Page 70 of Trapped to Tame
‘What if I don't wish it?’ she asked. ‘Will you force it upon me like in the Camp?’
Fie flinched, feeling as if an arrow had pierced his chest. ‘You are our female,’ he said, ‘even without the bond, even if you are not our Fourth. You know it in your heart as well as I, as well as Drax, and even that fool Priest.’
She sighed heavily and, to his shock, Eve began to cry broken, heavy sobs. She clung to him, her nails digging into him, and he held her as she let all her sadness and her fear pour from her.
He let everything come forth, knowing that she'd feel better for it though he hated the sound of her sorrow more than anything. Eventually, she fell into an exhausted sleep in his arms.
While he lay with her, Priest and Drax entered, both of them looking chastened.
‘Have you decided?’ Fie whispered.
‘Aye,’ said Drax. ‘Priest and I should never have been put in a unit together. That was Greygor’s fault. We all know he did what he wanted while he was the Dark Army Commander. He didn't listen to the gods. We were never meant to be together, but what's done is done. We can either fracture our unit or we can do what we should have in the beginning.’
Priest stepped forward. ‘We give the leadership to you, Brother. Drax and I will ever be at odds if one of us is higher than the other, so you will take command. We will follow your orders.’
Fie’s mouth dropped open. He had not foreseen this. He wasn't a leader. ‘B–but,’ he stuttered. ‘But I'm the youngest.’
‘It is no matter,’ Drax said, ‘so long as you're able to take counsel. We will follow you, Brother, in a way we cannot follow each other. This is how it must be if our unit is to survive.’
‘And what of Eve?’ Fie asked.
Priest sighed, the weariness in his eyes showing them that he felt the emptiness as keenly as Fie and Drax. ‘I truly thought the bond had clouded your minds. I sought to keep our unit strong. You must believe I never meant for this.’ He looked yearningly at Eve. ‘But I see now that it wasn’t simply the bond that made us care for her. I can remake it without need for the blood ritual.’
Fie nodded. ‘We can’t let her escape us now.’ He looked at Priest. ‘If I'm truly in command, then I order you to do it before she wakes.’
Priest nodded once. Turning, he left the room without another word and Drax approached.
‘Are you sure about putting me in command, Brother?’ Fie asked.
‘If you’re sure about having Priest remake the bond. If I know anything about our female, she’s going to be very angry when she wakes and it’s already been done.’
Fie’s lips turned up into the ghost of a smile. ‘She’ll be in a fury all right, but something about Eve calls to you and I.’
‘And to Priest,’ Drax muttered.
Fie made a noise of derision. ‘Priest can hardly stand to be near her.’
Drax shook his head. ‘You’re wrong. She’s under his skin and he doesn’t like it. This female has taken over his thoughts. Have you not seen how he is with her?’
‘Aye. Rude, boorish, callous.’ Fie listed them on his fingers.
Drax let out a small laugh. ‘He has been trying to teach her magick. He has been more patient with her than I've ever seen him be with anyone. He may have terrified her into conjuring, but he hated every moment of her pain.’
Fie shrugged. ‘That remains to be seen, but he will treat our Fourth with respect from now on and if he ever does anything like this again, we fracture the unit and kill him.’
‘Agreed.’ Drax put a hand on Fie’s shoulder. ‘But all will be well, Brother.’
Fie snorted. ‘Have we heard back from the First Scholar?’
‘A message was on the table. We go to the Library tomorrow. They believe they have found something.’
Fie leaned back, not wanting to leave Eve alone. She sighed, guileless in her sleep.
‘Then let us hope to the gods that whatever it is leads us to our quarry,’ he said.
He heard Drax leave the room, and cuddled Eve closer, hoping she wouldn’t hate him in the morning when she found out what he’d ordered Priest to do even knowing she didn’t want it. She’d be furious, but anything was better than her tears.
He felt a rush of pride when he thought of what she’d done to the Bull. She was a fae warrior through and through.
