Page 63 of Ties of Bargains

Diego pressed close and grabbed her wrist before she could get her knife out. He pinned her sword to the cliff’s side with his own as he loomed over her. “Valeria. So foolish. You were never a match for me.”

He dragged her forward by his grip on her wrist and tossed her away from him with such force that she tumbled to the ground. She rolled, keeping a hold of her sword. Her back slammed into a rock, and she halted,coughing to catch her breath and spitting the dust out of her mouth.

Diego remained standing near the cliffside instead of pressing his advantage. He shook his head. “All this, and you won’t even save him.”

Before Val could scramble to her feet, Diego whipped around. Their fight had taken him far too close to where Harm stood.

Harm’s eyes widened, and he fumbled as he reached inside the tatters of his shirt for the sword stashed in his magical pocket.

Val rolled to her feet, lunging for Diego. But she was too far away, her movements too slow. She’d never get there in time.

Diego stabbed forward with his sword, aiming squarely for Harm’s chest.

Dropping Daisy’s leash, Harm gave a cry as he drew the sword out of the pocket, the hilt nearly catching on one of the tatters of his shirt. He just about dropped it as he whipped it up with both hands, his movement even more awkward in the confined space. Somehow his blade clanged against Diego’s, directing it to the side just enough that it sliced a cut along Harm’s upper arm instead of stabbing him through the heart.

Before Diego could bring his sword back for another strike, Daisy snarled and leapt, sinking her teeth into Diego’s sword arm and clinging there. Another head appeared and clamped teeth on Diego’s leg.

Diego howled and hopped backward, the dogtenaciously hanging on. He dropped his sword but lifted his dagger, preparing to stab Daisy.

Val yanked the iron knife from the hidden pocket, a burning filling her, though it wasn’t the burn of iron. Perhaps killing wasn’t the action of someone who was truly good. But Diego had hurt Harm, and he was about to stab her dog.

She’d become good another day. This was a day for death. Sometimes, the only way to deal with evil was to dispatch it with extreme prejudice.

Diego tried to turn. Tried to bring his dagger up to block her. But Daisy had him pinned by his arm and ankle.

Val batted his hand aside and stabbed the iron knife down into Diego’s chest.

Diego’s eyes widened, his gaze dropping to the knife in his chest, then up into her face, realization stealing the color from his skin and eyes.

She’d stabbed him with iron. He might have survived a wound made from faerie steel, if he took a healing potion in time. But not one caused by iron.

“Daisy, release.” Val stepped back, yanking the iron knife from Diego’s chest. At her command, Daisy released her hold, and she took up station in front of Harm once again, still growling.

Diego sagged to the ground, a hand pressed to his chest, though the gesture did little to stop the blood. He gasped out a single word. “How…”

Val shoved the leather cuff up her arm, revealing a thin golden line around her wrist. Harm did the same, showing the matching line around his wrist.

Holding Diego’s gaze, Val brandished the iron dagger. “As I said, he was never yours. We freed each other, and in the end, we chose to bind ourselves to each other of our own free will. I’m married to a human, and thus I’m immune to iron.”

Diego’s last breath gurgled from him as he collapsed the rest of the way to the canyon floor.

Val stared at him for another long moment, ensuring that he was truly dead. Then she drew her gaze up to take in Harm where he still stood with his back pressed to the cliffside, a hand clapped over his upper arm, his sword still gripped in the other.

He gave a slight shrug. “I’m bleeding.”

Val heaved an exaggerated sigh as she fished in her pocket for her cleaning cloth. “Again?”

“I didn’t do it to myself this time. And I kept a hold of my sword.” Harm held up the weapon as if presenting a trophy. A wrinkle accompanied his frown. “Though you lost hold of your knife.”

“I was busy trying not to die.” Val wiped down the blade of the iron knife.

“That’s when it’s generally considered a good idea to keep a firm grip on your knife.” Harm’s mouth curved with his grin. “And your sword. I know a certain mercenary who would chew you out and make you run through extra drills for that.”

A cough came from somewhere behind her, accompanied by the clank of weapons. The rest of the mercenaries were getting restless.

“Don’t think this gets you out of knife practice.” Val huffed, stuffed the rag back into her pocket, andreturned the iron knife to the hidden sheath she’d rigged up. She retrieved a bandage from her other magical pocket, crossed the remaining distance to Harm, and quickly bound it over the slice on his arm. “That will have to do for now. Don’t want any of these clods getting ideas of blood binding you. It’s a lot harder to do now that you’re married to a fae, but if you keep bleeding all over the place like this, someone will figure out something.”

Harm winced as she tied the bandage to hold it in place. He brushed his fingers over the back of her hand, giving her a slight nod.

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