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Forcibly flipped to her stomach, Linh’s heart raced when they shoved her arms behind her back.

“Please,” she begged.

The bandit holding her down leaned over her. “Shut up.” Her wrists burned when he knotted a strip of material too tight around them. “You knew Bragg would want you back when he heard of your return.”

Huffing against the pillow, she shifted her face towards the window. Night was upon them.

“I-I can’t leave. Not in the dark.” Not at all! She didn’t want to go back to Bragg.

Fearful tears instantly welled, and her throat thickened as she wept. Linh trembled and fought when he tried to pull her to her knees.

“This one over here thought telling us you’re menstruating and sleeping in here would protect you, but you forget what we are, lass.”

Another bandit gave a mocking laugh. “We may not be Demonslayers, but we’re hunters of the night.”

“Let the Demons come for us,” the bandit across the room said as he rose away from Glenda. “Just more for us to kill.”

Barefooted and in her white hospital gown, Linh was dragged off the bed until her hip hit the ground. They quickly yanked her to her feet.

“M-my people will riot.” She was willing to say anything to stop them.

“They won’t.” One laughed, grabbing her by the arm to shove her against a different bandit. “They can threaten it all they like, but your father won’t risk the women, children, and invalids of this village by bringing Demons upon them.”

“How else do you think we take over other towns? Their fear of retaliation doesn’t come from us, but monsters.”

“The Duskwalker will come for me!” she shouted, just as cloth was shoved between her teeth and muffled her protests.

“That creature will leave when you don’t show. It’s already proven it won’t enter the village, so it’ll eventually get the point.”

“We’ve already told the Duskwalker you don’t want to see it again. And we’ll keep doing so until it fucks off. We’ll even make your father help us, if need be.”

No,she mentally cried.Please, Nathair. Please don’t leave. Please don’t let them take me.

“Even if he does come to our camp, the pits will get him,” one said with a chuckle. “We were surprised we weren’t dragging your corpse off of spikes the night you left. You almost ran straight into one, you silly woman.”

The blood drained from her face, and she was unsure if it was because she’d been close to falling to her death the night she escaped, or from fear that Nathair would fall into one.

She squealed as she was hoisted over one of their shoulders, and her hair fell around the sides of her head, blocking her vision. Linh kicked her legs in a futile attempt to escape.

“Are Johnathan and Daniel ready?” the one holding her asked.

“Yeah. They’ve already scouted and it’s all clear.”

They all gave a grunt of acknowledgement and swiftly moved out of the building. The early hour of the morning ensured no one had left their homes. The bandits travelled through the village in the darkest and most shielded alleys as possible, heading for the southwest region of the village.

This isn’t the way to the front gate.Why go this way? There was only one exit to and from the village, and she’d been hoping Nathair would see and stop them from taking her.

She managed to look up and accidentally caught the gaze of a man running behind them. With her brows furrowed, she noted the way humour seemed to light up in his eyes.

“You didn’t think we were going through the gate, did you?” he whispered. His following chuckle was cruel. “We always make our own escape routes out of towns.”

Her heart doubled its frantic pace, and her struggles renewed in strength. Linh wiggled and squirmed, doing anything and everything to be put down.

“Just hold fucking still!” the bandit carrying her bit out, only to bounce her.

Her diaphragm came back down on his shoulder so hard she choked out a grunt. Pain made her eyes water even more, and bile rose to her throat at the intense hit. Linh coughed, gagging as her mouth drooled, only for her saliva to be soaked up by the rag quietening her. Her lungs seized, and she grew lightheaded.

A fifth man joined them. Her hazy eyes found his face, and he looked young and unsure.