.

A smirk marred his beautiful face as he
took a step back and paused to wipe the blood away. "It is hopeless. You
do know that?"

"There is always hope," she
whispered without thinking.

"Not for you." He came at her
again.

She soon realized he'd been playing with
her before. This time he hit harder and didn't stop when her legs finally gave
way and she fell to her knees. Reaching down he jerked on the long chain,
forcing her hands to the floor. He stepped on it, keeping her hands pinned as
he dropped to one knee and took a fistful of her hair in one hand, the other
going around her throat.

He forcefully twisted her head so she
faced the Elves hiding in the dark. "Ask the prince to save you," he
whispered so quietly she barely heard him.

Pain wracked her trembling body. Blood
dripped down the side of her face and from her nose. Her face burned and one
eye had already begun to swell shut. The bitter taste in her mouth was gone,
now replaced by the sharp tang of blood. Despite everything, she didn't say a
word.

"Ask him," the Elf snarled,
jerking on her hair. "To save you."

Parting her lips slightly, she took in a
slow breath, trying to calm her racing heart. Her gaze she kept locked on the
darkness. The fury within her roared, refusing to acknowledge her body was
spent.

She gave her audience a bloody grin.
"I don't… need… saving." She cracked her head into the Elf's face.

His cry of pain was soon echoed by one
of her own as he stood, pulling her back by the hair. She twisted and struck
out, trying to hit his legs as he dragged her back and then up before smashing
her against the stone wall.

"That was unwise."

Head spinning, she dropped to the floor
when he released her. Bracing her hands against the wet stone, her arms
trembled as she struggled to rise.

Stay down, child.

The soft voice startled her, and her
head shot up, wondering who had spoken.

Certainly not the Elf attacking her.
When she still tried to get to her feet, he kicked her in the ribs, flinging
her body against the wall. He didn't stop…and she had nowhere to go. Cries of
pain came unwanted from her bloody lips with each kick. At least they drowned
out the sound of breaking ribs.

Finally, he stepped back. Aro watched
him through the one eye not swollen closed, unable to move, her breaths coming
in labored short pants.

"Next time," he said with
deceptive softness. "Do as I command."

All she could do was stare up at him,
brows drawn together in pain as she struggled to breathe.

Turning on his heel, he faced the others
for a moment before striding to the stairs. They followed, though one hung back
slightly.

He took a step toward her as the rest
started up the stairs and then stopped.
This went too far.

She recognized the voice as the one
who'd told her to stay down.

Can you even hear me? I had heard–

I can,
she finally answered weakly.

He sighed and glanced at the stairs.
I
had no choice to be here. To deliver their message to the prince. They did not
tell me…
He shook his head.
I am sorry, child. This is wrong, in so many
ways.

She closed her eyes for a moment.
Pushing herself up slightly, she stared at him boldly. "Tell Prince…tell
him not to listen," she said firmly. "Not to do what they want."

The surprise on the Elf's face made her smile
and then wince at the pain flaring across her face. She carefully lowered
herself back to the floor.

He moved toward the stairs.
There is
little I can do to help you. I will see if any are in the city who can before I
must ride out.
He was halfway up the stairs now.

Thank you.

The door creaked at the top.
For what
good it will do…

She didn't understand what he meant. The
distinct sound of metal striking stone echoed beside her. He'd thrown something
down… The door slammed, but then she heard a faint creak again. He'd left it
partially open.

It took her some time before she could
raise her head enough to see the ring of keys on the floor. There were no locks
on her cuffs, but there was on the long chain where it attached to the one
between her wrists.

Her head dropped back to the floor. How
long until they came back? Or noticed the open door. Likely it locked or
latched when closed, or he wouldn't have left it open for her.

The fury dimmed within her and
exhaustion and pain pulled her toward dark oblivion. Struggling against it, she
pulled on the fury and the power Kei had given her, forcing herself to concentrate.

The elves didn't know she could heal.

Chapter
16

Fighting
Back

She didn't heal
all her wounds. Her power was not unlimited and she had no idea what she would
face. The pain of setting her broken ribs left her sobbing on the floor. Still
broken, she managed to get them healing a little before moving on to less
painful things. She ignored cuts and bruises, but removed the swelling around
her eye so she could see and from her hands so she could fight.

The urge to hurry pushed her on through
the continuing pain. Gasping for breath, she finally sat up, thankful they had
forgotten to douse the light above. Wiping tears from her eyes, she quickly
found the key ring the Elf had thrown down.

Bloody fingers grabbed them, and with
shaking hands, she tried one key after another in the large chain's lock. One
actually clicked when she turned it and the lock popped. She sat in stunned
silence for a moment. Quickly removing the lock and chain, she then stumbled to
her feet.

She was free.

Almost. With renewed hope, she limped to
the stairs and paused, listening. Hearing nothing from above, she ever so
carefully started up, wincing at every little creak. Flashes of pain erupted
with each movement, but she kept putting one foot in front of the other. She
could do this. She would…for Kei. Through all the pain, he had been there, a
silent invisible comfort. She wasn't alone.

Once she reached the slightly open door,
she crouched, listening once more. Faint light showed through the crack, but she
heard nothing.

She hesitated, debating what to do.
Finally, she took the risk and contacted the Elf who'd helped her.
I'm on
the stairs. Where are they?

All outside, in the front of the house.
Before she
could ask another question, he continued.
I leave shortly for Rivenward. You
must hurry before they come in. The door opens to the kitchen. Go right, there
is a door to the rear yard there. Once outside, the gate will be to your left.
Be sure you head right once you reach the street!

Right, left, right. She could remember
that.
Thank you, again.

He ignored her comment.
Ah, your
weapons. If you want them, they are on a side table by the kitchen door leading
to the hall. Hurry, child. The horse comes now.

Easing the door open, she turned left. She
certainly wasn't leaving her weapons behind. A lantern left on a counter gently
lit the room. She slipped her boot knives back in place first, and then grabbed
her belt, fumbling to put it on as she headed for the back door.

She made it outside, hurrying down the
few steps to the yard. Squinting into the dark night, she used her Fey sight to
locate the gate and make her way there. Snow crunched under her boots. She
shivered as a cold wind hit her.

Pausing at the gate, she listened, not
only for the Elves, but for any hint as to where in the city they'd taken her. All
she heard was wind, anything else muffled by the tall buildings. Houses, she
guessed, and fine ones at that. Was she in the upper city? No, they weren't
fancy enough, most likely she was in the strip of upper-class houses between
the dock warehouses and the upper city wall. If she was even still in Westport.
For all she knew they'd moved her south to Newhaven.

"Rot," she whispered. Glancing
up, clouds hid most of the stars and moon, giving her no indication of time.
Taking a nervous breath, she lifted the latch and slowly pulled open the gate.

The loud screech of the hinges froze her
in place. With another curse, she quickly pulled it open wide enough to let her
through and bolted out of the yard.

She slipped and fell on the snow-covered
stone street. The gate squealed and slammed loudly behind her. Scrambling to
her feet and cursing her chains as they clanked, her shoulders hunched as she
heard the stomp of boots and bang of a door. Glancing over her shoulder, she
saw a horse and rider pass at the end of the street.

They heard you! Run!

"Wither me. Rotting Elves."

Her own comment startled her, and her
thoughts immediately turned to Prince. How would he react when he saw what they
had done to her? Would he even care? She shook her head, that thought was
unworthy of him. He would, he might not show it, but he would. He lived in a
whole different world now. As he'd warned her. She hadn't really listened, or
understood, and regretted that now.

Everything had changed, and not in their
favor. Clearly, the best choice for him would be to forget about her. She
understood that now. Closing her eyes, she forced thoughts of him away and
hardened her heart. It was easier than she'd thought, but then she'd just been
tortured by his kind.

Slipping through the snow, she ran down
the street. Her eyes locked on the cross street ahead. A foot slid and she
cursed. Soon she'd be…not home. Home, her family, was gone. Sudden loss
overwhelmed her. What was she supposed to do now? Hurt, in chains…

Hale. He could take them off; he had the
tools.

She concentrated on him, on his face,
the sound of his mind voice, and hoped he wasn't sleeping.
Hale? Are you
there?

The lack of response made her curse
again. Someone yelled behind her and she looked over her shoulder. An Elf stood
in the center of the street near the house, another ran toward her along the
edge of the street, and as she watched, the third came rushing out of the gate,
quickly following him.

Her eyes widened in horror as the far
Elf flung a hand at her. Instead of a weapon, a glowing rune flew at her.
Whipping her head around, she gave up speed to weave back and forth across the
street, shoulders tensed in fear.

Nothing could have prepared her for the
sudden agony when the rune slammed into her lower back. The force of the magic
threw her to the ground. Pain streamed up her back and down her legs. Pain so
fierce it left her convulsing uncontrollably on the ground as she screamed.

Fighting against it, her thoughts turned
to Kei. She had to survive this. She had to escape. Thinking of him calmed her
panic, but not the burning pain.

Suddenly she felt his emotions stir and
the panic returned.
No, no, no!

He was awake. His confusion and own pain
washed over her, and then his panic and fear drowned out everything else. She
hadn't wanted him to know. Sending a rush of love to him through her pain, her
lips trembled as he calmed and wrapped her in love.

Emotions and thoughts in chaos, she
wished for a way to make the pain stop.
Kei. Of course.
She pulled forth
what power remained and shoved it at her back where the rune had hit. Not
having any idea what had been done, she could only vaguely think for it to
heal.

The pain lessoned and then stopped
abruptly. Panting on the ground, spots still danced before her eyes.

Bloody Queens! Was that you?

Hale's voice startled her. Had she
screamed in her head? Before she could answer, hands grasped her arms, hauling
her to her feet. She struggled against the Elves she'd forgotten about.

Aro, are you there?

Yes.
She kicked at the Elf with the
long hair and got a smack across the face in response.

Where are you? Where have you been?

I don't know. Maybe by those fancy
houses near the docks,
she finally answered as she continued to struggle.

But we've not been able to contact you…

They drugged me.

Someone cuffed her ear, and she shook
her head, trying to clear it. They took that moment to get a better hold on
her, and then started dragging her back up the street.

We'll find you.
He paused.
Bo
is–

I know,
she interrupted
quickly, squeezing her eyes closed against the pain in her chest. His image
dancing in her mind, she opened her eyes and set her jaw. These Elves had
killed him; they'd taken him from her. Lifting her head, she saw they
approached the house and other Elf. The streets were otherwise empty and quiet.

"Get her inside, Nylian," he
snapped at the long-haired Elf.

"Yes, Lord Vesrin."

I'm coming. I'll find you.

Lifting her feet, she forced the Elves
to hold her weight as she swung them forward and twisted, trying to break free.
She didn't have time to answer Hale. They moved in on her, but she kicked and
punched and elbowed even as they forced her to her knees. One held her arms
from behind, leaning down, using his own weight to keep her down. She cried out
as pain flared in her ribs. Deep within, Kei held her, giving her something to
fight for.

Nylian looked to the lord and then
nodded, pulling a familiar small bottle from his pocket. Their silent
conversations were irritating, but the thought of being drugged once more sent
her squirming and fighting again.

He slapped her face, hard, and then knelt
and grabbed her chin. His fingers pried open her mouth, and he fumbled, dumping
the contents inside.

"Not all of it! Do you–" The lord
cursed and threw up his hands.

She gagged at the extreme bitterness and
then spit, spraying the Elf before her.

"She spit most of it out," Nylian
said quickly, looking hopefully to Vesrin.

"She is as good as dead. Just leave
her." Lord Vesrin turned abruptly, dismissing them all.

Their words left a hollow feeling in the
pit of her stomach.

The Elf behind her loosened his hold. Her
hand dropped down and she pulled her Elven dagger as she brought up one knee. Nylian
stood, and she sprang up, tearing her arms from her captor's loose hold and
slashing out.

Blood sprayed. As the stricken Elf
raised hands to his slashed throat, she flipped the dagger around in her hands
and shifted to the side before bringing it back. Spinning around, she saw she'd
hit the other Elf at the side of his stomach. With a cry and a jerk, she tore
the blade across his midsection before he fell back into the snow.

Whirling around, she stumbled as a wave
of dizziness washed over her. Nylian lay in the bloodstained snow, eyes wide
and staring.

The Elf lord had his back to her, intent
on something up the street. She shook her head in confusion, trying to clear
her increasingly foggy mind.

When rainbows skittered at the edge of
her vision she cursed. The next thing she knew, snow puffed around her face as she
toppled forward and hit the ground.

From her low vantage, she saw the dark
shadows of people coming toward them. Someone shouted, but she couldn't make
out the words. The clang of metal on metal.

The rainbows pushed forward. Her vision
blurred, sleep sucking her down.

Pain brought her back. Though her eyes
refused to open, she gasped as someone lifted her.

"I've got you."

She didn't recognize the voice. It was
deep, gruff yet the tone had been gentle. The pain of her broken ribs, of her
entire broken body, tore away any other thoughts.

"What have they…oh, rot."

The darkness descended only to be
replaced by such a riot of color it stole her breath away.

The rainbows were so lovely.

∞ ∞ ∞

The dreams began like always, happy
memories of the past. If they seemed more vivid, if she found herself more
carefree, she didn't care. Dream after dream came and went, and she watched in
happy silence, a content smile upon her face.

When one dream ended and another didn't
begin, she frowned and moved forward in the empty, pale light. A forest
appeared and she relaxed, waiting for the scene to begin.

"There you are."

She turned at the voice, a smile forming
and then faltering. Had she pleasant memories that involved Damon? She couldn't
remember.

He halted mid-stride, surprise crossing
his face and his strange eyes whirling in sudden anger. "I see." His
gaze traveled from her face down to her toes and back again. "Do you know
you are dreaming?"

Her head tipped to the side at his
strange question. "Yes."

"This is no normal dream. Who has
done this? What did they give you?"

"I was taken by Elves," she
said calmly. "I don't know what they gave me."

"You are in too deep."

She didn't understand but smiled politely.

"I am not a dream, Arowyn."

Her brows drew together in confusion.
"Of course you are." Yet his words sparked something in her mind. She
wasn't watching herself talk to him. This wasn't something from the past. Those
memories suddenly surfaced, along with the fierce hate and anger she had for
him.

"I am here," he said gently.

"You're with Kei," she argued,
though despite the harsh feelings within her, there was no force in her words.