Page 4 of Ties of Bargains

“Then you must be the other son.” The woman turned to Harm, her eyes appearing like black pools in the shadows of the night. “You’ll be coming with me now.”

Harm caught his breath, shifting back a step. He’d expected it, and yet…

“No.” Father still gripped the vial to his chest, even ashe glared at thefeeënwoman. “The bargain was a life for a life. I will not hand over my eldest son until my younger son is healed.”

“That vial holds your younger son’s life already.” The woman’s fingers flexed on her dagger’s hilt. “What is in that vial will cure him and restore him to health, returning his life to him fully, as you bargained.”

Harm rolled those words over in his head, but he could hear no fault with them. Thefeeënvolkwere wily. If his father had merely asked for a cure, then he might have received something that would kill Gijs quicker, as death could be considered a cure. But as far as Harm could tell, his father had bargained well and left no wiggle room in the wording.

But the woman’s explanation also held the hope of Harm’s salvation. If handing over that vial counted as a life, then Harm handing himself over to thefeewould also count as his life. The bargain would be complete in that moment, and he would be free to escape without jeopardizing Gijs.

“For the bargain to be complete, your son must come with me now.” Thefeeënwarrior woman’s posture grew more belligerent. Her dog gave a faint growl.

“It’s all right, Father.” Harm didn’t want to go right now. If only he could see for himself that Gijs was cured.

But if this was the price, then so be it. He’d said his farewells already, knowing this would be the likely outcome.

Father nodded and took a step back.

The woman’s posture relaxed, but she didn’t take herhand from her dagger as she turned to Harm. “Stand still while I search you and your pack for weapons.”

Harm eased his pack to the ground, then held his arms away from his sides to indicate that he wouldn’t resist. He didn’t have any weapons for her to find.

She strode up to him, carrying with her the scent of leather, oil, and a sweet fragrance he couldn’t identify. She was as close as if they were about to dance, her hands reaching for him.

Yet her movements were brisk as she patted him down, starting at his shoulders, checking each of his arms and down his chest and back. He tried not to react as she ran her hands over the waistband of his trousers, then down each of his legs. She paid special attention to his boots before she went through each of the pockets of his jacket.

As she straightened, she must have gotten a glimpse of the look on his face because she gave a huff as she opened his pack. “Your dignity is fine. Another mercenary might have made you strip naked to ensure you didn’t have any hidden weapons.”

Father made a choking noise, and Harm coughed, his neck heating as he tugged at his collar. He’d known thefeeënvolkdidn’t have the same sense of modesty that Tulpenland held in high regard, but he hadn’t expected it to be stated so baldly. Nor to have the indignities he might face start so soon. “And you deemed such a search unnecessary?”

She glanced up from rifling through his pack to sweep a glance over him from head to toe. “I could take you.”

Harm’s pride wanted to protest but…she probably could. She seemed far too comfortable with the weapon she carried while he was a Tulpenland prince who had only cursory training with weapons. “Good to know.”

“Yes. Keep it in mind.” The woman went back to poking through his pack. She inspected the wedges of cheese, unstoppered the flask to sniff at the cassis juice inside, and frowned at the salted pork. But at least she returned all the food to his pack without confiscating it. According to the stories, it was dangerous to eatfeeënfood.

After a moment, she held up a blue-and-white pottery plate and raised an eyebrow.

“Trade goods for bargains. Not a weapon, and thus something I’m allowed to take.” Harm held her gaze without backing down. He wasn’t going to budge on this.

He needed something in his favor, and this was the only thing he could think of. He’d gotten his hands on a variety of pottery plates, teacups, and even a teapot, and he’d used his spare set of clothes as padding to keep them from breaking or rattling. Hopefully the pottery would be unique enough to appeal to thefeeënvolk.

“It’s a lot of extra weight to carry.” She lifted his pack with her free hand as if to test its weight.

“I know.” Harm crossed his arms.

“I’m not carrying it for you.” She stuffed the plate back into his pack.

“I don’t expect you to.”

“Fine. If that’s what you want to take, it’s no business of mine.” She buckled his pack shut, then pushed to herfeet. After reaching into a pocket, she drew out what looked like a slim rope, though it shimmered in the moonlight. “Now, let’s—”

“Wait!” Father stumbled forward, holding out a hand, even as he stuffed the vial into his coat pocket with the other. “Please, let me have a moment to say goodbye to my son.”

Harm met his father’s gaze. They’d already said goodbye over an hour ago as midnight had been approaching. They hadn’t wanted to say farewell with afeewatching.

There was something in Father’s gaze. A glimmer that was more shrewdness than tears.

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