Page 45 of Bounty Hunter

“Enough of these games. I don’t care what secrets you do or don’t share, but you will give me a child, or she dies.” The devastatingly beautiful woman who wears Vera’s face before me hisses.

I clench my jaw and work to tamp down the concern that she knows what, or ratherwho, I am. I can only hope Vera doesn’t bring this up again later.

The woman smells like flowers, heady and strong, and I assume that’s supposed to draw men to her. But I am immune, apparently because I can only be drawn toward a Tulip, and the mate bond is supposed to help with situations like this, but, according to the everwisp, I didn’t need it in the first place. What normally would have been a benefit in this forest has also almost given away my identity. I need to end this. My hands are bloodless and limp, my wrists throbbing. It feels like they are being forcibly separated from my arms at the joint.

“All I want isone, and then the two of you can live your life as you like.” She eyes Vera with disgust. She drags her gazeback to mine and once again grabs my belt. “Ifyou keep your end of the bargain.”

Even if I were a regular citizen, there would be no child making between myself and this crazy wisp. But I’m a king, and it’s even more important that I not spread seed around the five kingdoms and have long-lost children coming to challenge my future heir for the throne. Vera unexpectedly throws her sword toward the woman, but the everwisp stands too far and too easily turns to wisp. The sword only runs through her dress and scratches a thigh before she flickers away and is back again. She stares at Vera with hatred and darkness, and I hear Vera begin to struggle to breathe as the vines forcefully tighten under the everwisp’s gaze.

I dive to the ground, toward the knife I left lying there, to slice through the vines. Like Vera’s vines, they seem to grow more appendages from the cut parts, entangling my knees now that I’ve touched the ground, but I free one hand, and that’s enough. I awkwardly turn and throw the knife, watching as it pierces her back. Vera’s body and face seem to melt away from her as she weakens, and gratefully, so do the vines. Her beauty and color seeps from her body, and she crumples with a flash.

And then we’re left in almost complete darkness, and I hear Vera sucking in deep breaths. I stand before my eyes have completely adjusted, ripping the lifeless vines away from me and grabbing my enchanted sword from where it’s fallen onto the mossy ground, free of the vines that held it fast. I make my way quickly to Vera. I find her on the ground, bracing herself on her hands while still kneeling and breathing too heavily. I lower to a knee beside her and place a hand on her back and rub in slow circles until she’s calm. When she finally sits back on her heels, I gingerly pick up her left arm, the one where thevine cut. I’m surprised she lets me. I move the fabric to see it better and frown at the deep cut.

“It’s not that bad.” She pulls it away. “How do we get out of here?”

“It needs to be bandaged, at least.” I watch as blood still drips from her hand.

With effort, she stands, then takes a moment to stop swaying once she’s there. She holds out her arm. “Just bind it. I want to leave this creepy place.”

I carefully, but firmly tie a bandage around it, hoping it’ll be enough for now.

The filtered water light casts odd, moving shadows around us. It’s disconcerting that we are still surrounded by white, slightly glowing flowers. The silence is thick and broken only by our own movements. The white flowers continue to provide just enough light as we make our way deeper into the cave, and I find myself hoping there actuallyisan end. There is no map for this, and I’ve never found myself caught in an everwisp trap.

“It appears you don’t like the pushy types.” Vera attempts a teasing tone, but she looks too tired and pained for it to ring true. That, and I saw the way her eyes lit with anger when the woman came close and made her demand.

I give her a dry look. Obviously, I don’t want to be with a murderous everwisp. “You did good back there.” And I mean it. I saw the throat punch and the quick stab, even being injured.

“It pains me to say that your lessons may have helped,” she says wryly.

“You’re welcome.”

“I never said thank you.” She narrows her eyes a bit.

I simply toss her a knowing grin that I know drives her nuts and continue forward.

Chapter 31

Vera

We wander through the cave for what seems at least a mile, and we finally find an exit that spits us out onto a grass-covered hill that’s so steep I almost roll down. We only spot a white flower here and there after that, but I no longer want to stop and admire any. I’m jumpy and worry with every one we see that the light that rests inside it will spring out and explode into another sultry-looking woman who wants Ikar’s children.

By now, we’ve lost hours of precious daylight. The second sun is already about to set, but neither of us want to make camp anywhere near that awful little valley. Soon, though, I start slowing. My bandage soaked through long ago, and I’m feeling weak and tired. And Rupi hasn’t appeared again yet. She found me before, so all I can do is hope she does again. When Ikar finally chooses a spot, I simply want to lay down and sleep.

He seems to sense my fatigue and grabs my bedroll from my pack. I’m about to gratefully thank him until he speaks.

“Lay down, and I’ll see to your arm. Then you can sleep.”

I’ve been going between nausea and dizziness, add to that asplitting headache triggered by the near suffocation earlier and my arm spilling my life blood down my fingertips all day, and I’m in no mood for further pain. I’m done. I’d rather wait. And who is he to have that sort of commanding tone with me?

“It’ll keep until we reach the fae. I’ll clean it when we find more water,” I say, as I take a shaky seat down on an uncomfortable boulder and let my shoulders hunch over. I’ve never wished that I could use my own healing magic on myself more than this moment. My heavy eyes readily take me toward sleep as soon as I relax. He takes a moment to toss out my bedroll, and I’m about to sleepily thank him before I fall onto it and pass out for the night. Instead, he takes a step toward me, and I tense up, feeling the command in his words.

“You can get there on your own, or I can tend it where you sit. You’re not dying on my watch.” Then he adds, “But it’ll be easier by the fire.”

I scowl at him because I know he’ll actually do what he says he’ll do. Him and his orders. In my exhaustion and pain, I want to lash out at him. The angry part of me thinks he only cares because he wants to be free of that cuff. But another, smaller, part of me brings up that near-kiss, and I wonder if maybe he’s been feeling some of the same things I have. Maybe even remembering that night in the cave. My cheeks heat, and I’m even more unwilling to go now.

He comes toward me with his long strides, and I carefully stand before he reaches me, breathing deep to keep my senses about me. Then he’s at my side, and with a gentle hand, he grips my good arm and helps me to my bedroll where I lay down and try not to show how much I needed the warmth of the fire.

He kneels beside me, his jaw set in that down-to-business way he gets, but I catch a hint of concern before he masks eventhat. He remains expressionless as he unties the blood-soaked bandage he tied earlier and removes it. I stifle a sound of pain from fully escaping when he pours heated water over it to loosen the torn fabric of my sleeve.

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