Book 2. Mina - The Mercenary King 3

Book 2. Mina - The Mercenary King 3
The sound of hooves pounding loudly on the ground and men speaking in low voices woke Mina up. An arm was around her waist, her head leaned against a man’s shoulder. He smelled like sweat and horses. The horse beneath her was galloping fast under a moonless sky.
Mina’s hands were tied in front of her, and a gag was around her mouth. For a moment, she panicked, not remembering how she got on a horse or who the man was, but then she remembered Fherax. Not wanting to let the mercenary know she was awake, she made no sounds, kept her breathing even, and only peeked through her lashes.
The men on the three horses in front of her held lamps with magic crystals—a buttery light was coming from them. To her left was another horse, and to her right, two more—seven mercenaries in total.
She was not in Ora Dorei anymore, and the horses were headed toward a forest.
Was Jayden aware of his grandfather not liking her? And why did Fherax think Rosalyn was Jayden’s soulmate? But the most important question was—what would the mercenaries do to her?
Abeel, not Jayden. She was yet to get used to calling him Abeel.
Wolves howled in the distance, making her heart beat faster. Was Jayden coming after her?
The man behind her dipped his head. “You woke up just in time,” the man said against her cheek. His breath reeked of alcohol. How did he know she was not asleep anymore? “In a minute or two, we will reach the Enchanted Forest.”
To where the Hag lived. Didn’t they hear the stories about her? Those who entered the Enchanted Forest were never seen again. A knot formed in her throat. If she disappeared forever, would Jayden miss her? Or would Fherax convince him to return to Rosalyn?
Close to where the Enchanted Forest started, the horses stopped. The mercenaries hopped off, and one of them helped her get down. When her feet touched the ground, she realized her shoes were missing. Same for her dress. She was wearing only her undergarments. Did they do something to her? There was no pain coming from between her legs. Relief washed over her. They hadn’t touched her. Not in that way, at least.
Masks covered the upper part of the mercenaries’ faces. Two of them held the lamps above their heads while another lowered her gag and checked the rope that pinned Mina’s wrists together.
“Are you going to kill me?” Mina dared to ask.
The man checking the knots on the rope grinned. “Fherax is a merciful man. He is giving you one chance to walk away with your life.”
Mina looked at the men and then at the trees. Silver and vivid green leaves covered the branches. A strong wind rustled them, carrying a strange yet beautiful melody on its wings. It felt like the musical notes spoke to her. She wanted to find out the source of it. “What do I have to do?”
The mercenaries took out some potions from their pockets and drank them. Seconds later, their eyes turned like those of cats. They turned off the lamps.
“Run!”
Mina did so. She ran between the trees, not daring to look behind her. Branches snapped under her feet. Why were men obsessed with leaving her barefoot?
Growls, roars, and howls sounded in the forest. The dense canopy made it almost impossible to see, but the silver leaves of the trees glowed from time to time, the light coming from them allowed Mina to see her surroundings.
She ran faster, stepping on moss. Sharp stones were under it, cutting her feet. A loud yelp left her lips as she fell to her side, hitting her right leg and arm on the stones. Laughter and mocking words came from behind her. The mercenaries were close. She tried to stand, only to slip again. The melody carried by the wind sang into her ears, beckoning her.
The mercenaries were so close she could feel their breaths on her skin. She had survived the Necromancer and King Stig only to be killed by the Black Mercenaries? While her heart was still beating in her chest, she would fight. Jayden had already lost his wolf side, he would not lose her as well. She dug into the moss, searching for a stone or anything that she could use as a weapon.
‘If I only had a weapon of some sorts!’ she thought.
Her fingers wrapped around something cold and long, and she pulled it close to her face. It was a knife, old and rusty, but she could use it.
Branches snapped behind her, and she rushed to hide the knife between her palms, pushing the blade between her wrists. Someone grabbed her by her left leg and yanked it hard.
“Let’s have some fun before we kill her,” one of the mercenaries said.
“I forgot the last time I had been with a woman,” another said.