Page 10 of War

Run, my mother’s voice commands, but I’m petrified of turning my back on this man. I’d like to look death in the eye when it’s delivered.

War steps forward and swings his blade again and I raise my dagger to meet the blow. Even knowing what’s coming, the numbing force of his hit is still a shock. I cry out at the impact, my weapon thrown once again from my hand. It clatters to the ground a meter away.

I stumble back. The heel of my boot catches one of the arrows scattered across the ground, and I slip, falling hard on my ass.

The horseman steps up to me, the sun illuminating his olive skin and lightening his eyes. He stares down at me, our gazes locking.

I raise my chin defiantly, even though I’m afraid. My body trembles with my fear.

The horseman lifts his blade.

But he doesn’t end me right away. He stares at my face for a long time, long enough for me to wonder why he’s hesitating. War’s eyes drop to the hollow of my throat, and his sword wavers.

What is hedoing?

My hand twitches with the need to touch my throat and feel the grisly scar that decorates it.

War’s eyes travel back up to me. Now there’s something different about his expression, something that terrifies me in a whole new way.

“Netet wa neterwej.”

You are the one He sent me.

I start at his voice. His words aren’t Hebrew or Arabic or Yiddish or English. He doesn’t speakanylanguage I recognize … and yet I understand him as though he does.

“Netettayj ?emet.”

You are my wife.

Chapter 3

You are mywife.

That statement doesn’t process. Nor does the fact that I can actually understand him.

The horseman sheaths his sword, giving me a strange, fierce look.

He’s not going to kill me.

Thatdoesprocess. I lay in place for about two more seconds, and then I scuttle back again.

I force myself to my feet as War prowls after me, and now I do run.

I bolt back the way I came, heading towards an exit out of the Old City. I don’t hear the horseman behind me, and foolishly I think that maybe he’s going to let me go.

My hopes are dashed a minute later when I hear the menacing clack of his horse’s hooves against the stone pavement.

Oh man, step one is some asshole claiming you’re his wife, and step two, shit suddenly getsreal.

The hoof beats close in on me just as they had earlier. Only this time I don’t think I can outrun them. My adrenaline is nearly spent.

War’s horse is nearly upon me, and I swear I can feel its hot breath against my skin. Just when I think it’s going to trample me, something slams into my back.

The air leaves my lungs as I pitch forward. But I don’t hit the ground. Instead, I’m scooped up and cleanly deposited onto the horse’s saddle.

For several seconds I lay there, getting my bearings. Then I glance behind me, into the monster’s eyes.

War is staring down at me, that strange expression still on his face. I feel myself quake under his gaze.