The first thing I noticed when I awakened was the bitter taste of cloth in my mouth. Then the pain hit me. My jaw ached from the unnatural position that the gag had forced on it and my left temple throbbed with each beat of my heart. I tried to move my hands to touch my head, but encountered resistance from the cloth binding my wrists behind my back. There was cloth also binding my eyes tightly on the borderline of pain.

I felt dry and my body was gently listing from side to side. I could hear the lap of water around me and feel a slight breeze that made me shiver. Where was I? Why wasn’t I in bed at Gravelstone manor?

I grunted as I tried to loosen the bonds. A sharp pain bloomed in the middle of my back as a foot connected with my spine. “Quit your moving,” a masculine voice said sharply. I didn’t recognize the voice. I wondered if I had been captured by Landwalkers, but how? I never knew a Landwalker capable of holding their breath long enough to dive so deep into the sea.

Was this man alone or was he working with someone else?

I heard a splash. “She’s awake?” a new male voice asked.

“Yes, sooner than I expected.”

“Knock her out again.”

“Yes, Sir,” the first man said. I was roughly forced onto my back and a foul odor filled my nostrils. I kicked out and connected with a soft lump. I heard a shriek of pain and muttered cursing.

“Stupid chum slop,” a third voice said. I was grabbed by the hair and my head was slammed down hard on the floor. Stars fell behind my eyelids as my head was brought up and down a second time.

I woke for a second time. I could feel the heat of the sun’s rays scorching my exposed skin. Every inch of my body hurt and the rock of the floor made my stomach turn. I vomited and began to choke on it as the gag prevented it from leaving my mouth.

“Hounds! She vomited!” a voice said. I was dragged up by the back of my clothing and the cloth was removed from my mouth. My head was dunked into water while my hips rested on the lip of a wooden surface. My throat and lungs burned from my stomach’s heaving and I groaned into the water; bubbles caressed my cheeks.

I was dragged back and my back hit a low wall as I was forced to sit. “Who are you?” I sputtered as water flowed down my face. I was ignored and had a new cloth shoved into my mouth.

“We need to clean this mess up. The little eel is going to get us in trouble.”

“I don’t see why we have to take her out so far.”

“Orders are to be obeyed not questioned. Use that bucket over there.”

I wondered where we were. I knew from the heat that we were on the surface and that it was now day. How long had I been out? When was I taken? I struggled to remember, but I had no memories. My head was aching and my stomach was filled with bile.

I knew I hadn’t eaten in hours. Would they feed me or were they going to let me starve?

I heard the clink of metal on metal and turned my face toward the sound. Before I could react, a pair of rough hands snapped what I assumed were shackles around my ankles. My eyes burned and I broke down.

Why had I been taken? Where was Vael? Was he worried? Did he even know I was gone? He and my father would be devastated by now. This was the second time that I had disappeared from them without a trace. Would they look for me?

I moaned through my gag. What was going to happen to me?

I must have cried myself to sleep because the next thing I knew I was being lifted into the air. The sensation of rocking was gone and I assumed we were now on solid ground. The soft thud of footfalls turned into the shushing of feet in water than the ssk of sand.

I was being carried by one man. I didn’t know if the other two were still with us. I struggled and was almost dropped. The man punched me in the stomach knocking the wind from my lungs. I growled in anger and threw my body backward.

Not expecting the motion, he released me and I fell hard on my bottom. The fall knocked the cloth from my eyes and I could see palm trees, sand, a skiff and the sea. I turned my attention to my jailer just as he swung his fist down.

His knuckles connected with my cheekbone and I felt my bone give way beneath the force of impact. My head snapped to the side. Black spots obscured my vision as I struggled to stay conscious. He hit me again and blood filled my mouth.

I hit the sand hard on my right shoulder and was kicked in the stomach. “If you don’t want to die here I suggest you cooperate,” the man growled at me. He wavered in and out of my vision. It took me a moment to realize that a second man had joined him.

I stared at them hard trying to remember every line of their face. I will have my revenge, I thought to myself. Now that I wasn’t blindfolded I knew that they were Waterfolk, but I didn’t recognize them. Were they from Middle Hold? The speaker was the taller of the two and he had a gray streak going through his hair. The other, my carrier, had a small scar on his bottom lip.

“Pick her up. We don’t get paid if we don’t complete our job.” I was thrown over the shoulder of the silent man and they continued to walk toward the tree line.

The temperature dropped a few degrees beneath the trees as the men trampled through the undergrowth. Even off the beach the ground was loose and sandy with small shells. I looked around trying to memorize the route they were taking through the jungle. The speaker eyed me and growled.

“If you think you’re going to get away I can assure you that you won’t, sea witch,” he said. “Is your hair supposed to be a fashion statement or is it a part of your ruse to fool the nobles?”

I snorted. He shook his head.

We entered a shallow cave and I was thrown down on a pile of old filthy rags. “What did you two do to her?” a familiar voice said.

“Sorry my Lord, she fought us on the way here.”

I looked at the new speaker and my eyes widened in recognition. Lord Green stood in the sandy floored cave with the two men that had brought me here. A fourth man, whom I assumed was Green’s personal guard, stood off to the side frowning and nervous.

“Why isn’t she blindfolded? I had explicit orders!”

“Sorry, Lord,” they men said in unison. Lord Green approached and then stood over me to sneer.

“I honestly don’t see what Cadfael sees in you. You’ve been nothing but trouble for the nobility since your engagement,” Green said. He kneeled down and gripped my chin firmly in his palm. “Do you think it’s a game to bring Landwalkers among us and keep them as pets? Is it funny for you to pretend that the Gentle God has blessed you? You are nothing. The soil of our crops is worth more than the hairs on your head.” He pushed my head away and I glared at him.

How did Lady Grise end up in a marriage with this ass? I felt sorry for the woman.

Lord Green turned back to his men. “Finish your job. We’ll be waiting back at the boat for you.”

“Yes, Sir!”

Lord Green and his guard stamped away leaving me alone with my escorts. “I’m sorry, ma’am, it will be over quick,” said the tall one. I didn’t see a weapon in his hand and wondered what he was going to do to me. A thought rose in the back of my mind and I pushed it down. “Hold her down.”

His partner moved behind me then pulled me down to the ground. I fought him as he put his whole weight on my shoulders, but couldn’t push him off with my arms pinned beneath my back. The tall one kneeled and placed his hands on my knees.

I kicked out with both feet, but he caught the chain of the shackle and pinned it under his right knee before forcing my legs apart. I screamed, the sound muffled by my gag. My body felt like stone as his torso made its way between my legs.

Tears were now burning tracks down my temples as I froze. No, I sobbed internally.

The sound of trumpets blared in the cave and the men covered their ears from the sound. It grew louder and the cave began to crumble around us. My gag and bindings disintegrated into white powder and I wasted no time in rolling to my feet and running out of the cave. The men followed me out still gripping their ears as blood began to pour from them. I alone was unaffected by the noise.

The men dropped to their knees behind me and my body froze and turned to face them as if being puppeted by someone else. I tried to get my body to turn back around and to run, but it continued to walk casually back to my attackers.

“Faxon, Bache, you have attempted to desecrate this vessel. Your depravity shall be punished!” my voice said. My armed waved and the men turned into stone. My body then turned on its heel and walked toward the beach. I saw Lord Green sitting with his guard on the beach. Both looked alarmed to see me and prostrated themselves. “Lord Green, you conspired to bring this vessel harm. You and your dog are to bring her back to Gravelstone and confess what you have done.”

“Yes, Mistress!” Lord Green shrieked. My body stepped into the boat and sat carefully. Lord Green and his guard adjusted the sail and lines before the guard pulled up anchor and directed us out into the sea.

After several hours they dropped anchor and they dived with me into the sea. The water shimmered around me as we descended swiftly. Five guards surrounded us and looked at me nervously. My hand pointed to Lord Green and his guard. “Ask them what they have done,” my voice said and then I fainted.

I woke with a start and found a cloth covering my eyes. I ripped it away and let it float to the floor. My heart raced and my blood roared in my ears as I tried to make sense of where I was. I ached from head to toe and the vision in my left eye was blurry. A hand grabbed me and I struck out with the palm of my hand and hit warm flesh. “Lady Sol, calm down, you’re safe,” Holly said to me.

“Holly?” I said weakly. I swayed as the room spun around me.

“Sshh, lay down. You have a concussion and your eye socket is fractured.” He started to push me back down into the bed and I screamed.

“No! No!” I swam up toward the ceiling. The movement caused the blood to rush away from my head and I felt faint. Holly swam up to me and took me by the elbow and guided me back to bed.

“I’m not going to hurt you. Do you need a woman instead?”

“Yes!”

“Place the cloth back over your eyes, I don’t want you to strain them,” he sang. I heard the door shut behind him and instantly felt relieved. I gripped my arms tightly and curled into a ball wishing that I could disappear into my bed.

Why was I so weak? Why couldn’t I fight them off? If the Gentle God had not intervened I would have been…

I let out a moan of frustration. I needed to be stronger, strong enough that no one would ever hurt me again. I felt my eyes burn and wished I could cry underwater.

There was a light tap on the door and then it opened slowly. I pushed myself up onto my elbows when I saw Neoma in the doorway. She looked nervous hovering on the threshold. Her left hand gripped the hilt of her sword tightly while her right rested on her belt. “Milady, may I come in?”

“Neoma?” I sang weakly. I smiled wanly and beckoned her over. She closed the door behind her then sat beside me on the bed.

“Milady! Your face!” She said then immediately looked chagrined. “I heard that Lord Green had confessed to having you kidnapped, but I didn’t know that he had you beaten.” I lay back on the bed and threw an arm over my forehead.

“He didn’t order me to be beaten. His two henchmen decided that on their own when I tried to escape.”

“Henchmen? There was only Lord Green and his guard.”

“No,” I sang shaking my head carefully. “There were two others.”

“Lord Green never mentioned them. They must have gotten away. They could still be on the loose!” Neoma sang and rose from the bed. I sat up and grabbed her arm. The memory of what happened on the island flashed through my mind and I shuddered.

“The Gentle God turned them into stone.”

Neoma gasped. “Stone… the Gentle God did that?”

The Gentle God was never known for direct violence unlike the Scourge God. “They called me mistress,” I said slowly.

“So it wasn’t the Gentle God, it was the Bone God.”

“So I have two on my side?”

“Heh.” Neoma sat on the bed. “Better than none.” She bent down and picked up the cloth that I had dropped earlier and handed it to me. “Holly wants you to get more rest.”

“What about Vael and my father?”

“They were ordered not to disturb you. Holly thought that you may get too excited.”

“Tempest and waves,” I cursed. I could only imagine how Vael was reacting right now.

“Milady, they are healthy, you are not. Don’t you think you’ll worry them more by not resting?”

I twisted the cloth in my hands. I was afraid to sleep. What if I woke up on a boat again? What if someone else tried to kidnap me? As battered as I was I would not be able to fight them off and who knew if the Bone God or Gentle God would intervene.

My face throbbed with pain and I felt light-headed. I knew I should lie down, but I couldn’t. I was not safe here. Maybe I wouldn’t be safe anywhere? What if Lord Green hadn’t been arrested? What if he said that I had run away and he was simply bringing me back after punishing me?

Neoma placed her hand on mine. “I’m here to protect you and there’s another guard outside your door and another for your father’s. No one is getting in here to hurt you.”

“What if you’re not enough?”

“Trust us.”

I stared into her brown eyes for a moment then laid back and covered my face with the cloth. I trembled in fear as memories from the cave surfaced. Neoma rested her hand on mine again and I gripped it like a lifeline.

I will be okay, I told myself over and over. I will be okay.