Chapter 18

Of all the people I might have anticipated encountering again, Natalie was the one in a way I most expected however much I forced the idea down, because she was the one person I most feared. The deepest part of me knew my former lover was the one person who would cause me most grief, and therefore a small part of me—one that I did not wish to examine closely—anticipated I would meet her again. I might have prayed that Queen Eve was correct in her decision to send this evil woman back with Meryl to the Tankic side of Sevir so that Mage Isaac would deal with her, perhaps with the ultimate finality.

Yet here she was, proud and arrogant and very much alive. Grinning down at me the way she did when she dominated me in bed back on Earth.

Our ambushers were the Orc-like Yrri, looking just like Gree though all male, and they came clambering down with astonishing agility over the rocks. We made it clear we weren’t going to run, or fight — not that we women had any weapons, though no one made a move to try and retrieve the fallen spears and bows of the dead males. These squat, muscular green-skinned creatures were naked apart from a stout belt for carrying their weapons or arrows and being an all male party, their thick, long and somewhat interestingly-hued green and blue cocks swung threateningly between their legs. The fanged creatures who ambushed us all had snarling looks and spat out what I assumed was some sort of war cry, or yell of victory. However it wasn’t them who occupied my attention, however frightening or even comical they looked in a swarm.

The greater part of my attention was on Natalie, making her way down the boulders among the twenty or so Yrri males, herself naked but strange to say with her hands cuffed in front of her. For a moment I thought she was herself a prisoner of these beasts, but in the same moment I realised that while her handcuffs were those she had been locked into at her apartment in London (albeit at her front rather than her back) she was clearly held in some regard by the Yrri.

Not quite the leader but more as if she was someone of importance to these creatures, as I didn’t get the feeling she was a recent captive.

I stared at Natalie descending from the boulders with the well-armed male Orcs who were now scanning us stationary females with a mixture of caution and triumph. Several of them carried crude axes as well as spears but their bows looked better made, and the ten or so archers among them had nocked fresh arrows with strings held taut. There was going to be no fight, or flight, with us outnumbered. Or so I thought. To my surprise one of the human mounts who had moments before carried a male of the Wilds before he had toppled dead from her shoulders, had a different opinion. She screamed as much as her bit gag allowed, and turned to run back down the slope. The poor woman didn’t get more than three strides before two arrows, virtually loosed as one, found the back of the running humanhorse and brought her down. She didn’t move, and it was her blood running down the stony slope, not her feet.

In the unlikely event we needed any further warning these Yrri meant business, we now knew for certain. None of the rest of us moved, though while others may have been surprised to see a human female among these creatures, the sight of this woman had a distinctly negative effect on me. Had I not been gagged I would, as my only weapon, launched into a stream of invective against her. It wouldn’t have made any difference but at least I would have had my say. Cursing the woman was thus denied to me and she laughed as she made her way towards me.

“Well, look who we have here. Dear sweet, stupid Isabella. Small world, Sevir, isn’t it?” Natalie grinned as she reached me. “And here you are with such interesting companions. You know, bitch, I rather thought you’d be in better company than this rag-tag bunch of humanhorses with even a female human rider on your back. I thought the Egri would have regarded you as more useful than that, but perhaps even they recognise a useless cunt when they see one.”

I wished I could answer but the bit gag was too good.

Taiwo though did speak, and that too was another shock. “You,” growled the black woman I was carrying. She hadn’t moved from where she sat on my aching shoulders, but she hadn’t slackened my reins. I blinked in surprise as I had imagined I was the only one here who knew Natalie. Well, how wrong you can be. Somehow, Taiwo knew Natalie in London. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like the reason.

“Yes, it is me, dear girl. So nice to see you again, though this time in a way I hadn’t imagined. Seeing you naked is interesting, though I confess I had imagined what you might look like out of your clothes. Far less the business lady now without your tight skirt and high-heels, wouldn’t you agree?”

I managed to make noise in my throat, which prompted Natalie to reach up with her handcuffed hands to drag the bit gag from my mouth, which gave me another if different burst of pain. “Eager to tell me how much you love me, horse?” Natalie laughed as she let the gag fall around my neck.

“How did you get here?” I demanded. “Mage Issac didn’t let you go.”

“No, he didn’t, but then he wasn’t in a position to do much at all. He is dead. That interfering cow Meryl too, all being well, the way his house went up in flames. You see, and this shouldn’t surprise you, but I have more powers than them. They made the mistake of thinking my hands and therefore my skills were no danger to them because I was cuffed with iron, but ... being stuck on this planet they don’t know modern metals. These little beasts on my wrists are titanium. More expensive than the standard steel ones, and thus lacking the necessary iron to keep my skills subdued. Therefore when they left me alone and was able to get my hands under me and to the front I made sure that somewhat amateur Mage suffered. A little fire throwing when they didn’t expect it and their plan of killing me went up in smoke. Literally.” Natalie laughed at her own joke.

“No,” I shouted. “You couldn’t!”

“Oh, honey, I could and did. They weren’t important. Expendable, as is so often is the case with lesser beings. Now please be quiet, Isabella; no one likes their animals talking. I would prefer not to have to gag you or kill you but, trust me, I will if I have to.”

I glowered at the woman who was enjoying this. Above and behind me I heard Taiwo snort. “You said I could trust you,” she said, sounding as if she was talking through gritted teeth. I didn’t like the idea of Taiwo knowing Natalie for whatever reason.

“Perhaps you could, back on Earth, Taiwo. But here we are: new world, new rules. My rules, I think you’ll find. Now, be a good girl and hop off poor Isabella’s back. And please don’t try any tricks, or else.”

“Or else what,” glowered Taiwo.

“Oh heavens! I find it so wearying doing this for show.” At that Natalie stepped back, put her hands almost together and having muttered something unintelligible she executed a sharp, throwing motion to send a ball of spinning fire leaping out from between her palms and straight at the dead female brought down by the Yrri arrows. The fire-ball hit the body and set it on fire. I caught sight of several of the Orc-likes staring with fear in their red eyes, allowing me to confirm that Natalie was not their prisoner. Probably a useful weapon if they were going to war, and one they wanted to keep.

“That sort of else,” continued Natalie, darkly and rubbed her hands, as if the fire ball caused her some discomfort if not pain. Taiwo had got down from the saddle on my back, for which I was extremely grateful.

“Fire throwing wasn’t your skill. The Queen told me that,” I announced.

Natalie gave a dismissive laugh as she flexed her hands. “Your Queen Eve is not as smart as she thinks, but that’s the trouble with the Seed these days. Yes, I made use of other skills in London but believe me, there were a good few times I could cheerfully have set fire to boardrooms and all the self-preening and pompous fools at investor meetings. Good job I didn’t, I suppose. Here though, it is a useful weapon for keeping on the right side of these savages.”