Page 11 of Stolen Thorn Bride

She was not in her house. Not on her pallet near the fire. There was no Rordyn stirring the coals, no Ellery or Liam wandering in, rubbing their eyes, asking plaintively for breakfast.

Kasia had never before wanted so badly to hear them say they were hungry.

She turned her head and looked directly into a pair of curious dark eyes.

Eyes that held a worrying amount of desperation.

“She’s awake,” the new face said. “We can begin.”

Which was when Kasia decided regretfully that it had not been a dream. She really had been captured by elves. And apparently, they’d only been waiting for her to wake up so they could execute her properly.

“No,” she said, sitting upright a little too quickly and wincing when her head began to throb. “We can’t. I don’t agree to just let you kill me. Shouldn’t I get a trial or something?”

“A trial?” The new elf looked puzzled, and as Kasia took a closer look, she concluded that he also looked royal. There was a braided silver circlet resting on his black hair, and a decided look of command in his brown eyes. His skin was dark brown, and his blue robes looked more ceremonial than warlike.

Beware of kings.

“The law, Your Majesty.” Kasia recognized that voice—the younger male who’d captured her. “We cannot forget the penalty for humans who cross the border.”

“You mean, you didn’t…”

“We had not yet mentioned that she might have a choice,” the auburn-haired elf said hastily.

“Yes,” Kasia said automatically. “I’ll take it.” Surely anything was better than execution, wasn’t it? After all, as long as she was alive, there was a chance of escape.

“Then she doesn’t know…”

The female interrupted this time. “We thought it best ifyouexplained, Your Majesty.”

The elf king looked troubled, but with the same grace as all the other elves, extended a hand towards Kasia.

Did he expect her to kiss it? She’d be hanged first.

Ignoring the hand, she scrambled to her feet, folded her arms, and regarded her audience defiantly. At least, as defiantly as possible when one was shorter than everyone else in the room and feeling scruffier by the second.

She was, she noted with dismay, still covered in mud, wearing her worn, patched clothing, and she probably smelled like pigs to boot. But why should she be ashamed? What did these elves know of hard, honest work when all they did was hide behind their borders and commune with nature? Supposedly. Considering the armor and the weapons, she was beginning to have her doubts about the communing part.

The king dropped his hand, and Kasia had the uncomfortable suspicion that he was fighting the urge to smile. She hoped he wouldn’t. He was ridiculously good-looking already, and if he smiled, it would only be harder to remember Gianessa’s warning.

“I am Miach, king of Sion Dairach,” he said. “Allow me to welcome you to the lands of the Dairen elves.”

Kasia blinked uncertainly. Why bother welcoming someone you might execute shortly thereafter? “Do you treat all your guests to such confusing hospitality?”

Her words clearly perplexed the king, but then the oldest of her captors stepped in. “Perhaps we could show her,” he suggested.

“Yes,” the king agreed, and promptly offered Kasia his arm as if she were some sort of court lady, not a human in a muddy coat.

Well, fine, she thought. Perhaps she should simply go along with it. As odd as all this was, if there was even the smallest chance of them not executing her, there was no harm in at least trying to be polite. And who else in her village could say they’d ever evenseenan elf, let alone strolled through the halls of an elven palace on the arm of a handsome elf king?

So, not without a shiver of anxiety, Kasia laid her muddy fingers on the king’s sleeve and winced as the shimmering dark blue fabric caught on the rough skin of her hand.

Hopefully, they wouldn’t change their mind about killing her just because she’d ruined his fancy robe.

But the king appeared not to notice and escorted her out of the room before she really thought to have a good look around.

The hall they entered next, however, gave plenty of fodder for gaping.

Magic, Kasia thought helplessly as she gazed around her. That was the only explanation.

---