Ransom: White Road Tales, #3

By J. R. Castle

How do lips that once kissed his face with whispers of love now spew such hateful accusations?

 

Tarek can't help but wonder if the princess has honestly been enchanted into forgetting what they once had together or if she's simply chosen to forget in order to spare his life. A raging war battles inside his heart. Despair tries hard to convince him to give up. Hope rallies for him to hang on. For a few brief moments, the girl he loved is there. Only a fleeting moment.

And that moment is all he needs to fight for their freedom.

Ransom is the third book in the White Road Tales trilogy which also includes Captured book one and Stolen book two. Now available ~ All three books and a bonus story have been bundled into one complete collection: The White Road Tales Collection.

All three are prequels to the White Road Chronicles series:
Illuminated: Book One
Luminosity: Book Two
Emanate: Book Three
Radiance: Book Four
Ignited: Book Five
Ablaze: Book Six

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jackie Castle
• Release date: Sep 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536555745

Book preview

A White Road Tale

Novella Three

Ransom

By

J.R. Castle

CASTLE BOOK CREATIONS

Ransom

Copyright 2015 by J.R. Castle

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.

Learn more about this series visit The White Road Chronicle books.

Find out more about the author: J.R. Castle

Captured has been edited by Sara Nicole. Please visit her site at www.saranicole2612.com

Cover art created by Castle Creations

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But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:11 & 12

To Richard, who told me this would be more than I originally anticipated. And he was right.

Way to go, Cuz! Appreciate the encouragement.

And to Sara, who listened and came along when I needed help the most.

Ransom is the third story of The White Road Tales novella series.

How do lips that once kissed his face with whispers of love now spew such hateful accusations? 

Tarek can’t help but wonder if the princess has honestly been enchanted into forgetting what they once had together or if she’s simply chosen to forget in order to protect him.

A raging war battles inside his heart. Despair tries hard to convince him to give up. Hope rallies for him to hang on. For a few brief moments, the girl he loved is there. Only a fleeting moment. And that moment is all he needs to fight for their freedom.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Author's Note

About the Author

Chapter 1

TAREK MOVED WITH THE greatest of care. His bow hung loose in one hand while the other clasped an arrow. Just in case. 

Despite his attempts to stay quiet, recently fallen autumn leaves rustled under his boots. His heart raced as he followed her, darting from one tree to the next. Up ahead, the sound of rushing water filled his ears. No! Not near the river.

He tensed, then forced himself to take a deep breath. Steady, man. His muscles twitched to run, but he couldn't. Wouldn't. Better to keep out of sight, to simply watch. Make sure she didn't get lost or hurt. She usually found her way back. Eventually.

He hoped she'd remember soon. They were getting dangerously close to the barren patch of burned land where King Darnel kept his pet dragon. So far, Tarek had luckily escaped being the drake's next meal. He certainly didn't wish to become an afternoon snack. He had no idea what kept the beast bound to its allotted area, but something did. Something he most likely was better off not knowing about.

Feet splashed in the water. Blast her.

No, no, no, Princess, he whispered. Please stay away from the river. He notched the arrow and moved faster, closing the distance between them. Perhaps he could try scaring her back toward the castle.

She knelt at the mossy shore, hands cupping the icy mountain water as if she hadn't a care in the world. Tarek swallowed to soothe his own parched throat. He needed to stop and fill his canteen, but he didn't want to risk being seen by her.

After drinking, she splashed her sweaty brow and neck. Her auburn curls tumbled out of their usual braid and down around her face. Her dress was dirty and tattered, and he was sure it was the same one she'd worn all week. Was she getting worse?

Bad enough Princess pretended not to love him anymore; now she added to her act by playing the crazy woman, as well. Tarek's constricted heart pulled at every muscle in his body. His jaw clenched to the point of aching.

Was this an act? This treating him like he was her enemy? She even had the gall to accuse him of being a spy for King Darnel, whom they both hated. Or had she truly forgotten? But how?

He shook his head, hating the pounding ache forming between his brows. Nothing made sense anymore. No. He could only assume she had decided he was better off without her... or that she was better off without him.

Either way, from her frequent wanderings, she was still determined to escape, with or without him.

If only she'd stop all this craziness and let him help her. He'd found a way out of Racah, a passage which might lead them to freedom. But her insanity act was so good, he sometimes found himself wondering if it wasn't an act at all. And it was that fear that kept him from revealing the passage to her. He'd lead her out of Racah – even without his family if they refused to come – but he needed to know he could trust her first. He needed her to trust him again like she once had.

Princess stood with a loud gasp, her eyes wide as she turned in a slow circle. She must have heard him.

Tarek pressed against the thick trunk of a spruce, hoping his brownish-green hunter's uniform would blend in well enough with the mossy trunk. He never knew how she'd react to him. Sometimes she'd bolt as if he were a threat; other times she'd throw a rock or two.

The earth vibrated with a low rumble. A flock of blackbirds shot into the air. Gray, spiraling smoke rose over the stand of trees growing alongside the river.

Princess let out a cry and ran.

Tarek cursed as she stumbled in the wrong direction. Slinging his bow over his shoulder, he chased after her. His arrows would do no good against a dragon's tough hide. Heart pounding, he forced his legs to pump faster. They would have to outdistance the beast or find a rocky shelter to take cover.

Another roar rumbled the ground. Princess screamed.

Stupid girl! What was she doing? She knew drawing attention to herself was the worst thing to do when near the dragon.

Fists clenched, he put on an extra burst of speed and followed the flash of her reddish-brown curls bouncing through the thick trees. The river's roaring current drowned out the pounding of his heavy boots. Up ahead, the thick trees disappeared into a hazy blue sky as they neared the drop-off. They headed right for the canyon where the watercourse poured down into the deep valley below.

If he didn't stop her, she'd run right off the cliff. He'd already saved her once from plummeting to her death.

Princess paused momentarily to glance over her shoulder. For one second, he thought she would let him catch up. Instead, she cried out louder and bolted away. Her foot caught on a rock, and she tumbled forward, almost rolling into the swiftly moving river. Tarek lunged and practically landed on top of her.

Stop. I'm not going to hurt you, he whispered against her ear.

She swung her fist at his head. He grabbed both her wrists and pinned her to the ground. The dragon roared again, its screeching cry nearly blasting his ears off his head. Lifting the girl to her feet, he twisted her arms behind her back and pushed her forward, deeper into the woods. If the drake let out a burst of fire, they'd be forced to go over the edge of the bluff to escape the flames.

What are you thinking, love, going so close to the dragon? You know—

Let go of me, dog.

She jerked sideways, almost escaping his hold. He spun her about, lifted her up, and threw her over his shoulder. She pounded his back as he ran into the midst of a cluster of pines, hoping the pungent scent might cover their smell.

From behind them, a hiss rattled the air. "Leeeave."

And that's what he intended to do. He didn't stop running until he came to the precipice, where he froze at the sight below him. The river dropped into a large lake. Tarek set Princess on the ground. She quickly scooted out of his reach but didn't run away. Not yet, anyway.

Tarek continued to take in the topography of the land. The narrow valley. The same one he'd found from the dwarves' passage. He peered over, coming dangerously close to the edge, wondering at the possibility of climbing down the rocky escarpment.

Princess finally sputtered, Why are you following me?

He spun to face her. I'm a hunter. I'm supposed to be out here. What's your excuse?

She glared up at him as she slowly rose to her feet. That's none of your concern.

"Making it my affair, Princess."

She cringed at the name. He knew she hated it, but after all the names she'd been calling him, he didn't really care. Well, not as much as he used to. His shoulders sagged. Who was he kidding? Every hurtful word spoken between them was like a jagged knife to his gut.

You shouldn't be out here. Tarek kept his voice quiet and calm. There are wolves and other animals. Not to mention that drake.

I'm fine, she snapped, wiping the dirt from her hopeless dress. I lost my way. Made a wrong turn. I'm... fine. The squeak in her voice told him she wasn't fine at all.

Where were you going?

She was searching, always searching for something. A way out, he presumed, but from her random wanderings, he wasn't always sure. She seemed like a person stumbling in a dark room, unsure of which way to go and unable to see what was right in front of her. He knew not all of her erratic behavior was pretend. Whatever injury or illness that had caused her to have memory gaps in her past must be affecting her again for some reason. He just didn't know where to draw the line of what was real and what was show. She was a masterful manipulator when she wanted to be.

Princess bit her bottom lip. Nowhere. She turned away and headed into the woods.

He hurried to catch up and walked silently at her side. Least he could do for both of them was to make sure she made it to the castle grounds safely.

You don't take a hint, do you? she spat.

I can't leave you wandering out here. If your stepfather found out, it would be my head. He watched for her reaction. Did she remember how her adoptive father, King Darnel, killed people with a slice of the knife he kept hidden in his sleeve?

I don't need anyone's help. Go back to your... uh, hunt. She looked around a moment. Where are the others, by the way? I didn't think hunting alone was allowed.

So, she remembered poaching was against the law. Strange how selective her forgetfulness was. He didn't answer. Fear inched up his spine. What if she was so set against him, she stooped to turning him in?

Princess continued her march, sounding like a herd of charging boars from all the racket she made.

Why won't you tell me where you're going, love? He tried to sound calm, tried to keep his voice soothing, despite the bitter lump of hurt and regret he had to swallow. I'd like to help you.

Her golden eyes widened a