Vengeance (The Captive #6)(56)

“We will.” The gravelly, no nonsense tone of his voice made her realize she’d only seen a glimpse of what he was capable of. “Where do we go now?”

Tempest pointed down the face of the mountain. “Now there’s only one way down.”

He may be fearless about most things, but some of the color drained from his face when he leaned over to look down the side of the cliff. “Fun,” he murmured.

“I’ll lead the way,” she said.

“No, if there’s someone hiding down there, I’m not going to take the chance they could grab you.”

“There’s only footholds and shelves down this way. There are no caves or places for anyone to hide. I know the way better; it will be easier for you to follow me.”

He looked down the side of the mountain. “Are you sure there’s no way someone could be hiding down there?”

“Yes.”

A muscle next to his eye twitched, but he finally stepped away and gestured for her to go. Crouching down, she slid her foot over the side of the mountain until she found the first hold. She slipped over the side with William following behind her. Tempest easily found footholds and handholds amongst the rock face. William wasn’t having as easy of a time as his hands and feet searched over the rock.

“It’s only another fifty feet,” she told him, keeping her voice low so it wouldn’t carry.

He glanced at her before looking down. “Can they be down there?” he inquired.

“Yes.”

“Stay here.”

“William…”

“Stay here, Tempest. If something happens to me, get out of here and find Aria, Daniel, Braith or Jack. And actually stay here this time; I don’t want you to see it again if someone is down there, and I have to kill them.”

Before he could climb away, she grabbed hold of his hand. “I don’t want to see it either, but I understand it, and I can help you. Don’t shut me out.”

He rose back up so he was eye level with her. His eyes searched her face before he squeezed her hand. “I’m not shutting you out.”

“You gave me training; I’ll be returning to Badwin with you. You can’t protect me from everything. It’s impossible to do so.”

He continued to stare at her before finally giving a brisk nod. “When we get down there, don’t get off of this wall,” he told her. “Ok?”

“Ok.” He squeezed her hand before releasing it. They climbed down until they were only seven feet away from the ledge running along the side of the mountain. He placed his hand on her back before she could let go of the mountain. ‘Stay,’ he mouthed.

She bit her tongue to keep from arguing with him and kept her grip on the wall. She stayed where she was as he stepped onto the ledge. He walked underneath her, moving further down the trail before turning and heading up it. He strode beneath her again and further up the mountain before returning. Waving his hand, he gestured for her to come down.

He took hold of her hand when she climbed down. “Lead the way,” he told her.

***

William stood in the mouth of the cave, peering cautiously out at the town beyond. Tempest stood by his side, the cloak pulled securely over her head. He didn’t see anyone moving out there, but vampires patrolled high in the mountains across the way, keeping watch over the town. He couldn’t see the mountains above them, but he knew there would be more guards up there too.

If they had another white cloak, they would be able to slip out of the cave, but he would stick out like blood on snow if he stepped out there now. He wasn’t about to take Tempest’s cloak and go out there to try and find another one; he wouldn’t take the chance of leaving her alone for any amount of time.

The rattling clink of a stone hitting against the rock walls resonated through the cave system. His body stiffened as he turned in the direction the sound had come from. Taking hold of Tempest’s arm, he stepped away from the mouth of the cave. Her eyes were turbulent when she glanced up at him; her skin nearly matched the snow outside.

“We have to move,” he whispered in her ear.

She grabbed his hand and led him ten feet back to a small inlet carved into the cave. They slipped inside as a splash of flickering light spilled over the ground. Tempest stood before him, her back against the wall. He pressed close to her, sheltering her body with his own, as the light grew closer. He rested his hands on the wall beside her head.

“So then I told her she was getting a little too attached, and I kicked her out of my bed.”

This statement was followed by laughter from inside the main part of the cave. “Stupid bitch,” another man said.

“Aren’t they all?” the original speaker retorted and more laughter ensued.

Tempest’s nostrils flared as she turned toward the voices. A little worried she may go after the speakers, William pressed his knee against the wall beside her to keep her restrained. The glow from the men’s torches spilled the first three feet into their hiding spot as the men drew closer. Two men stepped into view, each of them carrying a torch and wearing a white cloak. His eyes latched onto those cloaks, his fingers dug into the wall beside Tempest’s head as he watched them.

The space was too confining for him to be able to pull his bow free. He could use his crossbow, but the cloaks would be useless to him if they had blood on them and a hole torn through them. He could take out one with a stake, before the other one knew he was dead. Lowering his mouth, he pressed it against her ear, “I need you to stay here.” His voice was so low he wasn’t sure she heard him until her fingers curled into his cloak.