Page 25 of Ties of Bargains

Harm took the rope, gripping it just before the knot on the end and bracing himself.

Daisy raced back toward them, the first rope in her mouth. As her eyes latched on the rope in Harm’s hand, she dropped her rope and leapt for Harm, her jump so high that her flashing teeth were nearly level with his face.

Harm stumbled backward, trying to lift his arm fast enough, aware of the teeth far too close to his face.

Daisy’s jaw snapped onto the rope, the claws on her front paws scratching the front of Harm’s legs, and she landed on the ground. She ripped the rope right out of his grip and swung it viciously, as if she felt the need to kill it.

The knotted end slammed into Harm’s shin, and hehopped backward yet again, grimacing. That was sure to bruise. As if Harm’s body wasn’t battered enough as it was.

“Grab the other rope.” Val pointed to where it lay a few feet away.

Harm hobbled to it, but even as he reached for it, Daisy abruptly went from killing the other rope to diving for the one Harm was reaching for. He tried to snatch it from the ground, but Daisy was already there, her teeth knocking into his hand as she snagged the rope. Her teeth didn’t draw blood, of course. She’d been going for the rope and only got him by accident. But he was probably going to get yet another bruise out of the deal.

“You need to be faster than that.” Val waved at the rope Daisy had abandoned.

Hand and leg throbbing, Harm rushed back the way he’d come and snatched the rope off the ground. Even as he turned, Daisy was already rushing toward him, her mouth open, her eyes almost crazed as she focused solely on the rope.

Out of sheer panic, Harm threw the rope. It wasn’t a good throw, only going a few yards, but Daisy skidded before she could run into him and tore off after it.

Val sighed. “You need to make her sit before you throw the next rope. She’ll lose all her training if you indulge her and just throw it.”

Gritting his teeth, Harm rushed to grab the rope Daisy had left. She was already sprinting back. He had only seconds.

He snagged the rope and straightened even as Daisyleapt for him. He jumped backward, and this time he managed to lift the rope out of Daisy’s reach.

When she landed, she immediately jumped again, and Harm had to whip the rope high out of her reach yet again.

“Sit.” Harm tried to make his voice sound calm and commanding instead of panicked and out of breath. And he’d thought an afternoon playing with a dog sounded easy. “Sit, Daisy.”

She stared at the rope, her tail wagging, her mouth open.

“Sit.” Harm didn’t dare look away from the dog.

Finally, Daisy seemed to get the idea, and she more or less lowered her butt to the ground, though her haunches where still tensed to spring.

Good enough. Harm threw the rope, this time flinging it nearly all the way across the clearing, buying himself a moment to snag the second rope from where Daisy had left it and sprint back to Val’s side by the time Daisy returned.

If this was what Val considered taking it easy with training, Harm could only imagine how hard the actual training would be.

Chapter Nine

Val strolled alongside Harm as he marched around the clearing, holding a large rock over his head. Harm seemed to have regained his strength well enough. She wasn’t sure how long healing took in the Human Realm, but the Fae Realm had a way of accelerating things, from healing to training to romance.

She shouldn’t invest this much time into ensuring a package’s survival. She could tell herself it would make her job easier. Safer. Cheaper than bargaining for more healing potions.

No, the truth was that Harm was too frustratinglygood. He was here in the Fae Realm to save his brother. Nor did he resent his father for trading him to the fae. He treated Val with respect despite the fact that she was his enemy.

She couldn’t bring herself to just dump him at his destination in the Fae Realm. Not anymore. Not after she’d gotten to know him.

By the time they arrived at the Court of Stone, how attached would she be?

She couldn’t let herself think of it. Right now, she had to focus on training Harm so that she could—hopefully—banish that squiggly discomfort in her stomach.

As Harm finished his circuit of the clearing, she halted. “That’s enough of that.”

Harm released a breath, likely in relief, and dropped the stone to the ground.

One of the nearby trees reached out and whacked his shoulder with a whippy branch.

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