Chapter Thirty six: Lu Tiang to rescue

Coming out of darkness Salsa soon realized that all was not well. She couldn't move her hands nor stretch out her legs. She tried to force the issue and quickly came to her understanding that she was tied up when she felt the rope dig in.

Panic ceased her breath. She was confused as to where she was. She was surrounded by darkness with no way of knowing her surrounding. Her heart rate started to beat faster.

She tried to think through her panic, to remember how she came to be tied up.

At first her mind was a jumble mess, full of confusing thoughts and the things that happened between her and the Queen these past few days, but none telling her what happened in the past few minutes of her life.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself so she could think clearly.

A big feat seeing that her heart was no way slowing down, and all manners of evil thoughts of her death kept flashing through her mind.

You are not going to die Salsa. Now calm down and think, she told herself sternly, trying to bolster her courage.

With her little pep talk she was able to calm her racing heart and think.

It all came to her.

The shopping, the Queen's touch, the masked men, and then...

She gasped when she recalled the men whisking her away. This made her realize that her life was in danger and she started to panic again.

Breathing became difficult, she panted, her mind freaking out.

Who were those men, and why did they take her?

This question was one her mind couldn't provide answer to.

Maybe she could try and see if she could get out of the ropes.

She began to struggle to untie herself, straining and groaning from her efforts, but a it did was make the rope tighter.

Even though her struggling seems to be making things harder for her, Salsa didn't give up. She had to get out of here and make sure that the Queen was alright. The last she saw her she was flying off with the strange guy that came to rescue her.

The thought of the Queen made Salsa pause briefly in her struggle.

" Are you alright? " The question was mildly spoken. She didn't expect any answer but she felt better speaking her thoughts out loud.

She was worried about the Queen and wondered if she knows that she was missing.

Would she even care?

Don't kid yourself Salsa, you are just a servant, the Queen could hardly care if you went missing. She has other servants, what makes you special to her.

Her morbid thoughts caused Salsa to fold up in great sadness. It caused a great deal of pain to her chest, like she was being poked by several hot needles to think that the Queen might not care for her at all.

A drop of liquid to her cheeks startled Salsa. She had been unaware of her tears. Not knowing what else to do other than wallow in her sadness she allowed her tears to flow.

Crying didn't make everything feel alright but it made her feel some relief.

Soon she got tired out from her weeping and dozed off.

Suddenly the door to the shed she was being held was forcefully crashed open jolting Salsa from her slumber.

Her heart flew to her throat in terror.

Has the men who kidnapped come back?

She could hear her heart pounding loud in her ears. She held herself stiff pretending to be asleep.

She screamed when she felt a hand on the skin around her ankle. She kicked out her leg in reaction catching whoever it was on the chest.

The body flew a little distance and crashed into the wall of the shed.

Salsa turned to look, her eyes wide with panic. When she saw the familiar face of the guy that came to the Queen's rescue, her fear turned to one of confusion.

What was he doing here? Did the Queen send him or is he working with the men?

Her green eyes narrowed in suspicious at the guy.

" I am here to rescue you, can you try not to kill me in the meantime, " Lu Tiang growled coldly at the blonde, his tone mocking and hard.

It had taken him hours to track down the blonde and now he has found her they needed to leave before the men come back.

Salsa winced at her behavior. I am sorry, she muttered softly, a little shy. She has never met anyone as beautiful as the guy at her ankle and she couldn't help but stare. His beauty could make any female jealous.

Salsa was curious about her savior, but first she needed to know something.

" Did the Queen send you? "

Lu Tiang nodded as he untied the rope at the ankle and then moved on to the ones at the blonde's hand.

His answer filled Salsa's body with warmth. So she cares after all. She couldn't help the whisper of a smile that stretched her lips.

Once the rope was untied, Salsa tried to stretch out her sore muscles. She winced in pain as they protested her movement.

" Here, " Lu Tiang reached out to help her up.

As she stood up, Salsa found herself standing a little too close for comfort to the guy. She slowly looked up at him wondering why her heart was pounding in her chest.

The swirling coldness of his gaze sent a chill down her spine. And not just the coldness, she could see in the loneliness in their dark depth, and the pain.

What happened to you? Salsa was filled with compassion for her tall savior and she wanted to reach out and touch him in comfort.

" We have to go. "

The cold curtly muttered words shook Salsa out of her thoughts. Her cheeks flushed hot as she realized what she has been thinking. She threw a glance at him to see if he read her thoughts but his eyes were the same vacant, unreadable stare, telling her nothing.

As she followed him out of the shed, Salsa promised herself to get to know him.

Outside the shed Lu Tiang looked to his left and right assessing for any threat. The yard stretched out a distance with no soul in sight.

Knowing the girl will follow him he started in the direction he had come in. He had sneaked in through the low fence barricading the old building housing the masked men.

They have just taking few steps when they were suddenly spotted.

The leader of the gang had sent one of his men to go and check in on the girl. The man had just rounded the corner when he saw those two leaving.

" Stop there! " he yelled in a commanding loud voice.

Salsa and Lu Tiang froze in their tracks. Salsa started to panic. They were going to die! she wailed in her mind, her slender frame trembling.

Lu Tiang was calm and unruffled by the presence of the man behind them.

Before the man realized what he was going to do he grabbed the blonde's hand and took off

They are escaping! the man screamed, raising an alarm. Soon the other men came running to him, with their leader in tow.

" What is it? " the leader growled impatiently at the man that yelled.

He pointed at the open shed. " The girl has escaped. "

" What! " the leader's dark eyes flew to the shed in shock and then narrowed in anger.

" What are you all standing here for! Go after them you imbeciles! " he screamed at his men.

They all took off with their swords drawn.

Salsa was panting heavily by the time they got to the fence. When they stopped she bent to her waist to take in some much needed breath.

" Climb. "

Salsa looked up at the sharp command.

" What! " she gave Lu Tiang a confusing look.

Without speaking Lu Tiang picked her up and deposited her on the fence while Salsa screamed in terror. She hung on to the fence like a monkey, holding on for dear life while not trying to look down.

Lu Tiang shook his head at her theatrics before swiftly and deftly joining her on the fence, his movement flawless.

Behind them they could hear the screams of the men after them.

Lu Tiang looked back to see the men almost upon them.

" Jump. "

Salsa shook her head heavily, her grip on the fence so tight that her knuckles were white.

Lu Tiang flashed her an impatient look. They don't have time for this.

" You have to jump or get killed, " he told the blonde, his voice cold and impassionate.

Salsa swallowed and looked toward the building. The men were almost close. She took a frightful look to the ground and made a decision.

Just as she was about to jump an arrow came sailing in their direction. The arrow whistled so close to her cheeks causing Salsa to scream and then fall of the fence.

She landed in an undignified heap to the ground.

Before she could get a grip at the fact that she was almost shot Lu Tiang landed cleanly beside her and jerked her up from the ground and started running.

They ran toward a horse that was tethered to a wood in front of one of the buildings.

" Get on, " Lu Tiang commanded as he went to untie the horse.

Salsa gulped as she stood close to the massive beast. She has never reading a horse before.

" What are you waiting for? " Lu Tiang growled impatiently, his brow furrowing in displeasure.

Salsa gave the horse a hesitant look before turning to Lu Tiang.

" I have never ridden before. " Salsa looked down feeling ashamed of her admission.

Lu Tiang shook his head, another sign of his frustration.

Without speaking he picked Salsa up and deposited her on the beast and then quickly climbed behind her.

The horse neighed at their combined weight, jittering on his feet.

His jerky movements caused Salsa heart to sink to her stomach. Her fear made her tighten her grip on the horse side which the horse didn't appreciate making it more restless.

" You have to let go, " Lu Tiang yelled as he tried to control the horse.

" What? " Salsa couldn't hear him over her pounding heart. She has never been this high off the ground and she was scared of looking down so she closed her eyes tightly.

" Let go! "

This time his annoyance at the blonde peeped through his growl.

Salsa immediately let go and latched onto his arms.

Lu Tiang got the horse under control then clicked his hide to get it off.

Salsa nearly fell off as the horse lurched forward but was quickly steadied by Lu Tiang's grip to her middle.

Salsa gulped at his touch.

The men after them came pouring from their building all mounted on their horses and gave chase.

" Hi ya! " Lu Tiang screamed urging the horse on while maintaining his grip on Salsa to keep her from falling.

As they raced across the village Salsa's heart felt as if it is about to pound out of her chest. She didn't know if it was her fear or the feel of the man behind her.

She could hear the men behind them which made her panic worse. She couldn't help praying to their gods that they survive this.

Another arrow whistled pass them causing her to yelp and jump almost unsitting herself from the horse.

With an intense focus Lu Tiang maneuvered the horse trying to shake lose their pursuers, but they were proving hard to shake lose.

Their race lead them toward a path that ended in a steep with a very high drop leaving them with no where to run.

He came down from the horse and helped Salsa down.

The men pursing them soon caught up with them and came down from their horses and then started after them, their leader in front.

" Give us the girl and we will let you leave, " The leader promised with a twisted grin to his lips, displaying yellow crooked teeth.

Lu Tiang took Salsa's hand in his, and held his sword in the other. He started to edge backwards toward the cliff.

Salsa was panicking. Will the guy give her up to save himself? She didn't see him sacrificing himself for someone like her.

Lu Tiang looked down the cliff assessing his options.

" Do you trust me? " he asked in a low tone.

Salsa might not know her savior but something inside of her tells her she can trust him.

She nodded.

" Good. "

This was the only warning Lu Tiang gave before he threw them off the cliff.

Salsa screamed so loud as they sailed down the cliff.

Shocked the men ran toward the cliff and sent several arrows toward them.

One of them caught Salsa between her shoulder blades as they crashed through a cave.