Page 79 of Trapped to Tame
Eve reached up and put an arm around him as Priest returned, carrying a small deer with short legs and little tusks protruding upwards from its jaw.
He set it down on the ground with a thump and his gaze lingered on where his Brother touched her, but he didn't say anything as he began to prepare the meat. He cut it with a skill that spoke of many nights traveling out on the roads, and it wasn't long before her mouth was watering at the mere smell of it as it cooked.
It was late when supper was finally ready, and Eve moaned as she bit into it while the Brothers looked amused.
‘I like meat,’ she said defensively and Drax chuckled.
‘Aye,’ he said. ‘All fae love meat. It sustains us better than anything else. It’s a staple of our daily lives. Without it we would be—’
‘Weak?’ she asked.
All three Brothers frowned, looking uncomfortable; obviously not wanting to draw attention to her years of starvation.
‘It’s all right. We can speak of it,’ she said. ‘The Bull is dead. That time is finished.’
She couldn’t help her grin as she said it, still feeling as much satisfaction now as she had in the moment she had killed him.
‘What happens after we find the children?’ she asked. ‘What happens then?’
The three of them looked at each other.
‘Then nothing,’ Fie said. ‘We have fulfilled our mission. We get our money.’
‘I meant …’ Eve halted, frowned, and sat up straighter as she took in Fie’s reply. ‘You're trying to find the childrenfor coin?’
They all chuckled.
‘We're still Dark Brothers,’ Drax said. ‘We have stake in finding them of course, but the three of us are also in the best position to do so as we have more ties in this realm than most others.’
‘Who is paying you?’ she asked
‘The fae Council.’
Eve’s brow furrowed. ‘What if they hadn't been able to pay you?’ she wondered aloud.
‘We still would have done it,’ Fie said, looking as if he couldn’t help his smile. ‘We aren't cruel. They’re still our kin, but the fae Council would never not pay for something. It's not the way of our kind. Everything has its price. To do something for free would be remarked upon, thought less of.’
She nodded slowly, not really understanding him. ‘Why did you—’ she stopped, wondering if they would answer, wondering if she wanted them to.
‘Go on,’ Drax said.
All of them were looking at her and she bit her lip as she stared at them.
‘You want to know why we brought you with us from Kitore when you’d already fulfilled your purpose. You want to know why we reneged on our bargain.’
She nodded slowly. ‘When you broke the bond …’
Eve didn't look at Priest when she spoke, flinching as she remembered the pain of it being ripped away.
‘Why did you bother to remake it?’ she asked.
Fie and Drax opened their mouths, but it was Priest who spoke.
‘You are our Fourth … more than our Fourth,’ he said. ‘I shouldn't have broken the bond and I’m sorry for it.’ He looked uncomfortable. ‘I’m sorry for everything you suffered because of what I’ve done.’
Eve knew he wasn’t just talking about Kitore. He must feel her surprise. She’d never thought he’d be one to apologize for anything.
Drax moved closer to her. ‘It isn't just the bond that we feel. Fae aren't the same as humans. We have those we are destined to be with. Fated mates, Eve. When we find the other part of ourselves, we know it.’
