Page 34 of Ties of Bargains

“That could be it. Goblins aren’t animals, despite the discrimination against them here in the Fae Realm.” Val checked on Daisy again. The dog had dropped the rope and was now sniffing around their clearing, uninterested in more play. “But they do sometimes have characteristics of those animals. It’s part of their magic.”

“Huh.” Harm rocked back on his heels for a moment. Then he dug into his pocket, where he must have stashed everything from his pack, and pulled out a wedge of cheese wrapped in a cloth. “Would you like to try some Tulpenland cheese? I still have several wedges.”

“I thought you were saving the food from the Human Realm for your escape?” Val took a seat on a log next to the fire.

Harm slid onto a seat on a log across from her. The cord between them partially fell into the fire, but itdidn’t burn. He dug into his pocket again. “I can spare some to share. Besides, I’m tired of carrying around so much.”

“You have a magical pocket now. It won’t be heavy.” Val poked at the fire with a stick to give her hands something to do. She wasn’t sure why this conversation felt strangely charged. They were merely discussing food.

“Yes, but I can still afford to share.” Harm withdrew one of the blue-and-white pottery plates, a fork, and a small knife.

Val waved the stick at him, its end smoldering. “It isn’t a good sign when you start to become attached to your captor and do friendly things like share your food.”

Harm paused in cutting the wedge into chunks and raised his head to eye her. “And it isn’t a good sign when you start to become attached to your captive and do friendly things like get him new clothes and arm him with a sword.”

Val snapped her mouth shut. He had a good point.

“Besides, you aren’t precisely my captor. That’s whoever is waiting at the end of this journey because of the bargain.” Harm lifted his right arm. “You’re just as bound by this cord as I am.”

“Don’t mistake my own binding for innocence.” Val wasn’t sure why her voice held such a snap. As if this topic made her uncomfortable. She’d delivered many packages and had always successfully pushed off the discomfort before.

“Delivering a captive to his captor isn’t what I’d call virtuous.” Harm dropped his gaze back to the cheese,concentrating almost too hard on his task. “Just pointing out that you aren’t my captor.”

She shouldn’t encourage his line of thinking. She might not be his captor by a strict definition of the word here in the Fae Realm, but that didn’t make hergood.

That had never bothered her before. Like the other mercenaries in her Wild Hunt, she’d scorned those from the Court of Knowledge and others who were taking a stand against the practice of keeping humans as captives. There just didn’t seem to be any point in fighting something that had been the norm in the Fae Realm for generations. It wasn’t like the fae treated each other much better than they treated humans.

No, she hadn’t kept human captives herself, but she’d aided in the practice no matter how much she might want to think her conscience was clear.

Prior to this trip, she would have said she hadn’t had a conscience.

After stowing the rest of the wedge in his pocket again, Harm stood, walked closer, and held out the blue-and-white pottery plate. “Anyway, here’s the cheese.”

Val took the plate, glad to let the momentary discomfort slip away again. “Sharing your cheese and getting one of your precious plates dirty? You must be feeling pleased with the new clothes.”

Harm shrugged as he retook his seat. “I can always wash the plate.” He’d kept a handful of the cheese for himself, and he popped a bite in his mouth.

Still, he was trusting her with one of the plates. Shecould so easily sabotage him by breaking it rather than returning it.

Perhaps he was right to trust her, at least in this case. She wasn’t about to destroy it.

As she picked up one of the pieces of cheese, Daisy appeared at her side, placing her front paws on the log next to Val and wiggling her head beneath Val’s arm as she tried to reach the plate.

Val held the plate out of Daisy’s reach and gave the dog a firm but gentle shove to force her back to the ground. “No, down.”

Daisy dropped her paws back to the ground before she sat, regarding Val with such big, amber eyes.

“Maybe I’ll share the last bite.” If she shared before then, Daisy’s three heads would all appear, and there would be no keeping the plate away from her.

Val picked up one of the pieces of cheese, trying not to look at Daisy, and popped it into her mouth.

A tangy and yet savory taste filled her mouth with a rich depth she couldn’t quite describe. It wasn’t at all like the cheese found here in the Fae Realm.

She couldn’t help her hum of appreciation at the taste. “This is really good.”

No wonder the goblin woman had felt the need to go above and beyond when fulfilling the bargain. She would have to give her best work to match the worth of the cheese she’d gained.

Harm grinned, then fished in his pocket again, pulling out a flask. He stood and crossed the space around the fire again. “Here. Wash it down with this.”

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