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lost consciousness.
     
     
     
     
    The first thing that Ava noticed when she gained consciousness was the dry, rough texture inside of her mouth. It took a few moments for coherence to set in and she realized that she’d been gagged. A few more seconds of lucidity confirmed that there were bindings at her wrists and ankles. For some reason, her capturers had wrapped something soft around her appendages before tying her up. How very thoughtful of them, she thought dryly.
    Despite the discomfort of her position, lying on her side with her hands behind her back with a strip of cloth soaking up every drop of moisture in her mouth, she forced herself to focus and remain calm. Because it was still dark, she assumed that her kidnappers hadn’t gotten far with her. She heard the distinct crackling of fire nearby and turned her head to find the source. The small blaze cast an orange glow on her surroundings.
    Ava craned her neck at the most advantageous yet most uncomfortable angle and was rewarded with the full view of a campsite. Two pallets were on the other side of the fire. Ava suddenly realized that she was laying on the third. Two horses dozed while tethered to nearby trees. A small kettle, barely even the size of a small cooking pot, was hanging over the fire. A few feet away from the blazing fire and kettle were two men.
    She could clearly see the face of one, her first attacker, she guessed by glancing at the dingy fabric wrapped around his left forearm as a makeshift bandage. A head full of wild, flame red hair fell around his ears in disarray and his tan, leathery skin suggested that he spent a lot of time outdoors. He was frowning down into the bowl in his hands and shaking his head.
    “I’ll have your silence Julian,” he said to his companion, the great hulking beast of man sitting across from him. That he was comparable to a towering oak was evident, even by just his silhouette.
    “I don’t know, Simon, it’ll make for such a damn good story!”
    If Ava wasn’t mistaken, the beast’s shoulders were shaking with laughter. Simon did not look amused.
    “What kind of friend does that to his mate, his partner in crime, I ask you? A great big horse’s ass, that’s what kind!”
    This caused the beast’s shoulders to shake uncontrollably and roaring laughter to ring out through night’s dark blanket.
    “It’s not my fault you were bested by a woman and had to be rescued.”
    “Your plan, your fault.”
    “My plan, your miscalculation. We were warned that the girl had some skill, recall.”
    Girl? Some skill? Ava scoffed inwardly. If the beast wanted proof of her skill, he need only release her from her bonds. A wicked grin tugged at the corners of her mouth as she thought of digging into the man’s chest with her knife, but it was inhibited by the gag. She glared daggers at him with her eyes instead.
    “Who’d have expected a girl to come flying at a man with a dagger like that? Honestly, even you can’t say you were expecting that Julian.”
    The beast shrugged one shoulder fluidly. “I suppose not. You held your own. Besides, we were lucky to have found her alone instead inside of that compound full of banshee she-devils.”
    Ava’s fingernails bit into her palms. Just cut me loose you big lout and I’ll show you a she-devil! She was surprised her skin didn’t burn red hot. It certainly felt as if her blood was. In that moment, the beast’s back stiffened and he began to turn. Had she made some sort of sound? She was certain she hadn’t, but there he was, staring at her over his shoulder as if he’d heard her thoughts.
    That’s ridiculous , she told herself as he stood and made his way to where she was trussed up like a Christmas goose. He stopped and glanced down at her, amusement glistening in his eyes. She perused him briefly and took in a few details as he sank to his haunches in front of her; leather boots, dusty but a good quality, brown trousers hugging powerful thighs and a strip of