Free Soul Catcher by E. L. Todd Page A

to see her old man.”
    “I will leave nothing to chance,” he snarled. “A handful of my men will wait for her arrival. When the bitch finally makes her return, my soldiers will drag her all the way to my keep by that beautiful brown hair. I will bloody her so severely, she will feel as though she has passed into a pleasant death, only to be viciously dragged back to the painful light.”
    Drake began his departure from the forest. “By the end, she will beg me to let her die.”

Severstein Sea
    10
                 
    “We are almost there!” Aleco’s shouts were muffled by the sound of the storm. Accacia tightened th e cloak around her body as she lagged behind him. The powerful wind pushed against them as they moved forward, and the heavy rain smacked hard against their faces, like pointed, frozen icicles. They trampled across the sandy beach to the camouflaged cave.
    Accacia fell to the ground as the elements prevailed over her. Wet sand clung to her skin at the impact and she inhaled a mouthful of the dirt. Her vision blurred as exhaustion crept up on her. She heard the ocean crash against the shore as the wind propelled the salt water further up the beach. She wished she could see it.
    Aleco cursed. He forced her to her feet and grasped her hand with his, leading her closer to their destination. They finally found the slit in the wall and slipped through the hidden entrance.
    Aleco started a fire and prepared a kettle of hot water. Accacia dropped to the floor and leaned against the stone wall, trying to catch her breath. Her body convulsed from the stinging cold; the frozen blast had chilled her bones.
    Aleco held a blanket in front of the fire. “Stand up,” he demanded, his voice harsh. Accacia shook her head, too cold to speak. “Now,” he commanded.
    Trembling, Accacia got to her feet. Aleco removed her soaked cloak and hung it to dry. Due to her exhaustion, she didn’t object when he removed her clothes. Aleco laid her in front of the fire and placed the wool fabric over her, knowing it would quickly return vital warmth to her body. Within minutes, she was asleep. Aleco walked to his locked chest and retrieved a metallic stone. He caressed it with his calloused fingertip until he fell asleep, the stone still clenched within his palm.
    The crackle of the flames woke Accacia from her dreams the next morning. She clenched the warm blanket tightly as her mind came into awareness; she wanted to keep sleeping. She looked over at Aleco, asleep in his bed, fully clothed, and noticed the thin wisps of smoke hanging in the room.
    She smiled, glad he had used the herb she gave him. Accacia sat up and quickly realized she was bare underneath the concealment of the wool. Her cheeks reddened at the revelation. Aleco had obviously undressed her. Although she understood it was necessary to her survival, Accacia couldn’t help but feel the breach of her privacy. It was a sensation she was too familiar with. Aleco had said horrible things to her and had given her sufficient reason to hate him, but he never touched her against her will or tried to hurt her. The undressing was too disturbing and she immediately felt threatened. His behavior was unacceptable.
    She spotted her clothes hanging over a chair and she dressed herself immediately, wanting to cover her naked body as quickly as possible for fear of what the sight might bring.
    Aleco groaned as he sat up in bed and Accacia quickly covered her exposed breasts. “Don’t look at me, Aleco.”
    Aleco sighed and faced the opposite wall. He hadn’t realized she was changing, but he hadn’t been looking at her either. He was annoyed that she accused him of the perverted thought. “I’ve already seen you, remember?” Aleco rose from the bed and walked past her, heading towards the exit. “Don’t worry,” he snapped. “It didn’t do anything for me.”
    He walked outside and left her to finish donning her dry garments. She reflected on his behavior.