Page 22 of A Kiss of Embers
But she’d only received a few bruises. She was both lucky and skilled.
He frowned when he realized Seraphina hadn’t killedanyof the four Forest Fae she’d battled. She’d only wounded them enough to be completely incapacitated. And after witnessing the aftermath of the fight, he realized she was skilled enough to have ended each of their lives.
But instead, she’d fled the scene and allowed each of them to live.
“What do you want?” he asked, feeling silly for addressing the trees rather than her…um…back.
“You know what I want.”
Pressing his lips together, he shook his head but winced when the action tugged on the tender skin around his stab wound. “You are the queen. You have the power to stop this bloodshed. Why don’t you?”
“Because once upon a time, the Glades were a part of our territory.”
Of course, he already knew as much. But it still didn’t make sense. “Aside from the healing properties of the water, why in autumn’s name would you want to live there? It gets cold. I doubt you could manage without the heat.”
“Ha!” She snorted. “Do you have no idea that the Glades rest directly beneath a dormant volcano? It did not used to be so cold in Attleglade. But it is still our land, our birthright.”
Bastien was startled at the newfound information. A volcano? Did no one in Attleglade know about it? Because he certainly hadn’t.
But then he rolled his eyes. No doubt Cranky Cricket and his lackeys were well aware of what the Glades were sitting on.
A painful silence filled the next stretch of time as Bastien fought against the throbbing ache of his shoulder and the churning hunger of his stomach. However, he wasn’t about to accept food from his enemy and suffer through a stomachache so terrible he’d only wish for death. Seraphina could poison him, paralyze him, and give him hallucinations, but he refused to accept any of her torture willingly.
“Are we there yet?” he asked in a tone that was sure to annoy the autumns out of her.
Her only response was to dig her fingernails into his wrist.
“No, truly,” he continued. “Are we? For some reason, I can’t see the path ahead.”
“You know very well how long it takes to reach the Burning Cliffs,” she hissed. “You battled our people there. We lost twelve men and women in that battle. One of them was a ten-year-old boy.”
A dull throb pulsed through his chest for the ceaseless bloodshed on both sides of the war, which had lasted for decades already, starting long before he’d been born. “My job is to secure our borders. Not venture out of our territory and take lives. Besides, you can’t possibly think you can drag me for another two days.”
“Watch me.”
The woman possessed a stubborn spirit. He’d give her that.
They reached a stretch of rocky earth, and Bastien braced himself for the accompanying pain along his legs and backside. The rough terrain was as unforgiving as he expected as rock after rock dug into his skin. But his clothing protected him for the most part.
Seraphina dragged him until she struggled with pulling his weight through the forest. Their journey slowed astronomically, and her breathing escaped as labored puffs. Whatever magic kept her strength up, it seemed to be fading and fast.
He glanced up at the skies overhead only to find thick clouds blocking out the sunlight, the gray hue promising rain in the near future.
At last, she dropped him and gasped in breaths, perspiration dotting her hairline. But otherwise, he noticed nothing more from his poor vantage point. He listened to the whispering winds and the rustling of leaves along the forest floor. Unfortunately, he found nothing out of the ordinary, especially not the presence of another fae.
So far, he’d had the privilege of moving his head and his lips. He wanted to save the opportunity to shout for help.
He frowned at the thought. The Ember Queen was a fierce adversary. Would he only be risking others’ lives if he screamed for help?
He inhaled sharply as Seraphina suddenly hauled him upright with her arms beneath his shoulders and balanced him against a tree. His eyes widened as she pulled a large rope from what appeared to be a small pouch on her belt.
“What are you doing?” he growled as she started to tie him to the trunk.
“Sleeping.” She pulled the rope tight, and he winced when it tugged on his wound. “I will take no chances of your escape. And I wouldn’t scream for help if I were you. This part of the forest is dangerous. You never know what beast you might attract.”
Bastien rarely ventured this far into the woods, especially when it neared Ember territory. Discomforting heat spiked in his blood and throbbed in his temple as he glanced about. Of course, he didn’t want to run into any dangerous beasts. But he also didn’t want to find himself anywhere near the border of the woods.
His heart thumped painfully, the deadly claws of warning squeezing his chest with each beat. He was close to the border. He could feel it. And if he crossed the line…
