Page 26 of Trapped By Vengeance

Glancing heavenward, I send a silent prayer for serenity up to the Creator. Which is awkward, asking for a favor considering I recently abducted a maiden. But by the elvish code, I am a kinsman avenger, and there is a blood price to be met.

And have I not met it already? How many baths did it take to remove the blood matted into my fur and then my hair? The Creator decreed those men had to die, but the cruelty with which I killed could not have been His will . . .

I push those thoughts away and focus on scanning Valda’s form for any sign of blood on her. I still don’t smell any, and nothing feels broken when I feel her arms.

“Eloise, could you . . .?” I gesture toward Valda’s sodden legs.

“Nope.” She feeds another of Valda’s blueberries to Sir Pigeon. “She can tell us how she’s hurt when she wakes up. This is what she gets for kissing you and making you fall in love withher—”

“For the last time, stop bringing love into this!”

Eloise’s gaze snaps to mine, and I see that they are hazel, the shade they take when she is absolutely sure of herself.

I better pray again.

“I’ll stop talking about love when you stopkissingher.”

“I haven’t even kissed her since this morn.”

Eloise’s eyes widen and I realize my misstep. Then she shakes her head. “It’s worse than I feared.”

Glaring, I grab all the blueberries on my bark and devour them in one bite. It is far from enough to feed the wolf inside me, but it will have to do until this storm is over.

“You can have some of hers, you know. She’s not eating them.”

“No.” I untie Valda’s sopping cloak and pull it away. Unfortunately, her gown is just as drenched underneath.

Turning, I sift through the satchel Eloise grabbed and tug out the garments and the blankets stuffed inside. What few possessions I have left don’t seem like enough to survive off tonight, let alone provide for Eloise for any length of time beyond now.

But I can’t think about that here and now. The number one lesson I was taught during my Guild training is that thinking about a fortnight from now while on mission gets you killed. There is only here and now.

Here and now, I change into a dry shirt. Then I press a hand to Valda’s face. It is cold and clammy, like a corpse. I can’t even start a fire because we have no dry kindling. I didn’t have a chance to gather any beforesomeonedecided to run off.

And now thatsomeoneis in desperate need. “Eloise . . .”

“I’m not changing her clothes, if that’s what you’re asking. She did this to herself.” Eloise happily pours the rest of her blueberries down her throat. Then she offers the rest of Valda’s to Sir Pigeon, who pecks at them far more politely.

I grit my teeth. “Can you at least share a blanket and offer your body heat?”

“Nope.” Eloise takes the other blanket and wraps herself in it. “Sir Pigeon and I will share. You take the other blanket for yourself.”

“You are in trouble, young lady.”

“Why?” Eloise snuggles deeper into her cocoon as Sir Pigeon flaps around the cave, seeking a new roost now that her shoulder is gone. “I’mnot the one who ran off into a dangerous storm and put you in danger.”

“You’re not listening to me.”

“Neither doesshe, but you’re probably just going to kiss her again.”

I sift through the pile of garments and tug out my last shirt. It doubles as a nightshirt, so it will be long enough to cover most of Valda. I’ll just have to avoid looking at her lower legs.

Swallowing hard, I turn Valda onto her side, and she still doesn’t stir. I check her back and stomach for any sign of a broken rib or other injury but find nothing. So, I quickly unlace her sodden gown.

While my fingers work, I glare back at Eloise. “What is your obsession with whom I kiss, anyway?”

Eloise turns away from me and mumbles something into her blanket.

“What?” The dress loosens in my hands, and I turn back to see Valda’s night shift beneath it. That gives me the courage I need to tug her coral sleeves down her thin arms and then shimmy it down her hips before pulling it free from her legs.

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