Dark Feather: A Dark Post Apocalyptic Romance Read Online Free PDF Page B

would be.
    I hesitated only a few seconds and then released my arrow. Rigby threw himself back fast and the arrow sped out, piercing the dark. He grabbed the bow from my hands, spun around me, and slammed it hard against my buttocks. An electric sting of pain spread throughout my bottom. Again the bow hit me, this time against my upper thigh, causing me to lose my balance. I fell to my knees with my hand covering my stinging behind. Bruised pride hurt almost as bad as the quick punishment to my lower region.
    Rigby squatted next to my side, pushed me to where I was on all fours, and swatted my behind two more times. Fury mixed with humiliation nearly blinded me.
    “Does this make my point clear?” he asked. “Just being an ‘archer’ is useless. A lesson for you. Fighting means learning how to brawl for your life. Especially when weapons are not an option.”
    Rigby stood up and stretched out his hand to help me to my feet. Taking it, I pulled back a bit, forcing him to bend forward, and then punched him square on the jaw with all the force in my body. As he pulled back, I jumped up, slid to the side and thrust my foot out, kicking him in the backs of the knees, followed by a boot to the gut, leaving him to roll and fall near the edge of the cliff face.
    The other men hurried from their snowmobiles and rushed to his aid. It all happened so quickly, they hardly saw the blow. Eventually, Rigby came into his own again. He looked idly down into his hand, slowly wiped his bleeding lower lip, and smiled.
    “You are much stronger than I thought.”
    “A lesson for you,” I said. “Never trust nor show mercy to a Penna in battle.” I winked, taunting him.
    He stood up and brushed the snow off his clothes, shrugging off any assistance offered by his men. I stood ready for his retaliation and prepared for another round of battle. He took a long pause and scanned my body. “I have heard of a female Penna who can shoot a bow better than any man. So, if you want blood so bad you can taste it, I’ll give you the chance to prove yourself. If for one moment I feel I cannot trust you, you will be killed without question. If you become nothing but a female burden in battle, I will let my men sort you out. Does that sound fair?” he finished.
    I nodded.
    “Have you already forgotten what I expect to hear when I ask you a question?”
    “No, sir… I mean, yes, sir.”
    His lips quirked but he only shook his head. “I am not the commander you once took orders from. But my rules, my command, my authority, will be what you live by. If you falter, I will sort you out in my own way. Are we clear on the expectations of my army?”
    I began to nod again but then quickly said, “Yes, sir.”
    I was surprised to see him smile and offer his hand for a friendly shake. “Welcome to the Cyans, Tudor.” He shook my hand and turned to the men. “She’s one of us now. Treat her as such,” he commanded. “Tudor chose fight , so don’t any of you dare choose the path of fuck for her.”
     

Chapter Four
     
    The Cyan men had every reason to hate me. In their eyes, I was a woman and by nature, I was weak. The fact that I was a Penna made it even worse. If I wanted to join the Cyan ranks, and kill with the cunning power of the men, I would first need to fight like one. I had proven myself before, with the Penna, and I could do it again. These first initial battles would be my chance. I had left the Penna, but the warrior nature of my very being still burned bright. It was what I had been trained to do my entire life. Although I could walk away from the Penna, I could not walk away from my skill to fight. I knew I was meant to die on the battlefield rather than starving and barely surviving in some small village out on the tundra. Maybe this was my destiny all along—to join and fight with the Cyan.
    I dropped to a crouch behind a mound of snow. Feeling tense with a sense of being watched, I scanned the surrounding land. Rigby’s army had