Page 62 of Ties of Bargains

Harm sucked in a breath as something twanged deep in his chest. The captive binding breaking as he was released.

He was free. No more bargain to be fulfilled. No more captive binding holding him here in the Realm of Monsters.

Harm stood and backed away from Diego, keeping his back to the canyon wall, the iron knife still gripped in his hand.

Diego pushed to his feet, brushing off his clothes with nonchalant flicks of his fingers. “What do you think you’ve accomplished by that little display, human? You’re still stuck here in the Realm of Monsters. Even with that iron knife, do you think my Wild Hunt will let you simply pass through their ranks?”

Harm swallowed, taking in the horde of mercenaries crowding into the space before the throne, leers on their faces as they toyed with the hilts of their weapons. If he’d been alone, he never would have survived this escape.

But he wasn’t alone, even if he didn’t dare look at her.

“Perhaps we’ll hold a Hunt. The fire of crushed hope and utter terror will add potency to your blood when I shed it to tear into your realm.” Diego spread his hands wide, as if Harm’s escape had been a part of the plan all along.

More cheering, accompanied by the shush of blades being drawn from their sheaths.

Then Val stepped forward, her dark brown eyes blazing, her hand on her knife’s hilt. At her back, Daisy growled as she faced the crowd of mercenaries. When Val spoke, her voice rang strident and clear over the noise. “No. There will be no Hunt. Diego, I challenge you for the leadership of Wild Hunt Grimbrand.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“You dare to challenge me?” Diego gave that scoff again.

Val held Diego’s gaze, steel settling in her gut. This was it. Either she won, and she and Harm both lived. Or she failed, and they both died. “Yes. In all your plans, Diego, you neglected to take one thing into account. He wasn’t in your hands. He was inmine.”

“And here I thought I’d sent aloyalmercenary on that mission.” Diego’s jaw hardened as he drew his sword.

“Yes, well, I’ve discovered a loyalty to something greater than you.” Val eased a step closer to Harm, her eyes still locked on Diego.

“Him?” Diego pointed toward Harm with another scoff.

“No.” Val didn’t elaborate more than that. Saying she now had a loyalty to all things right and good sounded even more cheesy than saying she was loyal to Harm.

Instead, she forced herself to put her back to Diegoas she faced Harm. He’d put his back to the canyon wall as she’d instructed, keeping himself as safe as he could for the coming fight.

With the mercenaries and Diego watching, they couldn’t exchange anything too romantic. But she stood as close as she dared without fully embracing Harm.

“Take care of Daisy.” Val held out the end of Daisy’s leash.

Harm nodded, taking the leash and wrapping the leather around his hand. Then he reached out and clasped her forearm, tugging her even closer. “Take care of yourself.”

As he did so, a weight settled in the hidden pocket she’d added along her thigh the night before, just as they’d practiced so that the move wasn’t obvious. It wasn’t in the magical pocket, and she could still feel the item pressing into her as she turned away, not meeting Harm’s gaze. If she did, she might lose her edge.

She faced Diego and drew her sword from her pocket, then her dagger from the sheath at her side. This was the moment she was likely supposed to say something tough or snarky. Oh, well. She’d rather skip straight to the part where she stabbed that smirk off Diego’s face.

Diego prowled closer and circled her, his movements liquid as a hunting chimera. Without even a flicker in his eyes to give away his intentions, Diego struck, his sword darting forward with all the speed of a snake’s tongue.

Val parried the sword’s blade, knocking it aside enough that it slid harmlessly past her shoulder. Even asshe shoved his sword away, she stabbed at his chest with her dagger.

He knocked her dagger aside with his, and he twisted his sword away from hers. He pushed forward, pressing his advantage of height and reach.

Val danced backward and parried his rain of blows. She swiped at his chest, changing the trajectory of her sword to aim at his leg.

Diego jumped back, and the tip of Val’s sword sliced through the fabric of his trousers, even if it didn’t manage to touch his skin.

With a growl, Diego put even more force behind his next blow, forcing Val backward yet again. The back of her ankle struck one of the boulders, and she stumbled, nearly falling.

With her balance off, Diego struck, knocking her dagger from her hand. He kicked her, and she fell, her back crashing into the canyon wall. She caught a ledge with her hand and kept herself semi-upright.

Diego’s sword swung at her head, and she barely managed to get her sword up in time to block his blow. Her arm ached from the impact, and she scrambled to dig another of her knives out of her pocket.

---