Page 57 of Bounty Hunter

I surprise myself by slipping my hand into his, and I hear a quiet chirp from Rupi. “We won’t know until we get to the High Kingdom. Don’t lose hope.” I feel him grip my hand a little tighter for a moment. I expect him to drop it afterward, but he doesn’t, so we walk through the forest hand-in-hand the rest of the way, and our conversation moves to lighter topics.

I find that he shares freely when I ask about Simon and Arrow, the hawk and dog he mentioned while stitching me up. The guardedness leaves his eyes, and he launches into details about their training and hunting expeditions. Most include Darvy and Rhosse as well, but the sorrow doesn’t touch his eyes like it did before. I smile a little as I listen, enjoying the sound of his voice and hearing about his life. For days, all I’ve wanted is to reach Mama Tina and be done with this trip. But now, walking hand in hand and talking about life, I find I’d rather stay here with Ikar. The thought tries to make me uncomfortable until I smother it. Not now.

Chapter 39

Vera

Just before the suns set, signaling the end of the day, we reach one of the entrances to the fae. This one’s more commonly used by only fae, but there are other more easily found and recognizable entrances for visitors. This one is a tiny door that sits between two enormous boulders, and since I’m half fae and lived there for a time, I can use it.

“Here it is.” I hope the charm word is the same and speak it quietly. Immediately, either the door grows larger or we shrink, I’ve never figured out which, and we easily walk through. It slams shut behind us, and we are left standing before a circular set of stairs that winds up and around the inside wall of the tree as far above as we can see.

I regretfully pull my hand from his and begin to lead the way up the stairs. Rupi flies ahead almost eagerly, disappearing above us around the circular staircase. I assume we’ll find her at Mama Tina’s.

The burn in my thighs is forgotten in my eagerness to experience the beauty of the fae again. Their attention to detail,even on these hidden-away stairs, is easily the most beautiful artwork I’ve seen in my lifetime. Each stair is engraved with small pictures that cover the surface, probably charmed, since they look no more worn now than they were ten years ago. I hate to step on them, they are so beautiful. I pause for a moment, my eyes begging to linger on some of the engravings, but I continue up.

When we reach the top, we step out onto a balcony, a wall of greenery the height of my hips surrounding the edge, a protective barrier, of sorts. We are so high in the trees that the ground is no longer visible when I look over the edge. Before us, a single path leads off the balcony and into the city. From that one path, several paths join and spread, connecting tree to tree in a seeming maze of fae-crafted walkways, similar to the first one we crossed to get over the canyon. Small multi-faceted crystal orbs sit in ornate wooden posts standing at calculated intervals, lighting the paths before us with warm, golden light. Greenery grows artfully between the crevices of the paths and around the waist-high rails on either side, vining leaves drip off the edges and down toward the ground below, so long they disappear into the black below us. We step onto the first path, and I breathe in the scent of pine, fresh earth, and a light flowery scent with a hint of honey.

I lead Ikar over one path, then another, and more until we reach a set of stairs that winds around an enormous tree, this time around the outside of the trunk. The stairs stop at a small, but ornate door built into the trunk. I knock softly, and a moment later, it swings open.

“Mama Tina!” I greet the aged woman before me with a grin.

A broad smile lifts the deep wrinkles of her face. “Comehere, my girl.” She opens her arms wide and wraps them tightly around me when I step forward. Tears prick my eyes. I’ve missed her more than I thought. I’m glad all over again that I’m not stuck with Silas. After a moment, I push myself back, deciding it’s time I introduce Ikar.

I gesture toward him. “This is Ikar, a Class A criminal I’m taking back to Moneyre.”

Mama Tina’s eyebrows rise high as she looks him up and down, sizing him up with pursed lips. His armor and coat are the worse for wear, torn up at the back and sleeves, add to that the dried blood on his shirt in various places. His beard is no longer a shadow, but a full week’s growth, his hair mussed, and anywhere you look on his person, there’s a weapon sheathed. Mama Tina for sure won’t like him—he’s delightfully dangerous looking. I stuff a laugh back down my throat at his expression. That dark and broody look, the one he always wears that makes my breath a little tight, adds to our cover—and his intrigue—though I know he’s not trying.

I tried to warn him that Mama Tina wouldn’t like him, so he shouldn’t appear so grumpy about it. But after eyeing him closely, Mama Tina leans in close to my ear, speaking loud and clear. “I’ll take him.”

I choke on my spit a little. “Mama Tina.” I only half-jokingly scold her with my voice, but my eyes are bright with censure. She ignores me and slips her hand around Ikar’s bicep and proceeds to pull him into her house. Rupi chirps with approval from her perch in the sitting room to the left, and I frown. What is happening?

Mama Tina is so old no one ever gets upset at her often highly inappropriate comments, or her clothing for that matter. My cheeks are hot, and I can’t look at Ikar. Instead, I eye herdress as I follow along behind them. It looks like a repurposed drape. Most fae wear beautiful clothing, I know from experience. When I turned sixteen, Mama Tina gifted me a spider-silk dress that was so delicate I’d been afraid it would fall off me if I sneezed. I’d only worn it once, but I knew it had cost a fortune. I know her tastes are nice, even elegant and expensive, but she persists in wearing bold colors and awkward fabrics. Even with all that, she’s the most elegant and beautiful woman I’ve met.

She shifts her attention to my dress over her shoulder, arm still tightly wrapped around Ikar’s. “I like the high-low design of the cut, but the animal heads are a bit much, my dear.”

If even Mama Tina thinks that’s the case, this dress is even worse than I thought. An exasperated sigh escapes, which is promptly ignored as Mama Tina smiles up at Ikar, who returns it with one of his dangerous half smiles.

She has eyes only for Ikar as she says, “I’ll show you to your rooms. Come along, Vera.”

I’m left to trail behind the two of them, who continue arm in arm. I quickly swing by Rupi’s perch to urge her on to my finger. She knows there’s another one in my room, but she side-eyes my dress with disdain before reluctantly hopping onto my finger. We start up the stairs, and I catch sight of Mama Tina laughing with Ikar, almost to the second floor. I purse my lips. Mama Tina is entirely too approving of the criminal I brought home. This is unacceptable. I march up the stairs behind them, not able to hear what Mama Tina is whispering to him as they lead the way. It’s not that I thought she’d be concerned about his criminal status, but concerned that I was alone with a criminal of his caliber. Apparently, she doesn’t care who I spend my time with as long as they look like Ikar. Good to know. Ihuff out a breath as we reach the landing at the top of the stairs. It’s circular with plush carpet and five doors evenly spaced around the wall in a semi-circle.

The fae look like the most delicate of creatures, but they are strong. So strong that, if they aren’t careful, their grip can shatter human bones. Along with that, they are magically-gifted with the ability to glamour their looks. Only enough that they can mask the color of their hair, eyes, clothing, and other surface layer things. I didn’t inherit those gifts, being only half fae. I also didn’t inherit the tendency toward criminal activities like the rest of them. I should have figured that Mama Tina wouldn’t mind me bringing a bounty home. He’ll fit right in.

I don’t need her to show me to my room. I know exactly which one it is, so I squeeze around them and hurry to the door as she leads Ikar to the next room over to the right.

“There is food in the kitchen, if you’re hungry.” She eyes both our overall appearances with a raised brow, “And I’ll send up a bit of healing potion.” She turns then, and the light catches her dangling peridot earings—her fae artifact. While she often glamours them to match whatever peculiar outfit she’s chosen to wear out, at home she rarely does so.

Mama Tina says over her shoulder, “Oh, and Renna arrived three days ago. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you in the morning.”

I breathe out a sigh of relief. Renna is safe. One worry down, innumerable more to go.

After a quick glance at Ikar, I quickly slip into my room and close the door behind me. Rupi immediately distances herself, flying to the gold perch complete with a small rope, a bell, small mirror, and a fancy birdseed tray. She lands on the rope that stretches from one side of the perch to the other and promptlybegins to drag her small beak through her feathers, cleaning them in small motions.

I step a little further in. My room looks much the same as it did the last time I was here six months ago, but mostly, it’s how it feels. Like home. I embrace the familiarity, especially after the week I’ve had. After my parents died and Mama Tina took me in, I felt like too much of an outsider to fit in with the exclusive fae. But with Mama Tina heading the way for me, I soon became comfortable here. Along with introducing me to fae society and helping me build a life as a teen here, she’d helped me design my room, and I’ll never change it. The wood of my bed and dresser are light and elegant, all straight lines with beautiful, natural texture. Two large, floor length windows let in warm light in the mornings, and both are framed by floor length drapes that puddle on the ground elegantly. My bedspread is soft as spider silk and piled artfully with an assortment of pillows and a deep green, thick rug lies beneath my bed. I’d leap onto that tempting pile of pillows, but being within Mama Tina’s clean home, I find I can now smell my dress. I wrinkle my nose and rush into the bathroom.

Somehow, a hot bath has already been drawn. I wince as I unwind the bloodied bandage around my arm, the injury a puffy hot mess. Hopefully, with a bath and a few healing potions, it’ll be healed in no time. I strip the dress off next, making sure to arrange it in such a way that I can bathe without the animal heads staring at me and spend the next hour soaking in perfectly lovely steamy water with my favorite scented soap to wash my hair. As I dip my shoulders beneath the water, I think how tempting it is to just stay here. I never reallyhadto leave. Mama Tina actually encouraged me to stay with her. But from the moment she learned I paid dues to the Tulips, she never seemed to approve, no matter how I tried to explain it,and I never felt right about using her generosity to pay them. Instead, I made my own way, and I paid my own dues, as it should be. She still sends my payments, though it’s with pursed lips and disapproving eyes, but I don’t complain. Admittedly, it wasn’t just my independence I was seeking when I left. There was also Drade.

I still remember when he’d returned triumphant from the challenge to be low king. The fae are the only ones who determine their low king based on pure strength and intelligence. The other kingdoms’ kings are born to their positions. We’d been courting for over a year, and he’d never told me he planned to do it. It should have been a time we celebrated together, but it was the opposite. Because he’d become a low king, he unknowingly made himself unavailable to me. I had to leave the people I’d tried so hard to become part of.

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