Page 53 of Ties of Bargains

Harm scrambled on his hands and knees to grab Daisy’s leash along with Val, keeping the dog from dragging her again.

Once they had Daisy somewhat under control, Val pushed the rest of the way to her feet, her face hard and blank as she faced their surroundings.

Harm released Daisy’s leash and stood. His leather jerkin and trousers were gritty with sand as he brushed at them, taking in the fort as he did so.

Stone towers marked out each corner with thick walls connecting them.Feeënwarriors, dressed much like Val was in leather armor adorned with a breastplate, marched back and forth. At least they didn’t seem too concerned by the appearance of a dragon in the middle of their fort. Harm wouldn’t have wanted to find himself in the middle of afeeën-dragon battle.

In front of Harm, a squat, sandstone building loomed. Maybe the headquarters of this fort. Or perhaps the home of afeeënwarlord.

The double doors opened, and twofeeënwarriors marched out of it. They stepped aside, and afeeënwoman strode into view. She wore silken robes thatswirled around her, yet she had a curved sword and dagger buckled at her sides. Her black hair was done in braids woven into an elaborate hairstyle that glinted with gems and gold strands.

In a blink like a shimmer on water, the black dragon shifted into hisfeeënform. “Zaya.”

“Damig.” The warlord’s eyes glinted, her mouth tightening in something between a smirk and a sneer. “Is this the human you promised in your bargain?”

“Yes, it is.” Damig gestured to Harm.

“The sand dragon venom, as bargained.” The warlord gestured, and four human men trundled from the building, carrying barrels on their backs. They set the barrels down before Damig and stepped back, though they kept their heads bowed.

Harm swallowed. That was a preview of what he’d endure once he was bound to this warlord. At least basic grunt labor was better than what Queen Titania had planned for him. Or Queen Mab.

Damig withdrew a large bag from the pocket of his jerkin. Even though the bag was much smaller than the barrels, he somehow lifted each barrel and stashed them inside until all four barrels disappeared into what must be a magical bag.

Once that was done, Damig transformed back into his black dragon form, the bag still hooked over one long talon. As he beat his wings, he kicked up clouds of sand.

Harm squeezed his eyes shut, shielding his face. When the swirling wind and scouring sand finallystopped, he cracked his eyes open to discover that the dragon was already high in the sky overhead.

Warlord Zaya stared down her nose, first at Harm, then at Val. “And who are you?”

Val stepped forward, straightening her shoulders as much as she could with Daisy yanking at the end of the leash. “I’m the fae mercenary tasked with delivering this human from his realm. If you would please accept the delivery, I’ll be on my way.”

Harm tried not to flinch at the cold tone to Val’s voice. He had to trust what she’d said the night before. She was merely extricating herself so that she would be free to attempt to free him.

Warlord Zaya’s gaze swept back to Harm, assessing him with the same cool indifference one might use when buying fruit in the market.

Harm lifted his chin. He’d been passed around like a piping hot oliebol from the moment he’d entered this realm. He wasn’t going to cower now.

Warlord Zaya gave something almost like a sigh before she turned back to Val. “As much as I would wish to claim such a strapping specimen, I no longer hold his bargain. I lost it in a card game last evening.”

“A card game? Really?” Harm thought he’d muttered it under his breath, but perhaps he’d been too loud because Val shot him a quelling look.

Harm snapped his mouth shut. Still, this was ridiculous. He understood being bargained away. Somewhat. But, seriously, lost in a card game?

Val spoke through gritted teeth, the muscle at thecorner of her jaw flexing. Perhaps she was just as frustrated by this happening yet again as he was, even if she was trying hard not to show it. “Then who holds his bargain?”

“I lost his bargain to the leader of Wild Hunt Grimbrand.” Warlord Zaya waved her hand, as if losing a card game was a small thing.

Val’s whole body stiffened. Was something wrong? Was her band at war with this Wild Hunt Grimbrand or something like that?

“I suppose you’ll wish hospitality for the night.” Warlord Zaya’s eyes glinted, the expression more sneer than smirk now. “As you are now employed by a courtless fae, you’ll have to bargain for it. The Law of Hospitality doesn’t demand it.”

“No, we won’t need hospitality. We’re leaving.” Val spun on her heel and marched toward the gates of the fort.

Daisy trotted at Val’s side, calm now that the dragon had left.

Harm hurried to fall into step on her other side, working to keep his questions firmly behind his teeth rather than voice them in front of the warlord.

Val strode with such a bristling, dangerous edge to her that thefeeënguards jumped to open one of the gates. Not even the warlord tried to stop them as they walked from the fort and onto the gravel path that ran from the fort to the village below.

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