“Caleb.” He whispered, his mouth, gone dry. Her Caleb?
Drakar heard it too and his face went deathly white a moment before he spurred his mount harder. But the Warrior, whose name had haunted him every time he went near the wench, caught up with him almost effortlessly.
Behind them, Seth watched in numb terror as Caleb leaped from his saddle with frightening agility and knocked the much more muscular Drakar to the ground. The Warrior was brutal, the most savage man Seth had ever seen, with his face and chest painted with black streaks. He had no trouble keeping Drakar under him as his fury raged, unsatisfied.
The other Warriors caught up with him and surrounded the two men on the ground, swords drawn. It was quiet for a short time, and then Seth heard Drakar cry out. Someone moved on their horse just enough for Seth to see the Warrior hovering over the huge Catcher. “Willow!’ he shouted her name. “Do you know of anyone with that name?”
Drakar stared at him, wide-eyed and afraid. “Who are you?”
“Caleb,” the Warrior answered. “Do you know her?”
Drakar shook his head and the Warrior slashed his dagger across Drakar’s throat as if he couldn’t wait to do it.
Seth swallowed a great gulp of air. He was about to wheel his horse and flee for his life when Caleb turned his head and looked directly at him.
Seth barely breathed, staring into eyes colored like nothing he’d ever seen before. Eyes made even more startling by the black paint across them and the even blacker rage that consumed him. Seth kicked his horse hard enough to make the beast snort. He dropped his sword to the ground and fled.
They chased him, and suddenly Seth realized he wasn’t wearing his Catcher robes. He could never outrun them, that was obvious from watching how quickly Willow’s Warrior had caught Drakar, so with a trembling deep breath, Seth slowed his mount to a stop. He closed his eyes expecting to be knocked out of his saddle any minute. When he was still seated in it a breath later, he opened his eyes and found himself surrounded on every side.
“Why do you run?” Caleb’s voice was deep and as harsh as the angry sun, his eyes seared right through Seth’s heart.
There was blood covering the Warrior’s hands, and Seth looked down at them as he spoke. “If you were me and you just saw what I saw, you would run too.”
“We only kill Catchers,” the Warrior told him. Seth nodded, letting his eyes travel over Caleb’s face. This was him. This was the one she had given her heart to, even calling his name just a short time ago. Seth almost sighed looking at him.
“Why were you chasing him?” Caleb asked.
Seth blinked. “He…he tried to snatch me…and we fought, but he got away.”
“Well, he won’t be snatching anyone again.” Another Warrior with no hair on his head offered Seth a tight smile.
“Good,” Seth breathed. He felt Caleb’s eyes on him and tucked his trembling hands between his legs.
“I’m Caleb, Commander of the Warriors.”
“Well met, Caleb,” Seth greeted him, “I’ve heard of you. I am Seth of…of Culderia. And not fearing you after what I just saw is not so easy.” Seth offered him a friendly smile. Caleb didn’t return the smile but offered his hand in greeting, then seeing the blood that covered him, he withdrew.
“Why are you after the Catchers?” Seth queried innocently. “I mean…I know what they do, but why all of a sudden do you war with them?” Before today, Seth had had no idea that Willow had anything to do with this war, but now, knowing who Caleb was, he guessed he knew the answer to his question even before the man Willow loved spoke.
“The Catchers took the woman I love. I’m going to kill every one of them until I find her. And after that, I’ll kill the rest of them.”
A master at keeping his emotions hidden and his voice calm, Seth lifted a dark brow to Caleb. “You sound very certain that you will find her.”
“I am.”
“But what if she’s dead?” he asked, hoping to cast some doubt into the Warrior’s heart so that he might cease his search.
“She lives,” Caleb told him. Their eyes met and Caleb held Seth’s gaze long enough to make Seth squirm in his saddle, chilled by the strength and determination he saw staring back at him.
Urging his horse ahead slowly, Seth offered the Warriors another smile. “I will keep