Page 43 of Bound By Darkness

“What do you mean you mighthave?” he repeated, his eyes wide as he glanced around the empty town square, searching for the creature of night as if she’d reappear. “There hasn’t been a witch spotted in centuries.”

“You heard me,” I stated, a little louder than I had liked. I placed a few fingers across the bridge of my nose. “I know what I dealt with.”

“Did she touch you?” he asked, his eyes scanning over me.

Memories of earlier this morning floated in my mind as I retraced my steps.

“Did she touch you?” There was nothing but utter urgency in his tone.

“No—wait, yes. Yes, she did. Here.” I touched the narrow part of my wrist. Coldness still seeped from the area.

He grabbed my arm and turned it over in his hand. His fingertips floated over my wrist as his thumb brushed the sensitive area.

“That tickles,” I said as I tugged on my arm, tendrils of lightning sparking where he touched.

He held fast.

“She didn’t leave any markings,” he muttered before letting go. “You’re lucky she didn’t.”

My hand brushed over where his fingers hand been, muddying the feeling. “Must have been this.” My finger pointed to the etched pattern across my straps as the vivid image of her slamming into the brown fabric crept into my mind.

“Did she say anything else?”

“No.” He didn’t need to know I was cursed. Well, more cursed than before. “And stop asking me. I’m fine.”

“What did she want with you anyway?” His eyes shone with a brightness I hadn’t seen before. “Did you take anything?”

“No, I didn’t take anything,” I lied. “And hells, I don’t know what a witch is thinking,” I lied again. A few white lies were appropriate, especially to withhold information if I ever needed leverage.

“You can tell me.” Ivan glancedto the side. “I mean, you can trust me. If we’re going to be working together we might as well get acquainted.”

“Look, Ivan,” I said as I drawled out his name. “She took me into the tent and tried to eat me.”

I knew he didn’t believe me from the scowl etched on his face, but it was all he was going to get. All he deserved.

“Fine. As long as she didn’t recognize you, we’re okay.”

“What do you mean if she didn’t recognize me?”

He turned, slowly. “If King Hywell figured out his weapon was here, what do you think would happen to these people? To you or me?”

“But she was a witch?—”

“It doesn’t matter! He is evil, Thalia, and probably deals with creatures bound by laws far greater than the Mother herself. He has spies everywhere, even banished creatures searching foryou.”

The same pressure the witch hit me with seemed to slam into me once more. “What do you mean he’s searching for me?”

Ivan grabbed my arm tightly as we weaved into the far corner of an abandoned alleyway.

My back pressed against the slightly damp wall as he leaned close. My breathing heightened at the intoxicating smell of rosewood, his hands dangerously close to grazing my skin as he pinned me against wet stone.

“You are a caster who has abilities without killing a god or being born into nobility. It is impossible for you to have casting and yet, here you are with the power to wield darkness. Why do you think the King wouldn’t be searching for such an anomaly like you?”

My voice came out slightly hoarse. “You knew? And you’re telling me this now? When we are on our way to Laias? When I have no training, no combat abilities except for casting I can’t even control?” I shoved him back slightly,ignoring the lingering wisps of his scent. “Do you intend for me to die?”

His gaze hardened. “No.”

“Then tell me this. You speak of trust yet you have told me nothing. Not even why we are riding into Laias.”

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